You may have the most beautiful furniture and decor, but all can be destroyed if you have a serious problem that you ignore with the roof. Nothing is more devastating to the interior of your home than water marks, damp, leaks and decoration damage for homeowners. There are many reasons for maintaining the roof and it always pays to keep a regular eye on the health of your roof, so you can nip problems in the bud before small leaks turn into big damage.
The main causes of roof damage include:
Poor Weather – Extremes of any type of weather can cause damage such as cracking or blistering. Too much heat, significant drops in temperature and excess rainfall can cause these problems, leaving vulnerable exposure for certain roof parts where water can seep in. Powerful winds can rip the tiles, leaving parts exposed to the weather conditions.
Corrosion – There could be some roofing material that has corroded over time. This can occur in areas where there is no ventilation, chimney, flashings or valleys. Wherever corrosion strikes, this will eventually result in damage to the roof.
General wear and tear – Over time, all of them suffer from wear and tear and if your roof is old, it might only be a natural disintegration of the material as it ages. Wind gusts can also blow the leaves, branches and other detritus into your roof. The roof is the first defence against all elements and also take a lot of traffic over the years from birds, squirrels, cats and other small animals. For problems with squirrels, contact Essex Pest Control like BPC Pest Control, leading Essex Pest Control experts.
If you want your roof to last even longer, you have to commit to doing routine maintenance checks. Roofs made of asphalt can last up to 15 years and those made of clay, cement or slate can last a lifetime if thoroughly checked and maintained. Areas to check out include any that are more susceptible to damage and possible leaks.
Valleys – these lie between the roof slopes and thus are vulnerable to the accumulation of detritus like leaves and dirt.
Chimney – if there is not enough flashing, the chimney is the main place for water damage and leaks.
Vent – these protrude from the roof and are also more vulnerable to leakage.
Downpipes blocked – the problem may have nothing to do with a leak in the roof but can be derived from the gutters and downpipes become blocked by ice, snow or leaves. When this happens, water cannot flow freely to the bottom and backs up in the flashings, shingles or tiles.
The ideal time year to check your roof is during better weather in the summer. This should be done at least by the beginning of autumn, before the bad weather and harsh conditions are expected during the winter.
