How Often Should You Have Your Roof Inspected

For most people, their home is the biggest investment that they will ever make. Beyond being a large financial investment, it is the place where you and your family live. If you own a home, performing the regular maintenance is important. Right at the top of the list for things that you should do to maintain your home is get the occasional roof inspection. Roof inspections allow you to understand the condition of your roof and when it may require minor repairs or a full replacement.

THERE A LOT MORE TO THE ROOF THAN SHINGLES

However, as important as roof inspections are, so many people still neglect this task. It just does not occur to people until they find some type of problem with the roof. A roof inspection is very important – be it from the owner’s side or the buyer’s.

This is because, the roof is one of the most expensive elements of a home and unsuspected roof problems could catch you off guard costing you thousands of dollars. When in fact many of the most expensive repairs could have easily been prevented by having your roof inspected on a regular schedule.

When figuring out how often your roof needs to inspected, it’s worth taking into consideration that the average lifespan of a roof is 20 years. However, how long it lasts and how often it needs to be inspected also greatly depends on the material used to cover it.

As such, it is recommended to get a roof inspection once every three years; this can help in making both your house and roof last longer. For homes that are over 30 years older, roof inspections are recommended frequently.

WHEN YOUR ROOF IS DAMAGED & WHAT TO DO

However, there are a few factors that may help influence how frequently you get your roof inspected. Obviously, if you see signs of leaks, such as water stains or mold growth, you may want to get it inspected sooner.

In other words, you want to have the inspections done once before the season with the most severe weather and once after. In the northern climes, the severe weather is winter where the cold, storms and precipitation contributes more to the demise of the roof. Nevertheless, where hot weather rules, summer is the severe season.

The solar UV radiation is higher, and to thermal shock due to sudden cooling during summer rains and the roof is subjected to high heat. So you want to double check the roof before the severe season to prepare the roof for its ordeal to come and once after it has weathered the season to repair any problems that happened during.

This should help to identify early indications of surface problems such as blistering or bubbles, worn out surfaces, opening seams, expansion cracks, holes, corrosion, missing or damaged flashing or loose surface material.

On commercial buildings, inspections should take place at least twice a year, usually during the spring and autumn when rain fall is at its highest and signs of pooling or leaks might appear.

MATERIALS MATTER

Left unchecked and small issues that are quick and easy to fix will swiftly become much larger, more expensive problems in just a short period of time and will undoubtedly lead to a much more serious concern that will be costly to remedy. As a homeowner, you should take the time to inspect your roof on your own at least once a year.

If you see anything like missing or damaged shingles, spots where the wood looks rotted or leaks in the attic, it is time to call in a professional. However, even if you don’t notice any problems that do not mean that your roof is in good shape.

Underlying issues can exist; you just haven’t noticed them yet. If left unchecked, these problems will get worse and by the time you do notice it will require repairs that are much more expensive.

REGULAR HOME ROOFING INSPECTIONS BENEFITS

Roof inspectors are explicitly and specifically trained to look at different types of roofs and roofing materials. They know what kinds of issues specific roofs face, and they can often spot them more easily than a home inspector can.

So, while a home inspector can often tell you if the roof is viable or if it needs to be replaced, they may not be able to tell you if it needs repair, or how many years your roof may have left before it will need replacement. When inspecting your roof, certified roof inspectors will pay attention to the following:

1. The exterior and interior appearance of the roof. This helps them detect any physical damage or surface deterioration.
2. Search for cracks or leaks in the roof.
3. The overall state of the fascia, skylights, chimneys, gutters, drains, and vents on the roof.
4. Shingles that have either curled, broken or are simply missing,
5. Finding holes which may let water get collected.
6. Flashing points that have been damaged.

In short, scheduling the necessary roof inspections is a preventative step that ensures that small problems get caught while they are still small. This can limit the extent of the damage, reduce the cost of repairs, and prevent things like the water damage that may come from having a faulty roof.

If you are in need of a roof inspection give us a Call right Away 651-703-2336