Checking your roof for signs of damage is important to know if repairs are needed and to prevent future serious damage to your home. Here’s what you need to look for in order to spot issues while inspecting your roof from outside:

1. Shingles

Are there any blistered, curled, or split shingles? Are there loose or missing shingles or tiles? A few can be repaired, but if the general appearance of the roof is poor it may be time to re-roof. If your roof is covered with composition (asphalt) shingles, look for dark patches indicating the granular coating has worn away.

2. Exposed Nails

Keep an eye out for exposed nails. They could become the source of a leak.

3. Sagging

While examining your roof look for any sagging along the ridges or in the middle of the roof. This is a sign that something is wrong.

4. Flashing

Inspect the flashing carefully. Look around plumbing vents and chimneys. Rusty or loose flashing is a sign of trouble. Step flashing around chimneys must be well embedded in the mortar between bricks. Where a vertical side of the house meets the roof, such as along dormer walls, flashing should be firmly in place or it is a potential leak. If you have a shake or shingle roof examine your flashing closely because the acid in wood can eat away at flashing over time.

6. Gutters

Check gutters closely for sagging and signs of leaks between sections. Are the downspouts firmly in place and directing water away from the house foundations? Look for significant accumulation of granules in your rain gutters. Some granules are normal, but a lot, combined with dark patches on your shingles is a sing of an aging roof.

7. Consistently moist areas

Areas that are consistently moist can cause mildew to form. Prevent it by regularly removing wet leaves that collect in certain parts of the roof.

8. Ridges and hips

Check where ridges and hips meet. Shingles may break or work loose in these spots.

9. Valley

Any rusty metal or displaced shingles along the valley are signs of roof weakness.

If your roof inspection reveals a problem we have a highly experienced team and reliable team ready to get the job done right. Contact Precision today for a free quote.