A good time to check your roof for damage is in the spring when you're getting your property ready for summer. Winter is often tough on asphalt shingles, so spring or early summer is a good time to look for damage and to call a roofer to make repairs when they're needed. Here are some roof repairs your roof might need as it ages and is exposed to various threats.
Repair Water Damage Along The Roof Edge
If your gutters clog up with leaves or ice, water can't drain from the roof. This might cause water to back up against the first row of shingles. If the deck gets wet or the shingles are damaged, the roofer might need to replace a portion of the deck and shingles so rain doesn't leak in and cause water damage to your home.
Block A Hole Caused By Rodents
Rodents look for a warm place to nest during the winter, and your attic might be the ideal spot. It at least protects them from snow, rain, and wind. They'll probably need to gnaw holes in your roof to get in your attic.
Rats get on your roof by climbing along limbs and branches of nearby trees, but even if you don't have trees, the rats can often find something to climb up when they're looking for ways inside your warm house.
Roof repairs might involve sealing the holes with a piece of metal to keep the rodents from chewing their way back inside. They might use a plywood patch instead and cover it with new shingles. The new plywood and new shingles might eliminate the scent trail that attracts more rodents to your roof.
Replace Shingles Damaged By Snow, Trees, Or Wind
Your roofer is careful to look for damaged shingles so they can be repaired or replaced. Shingles that have blisters, cracks, or curled edges, or that are missing, loose, or have missing granules need to be replaced or repaired before they start leaking.
Wind can lift shingles and work them loose. Sun exposure can cause shingles to curl. Trees that scrape the roof remove granules. All these things cause damage to your shingles that can shorten their lives and the life of your roof deck. That's why it's important to keep up with small roof repairs before they turn into big problems.
You should check your roof regularly by looking up at it from your yard and by examining it from inside your attic. If you're unable to do so, or if the pitch of your roof makes it so you can't see it very well from the ground, call a roofer to do a roof check. Then you'll know your roof is in good shape, or you can find out it needs roof repairs so you can have them done promptly.
Contact a roof repair service to learn more.