Todd Kennedy
Owner of K & D Roofing
When a storm rolls through or seasons change, it’s essential that you inspect your roof both to look for damage and to check in on the overall condition of the roof.
You can always contact a professional company like K&D Roofing to perform a free roof inspection, but it’s also important that you know what to look for as a homeowner. In this post, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about performing a roof inspection.
In short, there aren’t too many different things that you need to account for in roof inspection. Outside of damage caused by storms, wind, hail, or trees, the only other thing that often renders shingles useless is age. Here are a few key areas to start:
Each of these different indicators can mean something different altogether, but they all can lead to serious damage and a leaky roof over time. Here’s a more in-depth look into each item.
Checking in on your roof’s gutters is the least glamorous part of roof inspection, but it can be one of the most important. Poor management of your home’s gutters will likely lead to roof leaks.
Gutters are meant to catch roof runoff and direct it away from the roof. If they become blocked or clogged, roof runoff will pool on top of your roof, which can cause roof shingles to warp and roof leaks to start.
Every season you should check your gutters to remove debris and leaves so that water can flow freely.
This is another roof inspection item that many homeowners may miss is granule loss. Granules are the small gravel pieces that cover shingles and help protect your roof when rain, hail, and other objects hit the roof.
Looking for missing granules is a two-step project. First, you can look for granules built up near your downspouts or in the corners of your roof. Secondly, you can look for missing granules by spotting bald shingles.
One of the most obvious roof inspection items to look for is missing shingles. Missing or torn roof shingles can be caused by high winds, roof debris damage from storms, or roof wear and tear.
Spotting missing shingles is often as easy as walking around your home to visually inspect from the ground and to try and spot the shingles that have flown off. Either way, finding a spot on your roof that is missing shingles is serious business. You’ll want to get that spot patched, a tarp over it, or a roofing company out to check on the damage right away. In most cases, damage like this will be covered by insurance.
Cracked, dented, and broken shingles are all a sign of damage often caused by something falling on your roof. Many times hail will cause damage like this to your roof.
Your roof inspection should include walking around the roof to look for signs of damage from storms or debris. While walking around, you should be able to spot cracks or broken shingles. If you do, be sure to snap a picture of the damage, as insurance will likely help you cover this type of damage.
Along the edges of your roof, shingles will see the most watershed, and if you live in a climate where it snows, or there are ice storms, these edges will also be abused by those conditions. Shingles begin to fold and curl as they wear out and are continuously waterlogged and dried over the years.
Curling shingles most often mean that the shingles are nearing the end of their life. During a roof inspection, this is a good thing to note, as it will allow you to plan ahead and get your roofing project scheduled.
At K&D Roofing we offer free roof inspections to check for damage, just like the different types that we’ve mentioned above. We want you to be confident in your roof’s condition and trust that everything will be taken care of so that your home always stays protected.
Contact us today to learn about the inspections and other services we offer. One service that many homeowners take advantage of is roof leak detection. Click here to learn more about that service.