Any time you see water damage on your ceiling (discoloration and sagging appearance), broken or missing shingles, and other telltale signs of damage, call a roof repair contractor asap to fix the problem. Remember, not acting soon enough can turn a small crack into a bigger, more expensive repair.
What happens during roofing repair?
Before the actual repair is done, your roof repair contractor conducts a thorough inspection to identify these problems:
- Cracked, missing, or broken shingles. Any sign of damage, no matter how small it appears, should be immediately fixed lest it becomes a bigger and more expensive problem. For instance, water can seep into a hairline crack and freeze when the temperature drops to freezing point; this process occurs over and over until the crack becomes a gaping hole.
- Cracked vent booting. These are protrusions that get rid of excess moisture. Take note that high humidity promotes mold and mildew growth and leads to damaged roof and even foundation.
- Damaged flashing. These are thin metal pieces installed on the valleys and joints of the roof to protect gaps in your roofing system. If they are damaged, your home is exposed to water damage and mold and mild growth.
- Ice dams (during winter). If you live in a region with cold weather, ice dams occur when the attic is too warm that it warms the snow, causing water to seep into the shingles. Oftentimes, this is fixed by installing proper ventilation or repairing damaged vent booting. Flat roofs are also susceptible to ice dams, so if this design is the root cause of the problem, leading roofer California company Yorkshire Roofing recommends having a sloped design.
Actual roof repair
For minor holes and leaks in your roof, your contractor may use a primer and adhesive patch or a roof-specific glue to fix the damage. But if the damage is quite extensive, a better approach is to replace an entire section of the roofing and resealing the seam.
Meanwhile, it is not uncommon to include insulation, gutter, sheeting, and underlayment, ceiling, etc. during roof repair. The idea is to make your entire roof system resistant to water, inclement weather, high wind, and impact.
Roof repair vs replacement
In general, it is more cost-effective to replace your roof if it’s more than 20-25 years old than simply do some patch work. Take note that old roofs are less energy efficient, which means during the winter, hot air escapes from your living quarters, forcing your furnace to work at full blast. And in the summer, cold air from your AC also creeps out of the attic and roof, which also causes your electricity cost to spike up.
One of the issues with replacement is that homeowners end up without a roof over their heads for a few days or weeks. That being said, you may want to consider asphalt shingles, which are easy and quick to install, plus they are notably durable that manufacturers typically offer 25- to 30-year warranty on their products.
Conclusion
It’s important that you only hire a licensed roofing contractor to ensure that your roofing materials are not void by their manufacturers. At Yorkshire Roofing, we not just offer warranty on our materials but also on our labor.
To learn more about Northern California roof replacement, installation, and roof repair Bay Area, contact Yorkshire Roofing or visit our website if you want to get a free quote. We also specialize in gutter system, insulation, and solar panel installation.