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Giving Your Roof A Checkup
To keep a tight roof overhead, you should examine it every spring and fall. You need not haul out that awkward extension ladder and risk life and limb getting on the roof to do so. Just scan it from all sides using binoculars, paying special attention to the problem areas described in this article. If you do decide to climb up for a closer look, exercise caution. Also bear in mind that the sun does more damage than the wind and rain combined, so you may want to focus most of your efforts on the sunny side of the house.
If a number of shingles are broken, blistered, or balding and most seem to have lost their luster, prepare yourself for a re-roofing job.
Ridge shingles often fail first. Look for cracks and wind damage. A leak here can show up anywhere inside.
Valleys are another place where deterioration causes problems. If there's flashing, make sure it's sound.
Ridge shingles often fail first. Look for cracks and wind damage. A leak here can show up anywhere inside.
Valleys are another place where deterioration causes problems. If there's flashing, make sure it's sound.
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Check other flashing too. It should be tight, rust-free, and sealed with pliable caulking or roofing cement. Loose, curled, or missing shingles leak moisture that weakens sheathing and harms walls and ceilings. A large accumulation of granules in the gutter means your roof is losing it's coating. Expect problems soon.
Watch during heavy rains to see if gutters are free-flowing. Flooding can work up under lower shingle courses.
Pinpointing leaks. Water that gets through your roof may follow a meandering, brooklike course -- along sheathing, a rafter, even electric cable -- before it shows up as a drip or damp spot on a ceiling or wall.
Watch during heavy rains to see if gutters are free-flowing. Flooding can work up under lower shingle courses.
Pinpointing leaks. Water that gets through your roof may follow a meandering, brooklike course -- along sheathing, a rafter, even electric cable -- before it shows up as a drip or damp spot on a ceiling or wall.
You may be able to trace the trickle to it's source from the attic. Look for water stains on framing and sheathing, bear in mind that a leak will originate higher than the area where it first appeared.
On a sunny day, a leak may appear as a pinhole of light in the attic. If you find one of these, drive a nail through it, marking the spot on the roof itself; it also will guide the water to a
On a sunny day, a leak may appear as a pinhole of light in the attic. If you find one of these, drive a nail through it, marking the spot on the roof itself; it also will guide the water to a
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bucket until you can make the repair. If your attic is finished, you will have to do your sleuthing on the roof, examining the critical points described earlier in this article. Wait for a dry, mild day, wear sneakers or other rubber-soled shoes, and don't walk on the roof any more than necessary.