Why should You Worry About Minor Roof Damage?

Noticing a loose nail or a couple of missing shingles doesn’t alarm the average homeowner. You often find these minor roof damage repairs tacked to the end of a long list, and only when finances allow, do you schedule these fixes. Yet, every day that Cincinnati roof damage is present, the condition of your roof worsens. You should never overlook minor roof damage; in this article, we explain why.

Minor roof damage only gets worse

First, there is some good news. Minor roof damage is easy to repair. It takes a qualified professional roofer only a few hours to replace missing shingles, reseal the roof around vents, and replace loose nails. The longer those gaps in your roof remain; however, the greater the odds that more complicated problems will arise.

Mold, rot, and water damage

Gaps in the shingles of your roof expose the wood decking, the framework that supports your roof. Cincinnati roof damage quickly compounds. Exposure to moisture greatly affects the wood in your decking, and if enough moisture soaks through the wood itself, your insulation becomes affected as well. Sodden insulation is a great place for mold to grow. Mold and rot create severe problems for your roof. Forget having to replace shingles that have softened with mold; moldy, rotting insulation often leads to roof collapse!

How to catch minor roof damage early

In many ways, fixing minor roof damage is similar to fixing a small cavity in a tooth. Even if it’s not causing you pain at the moment, if left untreated it only gets worse. The longer you wait to fix the problem, the more expensive it will get. Given how much better it is to fix small flaws before they become big problems, the question becomes how you can catch roof damage early. By the time you have a large section of your shingles blown away or a leak in your ceiling, it’s already the roofing equivalent of a root canal.

Professional inspections are the best way to be sure that your roof is in top shape. Most professional roofers recommended yearly inspections to avoid major repairs Recommended Reading. Have a professional roofer look over your roof for damage early in the summer months. Winter storms can add up even if you’ve had a mild year. Doing the inspection in the late spring or early summer gives you plenty of dry weeks to put together a plan for repairing any problems found.

Additionally, you should inspect your roof after any major storms. High winds during major storms, commonly causes Cincinnati roof damage. Wait until the weather has completely improved, then climb up to the roof and check for obvious signs of damage. If it’s still windy or slick, don’t risk it. Safety comes before checking your roof for damage.

Minor roofing damage can become a major roofing headache if left unchecked. A small patch of missing shingles can become an access point for water, turning your insulation into a soupy, moldy mess. While professional inspectors should come by yearly, give the roof a look yourself after major storms. The sooner you know about roof damage, the better.

For a great roofer in Cleveland go to Best Cleveland Roofing.

A Cincinnati roofer has to deal with a lot of damage that comes from a lot of snow and ice buildup during the winter months. From ice dams to storm damage, letting the snow just sit up there is a bad idea. There are three common things that happen when you don’t bother cleaning the snow buildup off your roof.

1) Damage your shingles

Leaving the snow and ice on your roof all winter will give a Cincinnati roofer a job come spring: repairing your shingles. Excess water on your roof, from the snow melting and refreezing over and over again, inevitably gets under your roof membrane. The first row of shingles from the eaves is the most vulnerable. Moisture that gets under them can spread up the roof, disrupting your membrane and warping other shingles as it goes.

To prevent damage to your shingles and your gutters, you can do two things. First, regularly scrape off your roof’s edges with a roof rake. Next, remember to only use a roof rake. Other methods of clearing ice, like an ax, chop into your roof and end up doing more harm than good.

2) Weigh down your roof

The sheer weight of snow and ice can give a Cincinnati roofer a busy day. Consistently bearing too much weight can result in sagging roofs. While many Cincinnati buildings are built to handle the weather that comes their way, you can never be too careful.

Raking your roof will prevent the buildup of snow. If you have chronic snow buildup, contact Cincinnati roofers to see if the slope of your roof is to blame. Altering the slope of a roof is a major project, but it can be done. If you find yourself with chronic problems with snow and ice weighing down your roof, see if there’s something you can do to help gravity do its job.

3) Form ice dams and complications

Ice dams occur when melted snow runs to the eaves and refreezes. Over time, the many layers of water build up into thick ridges of ice around your roof. With nowhere for the melting snow to go, the water piles up on your roof. This accelerates the two problems above. Weight and stress on your shingles increase when it’s impossible for the runoff to go anywhere.

If you can’t break through with your roof rake, call a professional Cincinnati roofer for help. As an alternative, there are a couple of products that will help out. Roofmelt is one brand of an ice dam melter. Designed to melt the ice dam and prevent damage to your roof. Easy to use, simply toss the tablets on the effected areas of the roof and let the tablets do the work. Hot Sok, is a 24″ bag full of de-icer, designed to prevent damage to roofs from ice dams by placing 1 hot sok on every 5′ of the problem area & it begins to work within the hour, there are no long term adverse effects to the roof or surrounding area.

Ice dams are a fairly serious emergency. Ice dams can actually cause your gutters and downspouts to fall from the weight involved. If you did not have your gutters cleaned in the fall, you have all of those leaves to help form a dam.

You can help prevent ice dams by ensuring that your attic isn’t leaking heat. The heat will melt the snow on your roof, but the cold air at the edge of the roof will freeze it again. Insulating your attic will go a long way.

Snow and ice on your roof just lead to compounding problems. Keep your roof rake on hand for regular scraping. Keep the weight low on your roof, keep moisture away from your shingles, and prevent ice dams before they begin. If anything goes wrong, a Cincinnati roofer can set it right.