Signs a Roof Needs Special Attention from a Roofer in Sterling Heights

While proper care and maintenance will extend the life and effectiveness of a building’s roofing, natural wear and tear does happen. This means that routine checks are necessary to ensure no significant wear has impacted the roofing or to allow for ample time to react before the next weather incident.

Any roofer Sterling Heights will confirm that it’s a good idea to check the condition of a roof before inclement weather is expected to make sure it’s ready to handle what’s to come. This means that the weeks before annual snows hit Eastern Michigan are the ideal time to make the check. This is a preparatory survey, done with the purpose of finding any weaknesses in the roof that may have happened during the year. This allows for the opportunity to fix the issues before dangerous or damaging weather hits. A routine check should also be done directly after the bad season, addressing any damage that the inclement weather may have brought.

One of the most important things that will be looked at during an inspection is the condition of the roof’s shingles. As shingles are damaged or naturally wear, they may begin to lose their flat shapes, instead appearing curled or bloated. Naturally wearing shingles can also appear chipped, rusted, or entirely broken. A shingle beginning to break should be replaced as soon as possible, since if it’s allowed to break naturally, it may do further damage to the roof.

Special attention should be drawn to a roof's "valleys," the naturally sloping paths where two inner corners meet. During inclement weather, water that falls on the roof will gather and drain down these paths and into the gutters. This continuous flow of water during already-undesirable conditions will give the shingles in and around the valleys extra wear. If shingles in this area are damaged or missing, the roof becomes especially susceptible to damage. These damaged shingles should be swapped out immediately, as it’s a guarantee that water will be appearing in that area.

If the roof features any equipment protruding out from a lower level, such as a chimney or turbine vents, then the waterproof seal between the roof's surface and the equipment should be checked. These seals are usually made of caulk or roofing cement, supplementing the fastening bolts and waterproofing the equipment. Over time, these seals can become weaker due to rust, cracking, or simply old age. If significant wear is seen, a repair or replacement is needed.

Preparation Can Preserve a Roof

If snow storms or hail storms are in the area’s future, it’s best to prepare as soon as possible in order to make sure roofing–and by extension, the building it’s on–isn’t damaged. However, it’s highly advised that no untrained person try to make these repairs themselves. This is a task best left to a professional roofer in Sterling Heights. Winter survival is a matter of preparation–both for the people who live there, and for the roofing they live, work, and play under.