Many households are often faced with emergency roof repair when tiles, shingles, or other material begins to deteriorate, or blows off due to inclement weather. Unfortunately, without immediate repair, water, snow, ice, and other outside elements can quickly destroy the interior of the home. Snow or water allowed to penetrate through the home’s roof system can also cause extensive damage to the foundation, basement, ceiling, walls, furniture, fixtures and flooring materials.
Within just a few hours of extensive water damage, harmful contaminants can begin to grow including fungus, mildew, mold, bacteria, viruses, pathogens and others. This can easily cause substantial health hazards for every member of the family, especially those that suffer respiratory issues, or have a compromised immune system.
A Roof Inspection
One of the easiest ways to minimize the need of an roof that needs to be fixed is to have an annual inspection of the roofing system. It is best to perform it before the intense cold of winter, or the extensive heat of summer. A proper inspection of the roofing system requires the need to climb a ladder, and walk the entire roof area. The inspector will look for any obvious visible signs of cracks in caulking/sealant, wear and tear, or missing roofing components.
A roof inspection is not DIY project. This is because of the work in dangerous Heights, and the level of expertise required to evaluate every component of the roofing system. Any problems detected during a routine roof inspection will need to be addressed immediately by a licensed contractor. If not, the roofing system can easily begin to degrade and cost significantly more when any expensive issue is not properly replaced, repaired or remedied. Licensed contractors ensure that the roof is properly maintained, to continue functioning as it is designed.
A Roof Repair
Annual roof inspections allow the roofing contractor to detect any small roof problem involving caulking, sealant and materials. Making small roof repairs avoids the escalation of an expensive and unexpected replacement or repair. This includes the installation of missing tiles, or re-caulking flashing around dormers and chimneys.
A Roof Replacement
A roofing system is usually designed to last between 15 and 20 years. When it is time to replace the entire roofing system, roofing contractors often provide estimates by the “square.” One square equals a measurement of 100 square feet of all materials used. This means that 22 squares will be the replacement of 2200 square feet of roofing materials.
Often times, a professional roofing contractor will need to charge additional fees for unexpected issues once all the existing roofing material has been removed. Old and damaged roofs often have plywood that has been compromised by water and other elements and requires replacement. Usually, the contractor will discuss this cost before doing the work or proceeding with the job.
Experienced contractors provide a valuable service to homeowners that require emergency roof repair. Because they are licensed, bonded and trained in a variety of different materials, all work performed by the contractor is usually covered by an extensive manufacturer’s warranty.