The Few and the Fearless: A Blog About Roofers

As your roof ages, it is more susceptible to leaking and more vulnerable to storms. However, as long as you keep up with minor repairs, even an old roof can keep your home dry. The key is to catch damage and make repairs before the damage has had time to do harm. While you may need a roofing service to check the roof from the surface, you can sometimes find signs of damage by looking in your attic. Here's how.

Check For Moldy Odors

Some attics are small and you may not even feel comfortable going all the way in if you can't stand up in the space. In that case, use your nose to check for mold and mildew odors. You might also detect the odor of rotting wood or stagnant water if there's a bad water leak. When these odors are present, there's a good chance you have a roof leak, so you should call a roofer for a more thorough examination.

Look For Light Shining Through

Check your attic when the sun is directly overhead. If you see tiny beams of sunlight coming through, you know you have holes in the roof. You won't be able to detect cracked shingles and other problems, but if you can see sunlight, even if it's just a tiny bit coming through your roof, you'll want to have repairs done as soon as possible.

Check For Wet Areas

Go to your attic when it's raining or shortly thereafter. You may see water dripping from the roof or the walls may be wet when you touch them. Check the roof, walls, and insulation for wet areas that confirm rain is leaking in the attic. If you've had a long dry spell, the attic may no longer be wet but there still might be signs of previous water leaks such as compressed insulation, rotting wood, or water-stained walls.

Signs of water leaks in your attic indicate you should call a roofing contractor and have repairs done before your attic has severe water damage. The roofer may also check your attic to assess the area that's leaking, but the roofer will also go up on the roof and look around flashing and in valleys to find bad shingles so they can be repaired.

By keeping up with minor roof repairs, you may eliminate problems with your roof rotting or growing mold. This can extend the life of your roof for as long as possible, and this allows you to have a roof replacement at your convenience rather than as an emergency. For more information, speak with a residential roofing service.