What happens when you ignore a needed replacement of roof?
Without a doubt, roofs are lengthy investments. Still, homeowners have the tendency to be over-reliant towards their roofs. Hail storms can cause gradual damage, as can extreme heat conditions and extreme cold conditions. For those of you reading this from your North Texas home, your roof is exposed to all of the above throughout the year. If you do not keep an eye on it, care for it, or if you put off a needed replacement of roof, unwanted damage and expenses will come about.
We’ll detail three common occurrences for roofs that remain in place long after they should have been replaced:
Leaks
Of course, leaks can occur if a roof is not strong and conditioned. Water can drip into a home and it can even flood a home if the roof is in extremely poor shape. Leaks can occur in a number of areas throughout. Specifically, areas where flashing is present. If the flashing surrounding chimneys, skylights or vents is not properly sealed, water will certainly find a way to seep through.
Hail damage can also be a major contributor to a leaky roof. As hail pounds shingles, the granules that make up each shingle can loosen and fall out of place. As this protective layer disappears, the hail impact will become greater and greater each storm. Suddenly, there is no protection left and holes open up, allowing water to get through.
Mold Growth
Moisture build up leads to mold. Furthermore, a roof that does not properly drain will most definitely result in mold growth over time. Improper drainage can stem from irregularly shaped shingles. Shingles can curl or lift as a result poor installation or heavy winds. If a shingle is not in its natural tilted position then water will not flow down towards the gutters as it is supposed to. Yes, this means water will get stuck on the shingle and the shingle will become moldy.
A moldy shingle is not a huge problem; however, allowing multiple shingles to be attacked by mold will cause a huge problem sooner than later. The bacteria grow; they do not stay in once place. A roof will decay, and all it takes at that point is a week’s worth of heavy rains to give a moldy roof all that it can bare. Leaking is one thing, but a roof full of mold could collapse and cause a Allen, TX home to flood. You will then have bigger problems to worry about than a replacement of roof.
High energy costs
Though not a structural threat, an uncared-for roof will cause energy costs to rise. If the roof is not adequately sealed or if there are holes in the roof, outside air will come in and inside air will go out. Cool air will leave your home in the summer and warm air will enter. Of course, this works vice versa in the winter.
Your HVAC unit will then have to work much harder to heat/cool your home and you will pay for it with your pocket books. Insulation issues are not easy to detect; though, you can test it by feeling the seams throughout your home attic. If you feel any outside air whatsoever then you have an insulation issue.
All three of these potential issues are easily avoidable. If you’ve just recently installed a new roof then you are very likely in good shape. With that said, a roof that is nearing its expected lifetime should most certainly be inspected and you may be in need of a replacement of roof.
All it takes is a phone call to an expert roofing company and you can get an answer regarding the condition of your roof. Give Summit Roof Service Inc. a call at (972) 715-1655. We will inspect your roof, repair it, or replace it. Whatever is needed! Please take a look through our website—https://summitroof.com—and our blog for additional helpful information regarding the health of your roof.