It can be easy to overlook your roofs and gutters when performing home maintenance, because they're not right in front of your eyes. However, neglecting them can have potentially devastating consequences; the state of your roof and gutters influences the overall integrity of your structure.
It can be easy to overlook your roofs and gutters when performing home maintenance, because they're not right in front of your eyes. However, neglecting them can have potentially devastating consequences; the state of your roof and gutters influences the overall integrity of your structure. If you allow your gutters to become damaged or blocked, you are essentially allowing water to enter your home and cause issues. If you don't deal with roof and gutter problems early, you are potentially compromising the integrity of your entire structure.
So, if you want to complete a cursory inspection of your roof yourself: what should you be looking for?
1. Breaks in the gutters – Can you see any breakage or cracking, particularly around problem areas like joints and corners?
2. Appropriate design – Your gutters and downpipes should be designed with appropriate length and capacity in mind. If your gutter infrastructure is not able to direct water far enough away from your home's foundation, this can trigger serious damage for your entire building.
3. Blockages – If your gutters are blocked, they won't be able to direct water away from your home and prevent water damage. Loose roofing materials can also create issues that prevent the flow of rainwater through your gutters. In particular, make sure you check for blockages after storms, when debris might have become lodged.
If you don't keep an eye on common roof issues like these, the damage to your roof and your home long term could be extremely costly. Firstly, if your roof is not draining properly, the accumulation of moisture can damage your roof materials, shorten the life of your gutters and destroy your walls and foundations. Moreover, stagnant water on your roof will attract mosquitos and allow them to breed on your property. Finally, when too much damp debris and water accumulates in your gutter, the gutters can begin to pull away from the roof under the weight, causing severe roof damage.
People tend to leave roof maintenance until after a big storm has passed and large debris have collected but in actuality, debris are collecting up there all the time. This means that regular checks and maintenance are a must.
Of course, initial issues with roof and gutter maintenance can often be missed by the untrained eye. This means, they can be allowed to grow irreparably bad before anyone picks up on the issue. Don't risk your home and your safety; contact Choice Building Inspections today for some advice on keeping your roof in tip top shape. Investing in our expertise in the short term will save you stress and finances in the long term.