A great way to gauge the overall health of your roof and whether you need any roof services is to simply look at your shingles. If they look good, then everything is fine. Right?
Unfortunately, this is not the slightest bit true even though there are many homeowners who believe it.
In reality, even when shingle roofs look great from the top, there could still be serious problems underneath those great-looking shingles that could jeopardize the whole installation or even the framework.
Hire a roof maintenance company to check yours every year or two so you don’t end up dealing with costly and unexpected damage.
1. Underlayment Problems Promote Roof Damage
The underlayment installed between the shingles and decking is a critical component of all roofs. It acts as a second line of defense against the elements, especially if there is any driving, windblown rain.
If the underlayment becomes damaged in any way, it could allow water to seep under the shingles and saturate the decking beneath.
Wet, rotting decking due to damaged underlayment and shingles is one of the most common problems that roof services find during routine inspections.
Without a solid, water-resistant underlayment, any roof will rot from the underside even if the shingles on top look great.
2. Sagging Can Be Serious
Sagging is a potentially serious problem that can have a number of causes. Occasionally, roof maintenance companies may find some mild sagging under a shingle installation due to the framework warping or bowing a bit. More often than not, it suggests that there is some kind of damage present.
Whether the sagging is a secondary result of damaged underlayment or due to the rotting or weakening of some of the framework itself, moisture is usually the underlying culprit.
Leaks, condensation, and other problems can cause the decking and wood structure to rot over time, eventually weakening to the point of sagging.
No matter how mild the condition may seem, it’s critical that sagging roofs be inspected by a skilled contractor who can gauge the type and degree of damage and suggest the best way to repair it.
3. Poor Attic Ventilation Can Destroy A Roof
Another serious problem that can gradually destroy your entire installation and lead to rotting, sagging, and other damage is poor attic ventilation.
Good ventilation is essential to roof health and a critical detail that roof maintenance services check for during inspections. When there is insufficient ventilation to continuously move air through the attic, condensation on the underside of the decking and on the interior framework is common.
Roof services find that over the years, condensation will cause the wood components to soften, weaken, or even rot in the worst cases.
Sagging and loss of structural integrity can occur, putting the entire top of the house in danger while the shingles are no worse for wear.
Other times, condensation and too-hot conditions under the decking can eventually cause the shingles to curl, crack, and lose their protectiveness over the underlayment.
In Sum
So before you assume that just because your shingles look great on the outside you can’t possibly have damage that requires roof services, think again. Some of the most serious damage that occurs to some roofs is simply hidden by that great looking shingle installation.
Have your roof inspected every one to two years by an experienced roof maintenance company. They will look for hidden damage that needs to be fixed right away before it becomes too serious to fix at all!
