Though the Pacific NW is notoriously damp in the summertime, right now it’s hot, hot, hot and dry. Because of this nice summer weather, it’s easy to forget about that thing which protects you from the elements – your roof.
But, right now is the best time to take a look at that roof and get it fixed up! Here are some things to take a look for:
1. Signs of water seepage inside your home. This includes stains on your ceiling, bubbling paint, water stains on your carpet/hardwood floors that correspond with your ceiling stains, saggy ceiling, moldy ceiling, water collecting in light fixtures, etc. These are all signs of a leaky roof. One of the most obvious signs is, of course, that last time it rained your home was covered in bowls, pots and saucepans trying to catch all those drips!
2. If you go up into your attic and see signs of leaking around vents, around your chimney, or any of the above signs, you should check out getting a free estimate on roof repair. If you’re not sure if what you see equals a leaky roof, you can always reach up and touch the dark or sagging area. If it’s damp or seems extremely deteriorated or moldy, you should get your roof checked out.
3. There are several signs of you can notice from the ground. If you think your roof might have sprung a leak, go outside and look for: missing shingles, dark streaks clinging to your roof (this indicates algae growth), bent or curling
shingles, faded shingles, or spots of rot on your roof. If you suspect any of these, contact your local roofer.
One way to be sure your roof is damaged is to take a picture of it a couple times a year. Just as you get an xray from the dentist at specified times of year so he or she may compare your teeth to previous appointments, you can apply the same principle to your roof. If you took a picture of your roof when you first got the house, or after its last repair and take a picture now and compare, you’ll see if the shingles look like they’ve lost a significant amount of granules or if those dark spots you see are shadows or actually algae.
4. Another thing to take a look at when you go outside is if the flashing on your roof looks like it’s intact. You can usually see this from the ground. Flashing is the sheet metal or aluminum placed over joints in your roof to prevent water leakage. If you have anything protruding from your roof – like a vent – or if your roof has a joint or valley, you likely will see metal over that area. Take a look and see if it looks like that metal is pealing, has holes or gaps, or generally looks like it’s not fully connected to your roof or vent. Damaged flashing is a very common reason for roof leaks.
5. A final action you can do to check if you have a damaged and leaking roof is walk around your house and look to see if there are signs of water staining, mold, etc. spreading from your roof or gutters. If your exterior paint has streaks of mold or water stains that looks like they dripped down from the rafters, or if the roof between your rafters are sagging, you should get your roof looked at.
If you think your roof might be leaking, now is the time to contact your Portland roofer for a free estimate. We can come out, assess any damage and give you a leak-free year.