The roof is arguably the most essential part of the house. It acts as a shield, a constant guard against the weather and the elements. It provides shade, insulation, and dryness. All the more reason why you should diligently watch for potential problems so you can take care of them early.
Whether you have shingles, tiles, or any other given roofing material, you need to keep an eye out for chunks that are broken or missing. The holes they create likely won’t be the end of the world, and they won’t destroy your roof, but it does leave it vulnerable to leaks and other damage resulting from the hole. In the best-case scenario, it just creates an aesthetic blemish – which is still a problem that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. Check your roof regularly for broken or missing shingles, especially after storms or weather that could cause damage.
Although water leaks can result from missing or broken shingles, they can also originate from spots in between interlocking parts of the roof that have been separated. You may or may not be able to spot a leak from the outside. It’s a lot easier to spot them from the inside when a discolored or warped ceiling can hint at a long-term leak. Listen and watch for moisture and dripping, especially in the attic. Water damage can escalate quickly to the point of causing severe damage to your home. So, just like with many other problems that can start small and get bigger, you should try and catch leaks as early as possible. And again, check especially hard after storms, floods, hurricanes, or heavy rain.
Mold originates with moisture, which means that it can also often be found hand-in-hand with a leak. Since your roof is the first defense against the outside, and your home’s insulation may or may not surround the attic, check the attic regularly for mold. More extreme temperatures and proximity to the outside makes mold more likely to appear – not to mention the fact that most attics are made primarily of wood, which tends to rot and mold. Some molds can even be life-threatening if the spores are breathed in consistently over a longer period of time, so be careful.
The golden rule with home maintenance is to take care of any problem as soon as possible, if allowed both logistically and financially. Why? Problems that are left alone tend to grow, increasing how expensive it is to fix and how much damage they can cause. Your roof is the last place you want this to happen.
Check out this article on situations that call for work on your roof!