How To Determine A Roof System’s Condition

If your roof is above 10 years old, you might find yourself wondering whether it is in good condition and how long it will continue to serve its purpose. Catching wearing signs early, fixing problems on time, and determining whether you need repairs or roof replacement, is crucial to ensuring the structure stays in good condition. The best way to ascertain the roof quality is to conduct a detailed inspection. 

Steps To Carry Out a Roof Inspection

Start with a basic visual inspection of the roof, which you can tackle without any risk of injury. On a bright day with clear skies, inspect all systems and every section of your residential or commercial roof using a pair of good binoculars. Some things you should note include:

• 

  Regular roof inspection and a project outline is key for roof care.

  Gaps between the first row of shingles and the edge of the roof

• Damaged, cracking, or curling shingles

• Missing shingles, especially in spots where the roof felts/underlayment are clearly visible

• Dormers, alleys, and other areas that need flashing

• Check the gutters and runoffs for signs of granules- these signify an aging roof.

Climb into the attic and use a flashlight to check for:

• Bare wood parts such as the roof deck, rafters, and trusses. Check whether the waterproofing layer is undamaged – there should be no water stains. If you see any signs of bowing or warping, make a note of it.

• There should be no signs of water intrusion like bumps under the roof deck or on the attic floor’s insulation material.

• The attic areas’ temperature should be very close to the outdoor conditions: if the attic is excessively warm, or if you notice a constant wind inside, it might have insulation issues.

 Know Your Needs

If you find that these problems are concentrated in one particular area, your roof structure will likely need repairs. Gaps along the roof edge or shallow dents will need immediate attention even though they are relatively minor issues. It’s because these small problems can easily aggravate and get out of hand in stormy weather conditions, and you might need emergency roof repairs at that point.

Contrastingly, if you notice that the issues are more widespread, roof replacement might be the better option. The roof’s age is another factor to keep in mind when determining whether repairs or replacement will work better. It’s best to hire a skilled and experienced roofing contractor to handle this inspection and they will also tackle the repairs or replacement as required.