Your grass needs landscaping when it gets too tall. Your house needs paint when it looks dingy. Your windows need to be replaced if they show cracks. With some household repairs, when to tackle the task is obvious. Your roof, however, is a bit more subtle. How do you know when it’s time to reroof?

Inspections are key. It’s extremely important to inspect your roof at least twice a year, in order to prevent any unseen damage from becoming a disaster. Regular inspections will also help you to quickly recognize anything that seems different or odd about your roof. There are some basic things you can look out for that will tell you whether you have a happy, healthy roof, or whether you need to call in a roofing company for a roof repair.

Grab your binoculars, and find a good spot on your property where you have a clear, unobstructed view of the roof. Here’s what you’ll look out for:

Missing or broken shingles are an obvious sign of a problem. Empty spots could allow moisture to collect and puddle, eventually soaking through and becoming a leak. Don’t hesitate to have a roofing company come and check out potential leaks, as they’ll only get worse with time. Steep roofs tend to lose more shingles due to high winds.

Bare looking shingles (often darker looking than normal) are not good either. Grainy asphalt covers new shingles, but can be swept away by heavy winds and rain. If you notice quite a bit of the grainy asphalt in your rain gutters, something’s wrong and you may need some roofing repairs. Naked shingles are a source of another potential leak on your roof.

Shingles that appear to have curled or split are another sign that it may be time to reroof. If shingles are curling, they’re likely to be further damaged by heavy winds, leaving room for water to seep inside. Shingles can curl either upwards or downwards (causing a bump on their bottom edge) – either way, it’s a sign of trouble.

Any distortion in the shingles, such as a buckled vertical line, can indicate a problem. There are several causes of buckling, including using boards that are too thin when constructing the roof. Sagging centers or ridges can also be signals that it’s time to consider reroofing.

Pay special attention to any area where one surface meets another, such as near chimneys, vents, or wall joints. If you notice any cracks, dried out caulking or rusty metal, there’s a problem with the flashing. Again, this is a potential leak that may be cause for roofing repair.

Loose or exposed nails are not normal, and can also create space for leaks to sneak through.

There are also several important things to check for from inside the house:

If you notice any sagging between your rafters, it could mean that your roof decking will need replacing, along with other possible roof repairs.

Water damage is the most obvious sign that reroofing is in your future, and could indicate an existing leak or be a sign of inadequate roof ventilation. Check your attic after a rainy day to be sure there are no stains or wet spots from previously unseen leaks.

Depending on the climate you live in, the color of your roof, what direction your roof faces, and what kind of ventilation was built in, roofs can last anywhere from 10-25 years. Consistent roof inspections will help you know when it’s time to call a roofing company for roof repairs.



By: Tim McLoughlin

About the Author:

Judy L asked:


A recent wind storm sent a branch smack through one of the panels on the roof of my new metal storage shed, making a hole about 8 long by 6 wide. Any ideas on what I can do to repair it would be greatly appreciated. I’m not looking forward to spending another $700.00 to replace the entire thing.
Thanks for all the great answers so far! How am I going to pick one that’s the best since they’re all so good?

domonique_00 asked:


My husband and I closed on our first home on 8/31. Our loan was financed 100%. We are now looking to consolidate our credit and auto debt into one along with major home improvements that need to be done. . They total $35k. Where is the best place to go to apply for a personal loan or line of credit for at least $60, 000. Thank you for any insight!

big dawg26 asked:


My wife and I just bought a home less than a year ago and we added a couple of major appliances to the kitchen as well as re-painted the entire interior portion of the house. Do we get to write both of these improvements off?

Attempting to do some diy roof repair may seem like a large job if you have never done it before. Once you have the basics down, you can get a better feel for what you need to do. Start getting in practice by teaching yourself and doing the small things first. This informative article will tell you some basics on diy roof repair.

That leaky roof may look hard to figure out, but if you put some diy roof repair to it, you will be amazed at how much you yourself can get done to fix it. One of the first steps to diy roof repair is to locate or isolate the leak. This may be the hardest thing to do since leaks can enter the roof in one area and be found in the house sometimes feet away from the leak itself. If you can get up into the attic with a flashlight during a rain, this is the best way to isolate the leak in the roof. Keep in mind that it could be a gutter that is stopped up, which would make the leak near to the wall and would mean your diy roof repair would no longer involve the roof.

Some tips to remember for your diy roof repair is that those things that go through the roof, such as pipes, vents and other things are the likely culprits for a leak. If you can take a look outside at your roof, notice all the things that jut up through it, including the chimney, and you will want to check them out thoroughly for cracks around the flashings or whatever it is that blends them into the roof. Diy roof repair is not rocket science, but learning the basics can go a long way.

Should you find the area or thing causing the leak during your diy roof repair survey, you will need tools. A shovel is a tool that will help remove shingles. If you have to replace old flashing, you will need roof coating and maybe cement. If you have a metal roof, you will need solder and a soldering gun and flux, in addition to more roof coating. If you have a slate roof, you will need the special tool called a “slate ripper” to get the old nails out. You will also need this tool if you have a tile roof. For most people with a shingled roof, they will need new shingles, felt paper if the job is large, a shovel and roofing nails, and maybe some asphalt sealer. The creative diy roof repair person will always have enough tools to get the job done the first time.



By: Chad Fisher

About the Author:

asim asked:


The front left corner of the roof has the edges of the sheathing damaged. Are there any clever tricks that you can share with me on how to go about repairing such a damage. From the looks of it, seems like only the front exposed area is damaged.
This is pretty much what I was thinking to do as well. But I am not a pro so wanted to double check.

Dan, thanks for the answer.

One follow up question is that this piece of sheathing is above an overhang. Teh overhang has wood underneath to hide the sheathing above. Wouldn’t cutting with a circular saw cause damage to it ?

asked:


Or did they have to replace the carpet. The whole floor under and around where Bush had his desk was covered in it.
lol! Andy, good one.