Top 5 Common Roof Repairs

Roofs aren’t meant to last forever. Depending on the type of roof and even where you live, roofs may last for five years or go on to last for 20 years. Often, you can get away with a roof repair in order to extend the life. Understanding the most common roof repairs can help you to identify the issues when they occur.

When you need to repair roof flashing,  it’s important to know that shingles and other roof components may be affected. Knowing what may happen to your roof allows you to be on the lookout.

Roof Flashing

The role of roof flashing is to redirect water from joints in the roof. Whenever you have skylights, valleys, and vents, there is flashing present. It’s designed to keep the water out so that you don’t encounter a major leak.

Roof flashing can be made of various materials:

• Aluminum
• Copper
• Galvanized steel

Some materials are better than others, especially depending on the elements that your home is exposed to throughout the year.

Over time, roof flashing can deteriorate and require roof flashing repairs or replacements. You may even find that your homebuilder chose not to install flashing at all. Often, tar or roofing cement can be substituted. Such substitutions aren’t great for the long term – and they can allow leaks to happen.

Pooling Water

Not all roofs are designed to drain water effectively. When you have a flat spot on your roof, it can allow water to pool. Additionally, there may even be ridges that allow excess water to sit on your roof for extended periods.

Issues with pooling are that it can lead to mold and mildew growth. It can also add weight to your roof that it cannot structurally hold, causing a collapse.

Often, a roofer will address pooling water by adding a slope or looking for an effective, long-term solution for drainage. Generally, the minimum requirement of existing building codes is a two percent slope for drainage purposes. Roofing systems should be sloped one-fourth of an inch per 12 inches. You can visit this website for more info about roof slope installation and repair services. 

Crickets or elevated areas close to a roof protrusion can also stop pooling water, diverting water away from chimneys, HVAC units, and difficult-to-drain areas of large rooftops. Moreover, it’s also best to regularly clean and keep drain areas debris-free to prevent pooling water.

Cracking and Blistering

Your roof is going to be exposed to cold and hot temperatures, ice, rain, and all sorts of other things, depending on where you live. Particularly with asphalt shingles, cracking and blistering will occur. When you notice issues with the surface level of shingles, it’s important to schedule an oklahoma city roofing repair or one elsewhere closer to you. Otherwise, the problem will reach deeper levels, resulting in the need to replace the entire roof – and that’s going to be substantially more expensive.

Roofers usually repair cracks by applying roofing mastic or sealant. Typically, silicone roofing sealants can last up to 15 years on average. However, the sealant’s thickness affects its lifespan. For better guidance, ask your local roofer about your roof’s estimated lifespan with sealant or if roof replacement is the best option.

Moreover, a creaking sound may occur when a roof sustains cracks and blisters. To address this, adding spray foam insulation to the attic ceiling opposite the roof can help maintain the steady temperature of the rafters and wood frame. This extra insulation helps minimize the wood contraction that leads to the roof’s creaking sounds.

Hail Damage

Hail is extremely damaging to shingles. The hail hits the shingles at such a high velocity that it causes the granules that are there for protection to fall off. Without the granules in place, it allows for more UV radiation. The shingles deteriorate faster, which can also lead to the possibility of leaks.

While you may do a visible inspection of your roof from the ground, it can often be difficult to see the damage left behind after a hailstorm. However, roofers can identify (and photograph) the damage so that you can be sure.

Hail damage repair costs can range from US$4,000 to US$5,000 for replacing an average-sized roof, while a large roof that requires full replacement costs around US$20,000. Don’t hesitate to talk to several roof repair companies and get detailed estimates to promptly repair hail damage and avoid further structural damage and safety risks.

Chimney Cricket

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, you also have a chimney. As such, you have an added component on your roof that needs to be addressed.

It’s common to see issues with a chimney cricket when it comes to roofing repairs. Depending on the home, the cricket may be improperly installed, damaged, or even missing. The role of the cricket, also known as a saddle, redirects moisture and debris away from the chimney so that you don’t encounter standing water.

Focus on the Repairs

It’s not enough to simply know about the most common repairs. You have to prepare for them. Knowing that they exist will make it easier for you to focus on roof maintenance. Conduct inspections twice a year. While you can do this on your own, it’s often best to work with a reputable roofing company.

Once they inspect the roof, they can tell you whether repairs for roof flashing, shingles, or anything else need to be addressed. The sooner you know about problems, the sooner you can schedule a repair.

Roof damage will never go away on its own. Instead, neglecting a problem could make the problem considerably worse – and significantly more expensive.

You may also encounter more than one issue at a time. As soon as you start to get into multiple repairs for the roof, you will have to look at whether it makes more sense to repair or replace it. A reputable roofer will be able to answer all of your questions.