People work hard to create a home and a place to call their own. However, a house cannot properly be a home if one of the most important components is damaged. Watermarks and pools of water are not a pretty sight. The costs that come with a damaged roof are not much prettier either. Damage to the roof is quite common in homes. If you believe in your roof is at risk of damage, it is important to realize some of the common causes to prevent some possible damage in the future.
Poor Installation
If the installation of the roof is faulty to begin with, there is already a problem there. When there is a problem with the installation, the roof has a less likely chance to last and not have problems in the future. Issues like with the adhesion, not allowing a certain area to be dried, cleaned and primed are a few examples of what can go wrong in the workmanship of the roof installation. To avoid problems prematurely, it is important to ensure that the contractor and workers you hire are following the proper techniques for installation.
Weather
This common cause is out of your control. Extreme weather conditions, whether they are very hot, cold, and wet, can all have an effect on the roof. They cause blister or cracks in the roof that may allow water to seep through to cause even more damage on the roof. There are also the effects that come with the weather like hail, rain, and wind, which can cause more damage to the roof by causing tears, holes, or even risk blowing off the roof.
Poor Maintenance/Neglect
Responsibility over maintain the roof is up to you. In the same way, neglecting to do so can cause damage. Leaving it unattended or simply ignoring the problems can allowing smaller problems to escalate and worsen. Regularly performing inspections on your roof can prevent future or more damage to your roof.
Nature
Another cause that is out your control is the nature aspect that brings quite a bit of damage for your roof. Surprisingly, critters like smaller animals, birds, and insects can cause some damage. The constant running across and their homebuilding on the roof can begin to wear it down. With the trees, the branches and limbs that hang from the trees can also wear away at the roof causing some serious damage. After storms or even just from old age, branches can fall and damage the roof as well. It is best to try to keep the trees trimmed and the animals away.
Leaks
A number of reasons causes leaks themselves. Once you have a roof leak, your roof has a major problem. Weather damage or problems with flashing (part of the roof used to protect against water between sections of the roof) can cause the leaks. As a result, the leaks cause damage on the roof and it can also eventually spread to the interior of the house.
Whether you are trying to prevent roof damage or already have it, it is important to be aware and informed about the causes of roof damage. There are certain factors that you have control over and can ensure through them that your roof lasts. However, there are also those factors that you cannot control that can cause damage. It is up to you to determine how your roof will remain in the future.
