Need a New Roof? How to Tell

Most people don't pay any attention to their roof until there is a major problem. If you are like my family, you rush in & out of your home, barely looking at the exterior.

If you take the time to regularly inspect your roof, it can help to prevent costly repairs. You want to avoid water ever having the opportunity to enter your home. The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) offers this roof checkup guide for homeowners, and suggests checking your home twice a year, in the spring and the fall.

While it is recommended that you hire a professional to inspect your home, here are a few suggestions if you'd like to try yourself. Start in your attic, with a flashlight and look for:

• Signs of water damage or leaking.
• Places where the roof deck is sagging.
• Dark spots and trails.
• Outside light showing through the roof.

When inspecting the exterior of your roof, look for:

• Any cracked, torn, bald or missing shingles.
• Loose material or wear around chimneys, vents, pipes or other penetrations.
• Large amounts of shingle granules (they look like large grains of sand) in your gutters--this means the shingles are wearing out.
• Any sign of moisture, rot or mold.
• Make sure gutters and downspouts are securely attached, allow water to exit, and are free of debris.

If you see signs of wear & tear on your roof, have a Marietta Roofing professional out to inspect the problem. Hopefully, it is an easy fix, and is caught before any real damage is done.

Hail Damage?

Inspect your roof promptly after a storm: Any storm or wind alone can damage a roof, so the sooner you inspect the roof after a storm the better you can avoid leak damage inside the home, and if an insurance claim for roof damage is warranted, the better will be the data you can provide in support of your claim.

Inspect your roof gutters: before and after a storm. If the gutters were clean and after the storm they are loaded with mineral granules you have strong evidence of roof wear and damage due to the hail storm.

Inspect your roof regularly, annually would be ideal, so that you can find and fix damage before it becomes a more costly leak. If you inspect the roof regularly you then can have information to compare with the condition of the roof after a severe storm - you can document when damage occurred and can establish that damage was or was not present before a particular storm.

Most importantly, if you feel your roof or gutters have been impacted by a storm, call a professional Marietta roofer to evaluate the damage. Babcock Roofing Pros, Atlanta roofing, offers FREE inspections and will help you by dealing directly with your insurance company.

Is it Time for a New Roof?

How do you know if it’s time for a new roof?

If your roof is leaking it will be obvious. Stains on the ceiling inside are a tell tale sign. Sometimes, though, a leak in the roof can be easily repaired without the entire roof being replaced. For the big picture, look for a combination of factors including the following:

Storm Damage – Storm damage includes damage from wind, rain and hail. While some rain seems mild, the wind can do more damage and let let water into your home. Hail can often times be detected by looking at your vents & gutters.

Algae growth – Airborne algae produce a dark discoloration on the roof that resembles soot or dirt.

Curling, blistering, or missing shingles – These can be caused by moisture, poor workmanship, or high winds.

Damaged flashing – This is caused by drying or cracking on an old roof, improper nailing, or settling of the home over time.

Buckling – Buckling can happen when the house settles, if new shingles are applied over old ones, or because of poor workmanship. Poor workmanship includes improperly applied felt, wrinkled underlayment, or lack of spacers between the roof deck and boards.

Missing granules – Granules naturally wear off of shingles, but if there are so many loose granules that they are filling up your gutters or if the mat underneath is exposed, then your shingles have officially gotten too old.

Signs of rot – This is more common in organic base shingles. Consider replacing with fiberglass shingles to avoid rot.

If you think you are having any of these problems, let Babcock Roofing Pros come out and inspect your roof for you. We offer a free inspection and will help you in filing your insurance claim, if it is warranted. Let us help you with your Marietta Roofer needs!