And even though our winter won’t be as bad as the fictional winter we referenced from Game of Thrones in the title, we should be bracing for an El Niño. Last year we had an La Niña winter, which means it was dry and fairly warm, so you can guess what an El Niño is. That’s right, it’s the exact opposite.
Even though there are varying degrees of El Niño weather, and we’re not absolutely sure what to expect this year, we’re advocating some preparation to head off any potential disasters. Even though flooding and water damage is our business, we’d like to help the Inland Empire stay dry and safe.
We’re more than happy to come out and check your roof—you do remember that we are fully licensed and bonded contractors, don’t you? But there are ways for you to check your roof yourself. Just please be careful—we don’t want any accidents on ladders! (For our commercial customers, we highly recommend that you use a professional to check your roof.)
The first step, before going outside, is to go into your attic on a sunny day and look up. (Clearly NOW is a good time to do this!) If you see sunlight coming through the roof, it’s obvious that you have a hole. If you can, push something through the hole, which will enable you to see the protrusion from the top of the roof and thoroughly inspect the area.
Instead of scrambling around on your roof, which will help you avoid any further roof damage and reduce the risks of slips and falls, it’s usually possible to position the ladder to get a good look at the roof without having to get on it. You can also use binoculars to look at areas more closely, and don’t forget to take advantage of any dormers or upstairs windows that may give you a vantage point to view the condition of your roof.
Look for composition shingles that are broken, missing, cracked or torn, plus any roof tiles or wood shingles that can be repaired or replaced. If you see any dips or indentations in your roof, these are clues that you have rotten wood under your tiles. Also check your soffit (that part underneath the overhang of your roof) for rotten wood. If the flashing around vents, sunroofs and chimneys is curled, bent, loose or cracked, sometimes it can be reattached to the roof without replacing the metal pieces.
It’s no surprise that routine maintenance of a any roof will prevent major problems, but this is especially true of a flat roof. During your inspection look for exposed tar paper, ruptures, blisters or bubbles in the roofing. Spongy spots are due to water accumulating under the roofing material and means that the wood underneath is starting to rot.
While you’ve got the ladder out, check your gutters and clean out any debris, leaves, twigs and other plant material to keep any rainwater flowing freely. If the gutters back up it can cause water to spill off of your rooftop and cause problems for your foundation.
A simple check of your roof done once or twice a year can help prevent costly repairs later on. In addition, there’s nothing worse than finding a roof leak in the middle of a winter storm, which can cause widespread damage throughout your home and even lead to mold. Remember: mold damage is usually three times more expensive to remedy than just water damage!
For a roof “health check”, or an estimate for roof repair, water damage restoration, mold restoration or residential remodeling, call us now. Don’t wait until we’re busy with all of your neighbors who didn’t check their roofs before the rain started! (877) 732-8471