For any house, roof is clearly an essential component and without a roof, you can’t really call it a house. However, the roof is often exposed to the element and it will eventually break down. You should make sure that the roof has a real capability to stay for a long time and protect all family members. Unfortunately, damages on your roof can go unnoticed. When the damage becomes more serious, it will far costlier to repair it. As a homeowner, you should be aware of various causes that can damage your roof. In some cases, you need trained and licensed professionals to inspect the condition of the roof at least once a year. If you do this, any major damage can be prevented, because you will be able to repair any small faults and leakage soon enough.
It is perfectly clear that poor maintenance is a primary reason why your roof is failing. If you start to poorly maintain your roof, small leaks and other problems can be undetected. These little faults can be repaired quite easily and quickly, before they escalate and cause far bigger problems. In areas with colder climate, hail damage is something that can happen quite easily on the roof. After an intense hailstorm, granules could be dislodged from the shingle surface. These granules are essential, because they are meant to protect any surface against sun exposure. Colored granules also add some visual appeals to your house. If the roof is exposed to sunlight, it is possible that the asphalt will begin to deteriorate. Half damaged roof could start to prematurely fail.
It can be quite difficult to inspect the hail damage from the ground and you need to go up there to assess the damage accurately. The effect may not be easily seen after a single hailstorm, but it already greatly stresses the roofing surface. You should understand the condition known as “spalling” which is when the circular parts of the granules start to fall off. Hailstone will severely weaken and break the bond between asphalt and granules. After a period of weathering, more and more granules will fall of the shingles, especially on and near the impact areas. After granules are removed from the shingles, the asphalt surface will be directly exposed to sunlight and its damaging UV ray. When it happens, the shingles will have degraded performance. You should also be aware that the warranties on your roof can void when it is damaged by hailstorm.
Another common reason of roof damage is strong wind. After years exposed to strong windy weather, shingles, nails and various roofing material can become loose. If your roof is already severely weakened, even a moderate wind could unexpectedly lift a big portion of the shingles, causing major damages. If you start to lose a shingle or two, it means that your roof has been seriously affected by wind damage. Again, you need to perform regular maintenance. Tightening loose components and replacing old nails are cheaper and easier to do than performing major roof repair.
