How to Protect Your Roof From Leaks
If you ever dealt with a roof leak that caused rain water to enter your home, you know how disastrous it can be. Just a small leak can lead to water damage on your ceiling, walls, flooring and any furniture it hits on the way through the crack or hole. Here are some helpful ways to protect your roof and reduce the number of leaks you experience.
Know the Most Likely Sources
Before you do anything else, you need to learn about the areas of your roof where leaks are most common. While just about anywhere on a roof can lead to a leak if there is a hole, there do tend to be places where leaks occur most often. By knowing this, you know what areas to target first when you are inspecting your roof's condition for cracks or other sources of damage. Likely areas include around vents and flashing, around your skylight if you have one, near the edge of the roof and close to the gutters, and through the shingles themselves.
Remove Debris From the Roof
After every major storm, take the time to inspect the roof's surface and remove any debris you find. If you're lucky, the majority of the small debris will have made it into the gutters, where it is a lot easier to remove and keep clean. Other debris, like large branches, might be stuck on the roof and need to be thrown off the side. You need to keep this debris off the roof so it doesn't cause scratches or holes on the materials. If the debris starts to build up, it can weigh down areas of the roof, and eventually cause damage that would lead to a leak. Inspect the roof as you do this so you know if any damage has already been done.
Check For Broken or Missing Shingles
While any type of roofing material can get cracked or damaged and lead to a roofing leak, it tends to occur most often with shingles. Shingles are often thinner than materials like roofing tiles, and the way they are installed make it easier for storms and heavy winds to loosen and lift them. If you have broken or missing shingles, the roof underlayment is then exposed, which increases the risk of having a puncture, then a leak in your home. Try to inspect your roof on a regular basis for broken shingles and replace any that you find problems with.
If you find a problem in your inspections of your roof, don't hesitate to call a roofing specialist.