Should I Have My Roof Inspected?
Keeping a home in good repair is much like keeping your car in good mechanical order. Replacing parts before they break and making minor repairs as needed helps avoid major damage down the road! Like taking your car to a mechanic for a check under the hood, arranging for a regular roof inspection alerts you to areas of concern and allows you to replace worn materials quickly.
Consider the five reasons below why all homeowners should have their home’s roof inspected regularly. If you need assistance, rely on the experts at Elite Remodeling Services, your local roofing company Farmington MN. They are waiting for your call at (952) 646-2480.
5 Reasons to Have Your Roof Inspected Regularly
Your Warranty Depends on It
Most residential roofing materials and installations include a warranty or guarantee of some sort and often it requires regular roof inspections and repairs. Failing to arrange for annual or regular roof inspections could void the warranty on your home’s shingles, as well as the guarantee offered by a roofing contractor.
If you’ve never read your roofing repair and installation paperwork, its best to seek out the notes on its warranty period. If that condition requires regular roof inspections, file those inspection reports and other paperwork in a safe place so that you can be reimbursed for the cost of repairs or replacement as needed.
An Insurance Policy Might Demand It
As with a warranty or guarantee for shingles and installation work, your homeowner’s insurance policy might also require a regular roof inspection. In some cases, this inspection might be mandatory after a storm or after the winter.
If you’re unsure of what’s required by way of a roof inspection, don’t hesitate to call your insurance agent. The representative should be able to explain the policy in detail, so you know when and why to schedule roof inspections as needed. Again, be sure to keep that paperwork organized so there are no payment delays should you need to claim against your homeowner’s policy.
Inspectors Find Damage You Might Miss
A homeowner might be able to spot obvious damage to their home’s roof; missing shingles, shingles that buckle or curve, or severely discolored areas of a roof, for example. Water stains and drips from the attic ceiling also indicate cracks and holes in a home’s roof.
A professional roofing contractor or inspector will note far more subtle damages, however, like damaged flashing, cracked or otherwise damaged pipes and vents, the development of mold or algae, and plant growth between the shingles. These repairs are easy for homeowners to overlook and ignore, leading to even greater roof damage over time.
Roofs Are Dangerous!
Before you assume that you can perform a complete inspection by stepping onto the roof from the tallest ladder you own, consider the danger of walking on a roof. Wet debris sometimes creates a slick surface that provides little traction, while a loose shingle can slide right out from under you. Trying to hold a flashlight or other tools also throws you off balance, increasing the risk of a serious slip and fall.
A roofing contractor knows how to stay safe on a roof, usually using ropes and safety lines to keep themselves steady. An experienced roofer can also spot loose shingles, wet debris, and other unsafe footing with a practiced eye. As well as noticing soft areas of a roof that are in danger of collapsing outright!
Making Repairs
The most important reason to arrange for a roof inspection is that a roofer will spot areas of minor concern, allowing you to make repairs before that damage becomes more extensive. Replacing a few worn shingles before they crack and split, or replacing outright missing shingles, offers maximum protection for your roof against cracks and holes and resultant interior water damage.
An inspection also alerts you to changes you might make to your property for the sake of keeping your roof in good repair. This may include the trimming of tree branches, power-washing the roof, or cleaning the home’s gutters.
For a thorough, professional roof inspection and all the roof repairs and replacement work you need, call on the home improvement experts at Elite Remodeling Services at (952) 646-2480.