At first, you might reasonably assume your roof is stable enough to support your weight as you walk around to make inspections, hang holiday lights, or clear off debris. The reality is, as strong as your roof may seem, given the protection, it offers to your home, not all roofing is created equally. It’s best to stay off of the roof and call Mikku & Sons for help. In this guide, we hope to explain the risks that go along with walking on your roof.
Professional roofing experts are trained to evaluate roofing materials, structural integrity, and hazardous conditions, while the average homeowner is not. Roofs are installed and built to precise specifications – simply stepping on the wrong area could result in an expensive repair. Your insurance company might even deny claims if your policy requires you to use only licensed professionals!
Most Arizona homes have clay tile roofs because of their strength and heat resistance. Tile is a long-lasting material, but the downside is that they can crack and chip easily, even by just walking on them. There are various types of shingled roofs in the Valley, but they also need to be treated with care. You may not see any weakness, but a professional roofer knows the signs of deterioration, knows building codes change, and has the experience, tools, and training to avoid causing damage while on the roof. Needlessly walking around can cause damage requiring extensive repairs, so we recommend staying off of it.
Two-story homes are commonly found in Arizona, and roofs measure at an average of 20 feet off the ground – keep this in mind next time you are considering climbing atop your roof. Without the knowledge of where weak points may be, the dangers of slopes, and the proper safety equipment, there’s a serious risk of falling! We want you to be safe.
We do not recommend you climb atop your roof if you’re looking for damage or leaks. Instead, we suggest:
If you find yourself facing damaged roof tiles, shingles that are cracked, leaking spots in your roof, or any other roof problem, then be sure to get a professional to inspect your home today. This is something Mikku & Sons has proudly offered homeowners across the Valley for over twenty years!
When it comes to leaks in your home, your gut reaction may be to simply put a stop to the leak. However, what is often overlooked is the process of identifying and permanently repairing the leak at the source. While many leaks are caused by roof damage, there are still other common causes of leaks that homeowners should consider.
Shade trees are a premium landscaping feature here in the desert. You could have the most beautiful and full trees in your yard, but if they are not properly trimmed and distanced from your roof, you may experience damage from falling branches. Whether it may be from heavy winds in a storm that snap a tree limb, to being completely uprooted and knocked over, trees are certainly something you want to avoid damaging your home.
Chimneys and fireplaces are constructed in a way that may allow small leaks to develop inside or as materials age over time. Things to check for include any sealing and flashing around your chimney as well as the chimney cap. When it rains, watch for water drops from inside the chimney, moisture where it shouldn’t be, odors, and anything else out of the ordinary.
Your siding and stucco is prone to cracking under certain conditions; whether the material was improperly installed, is worn out and rotted, or affected by extreme weather conditions. Sealing these cracks and getting repairs made is essential to preventing further leaks.
Sometimes roofs begin to deteriorate and will have issues draining. Should you notice water ponding on your roof, especially after any storms have stopped, then it may be a sign to call in an experienced contractor to take a look. Water damage on roofs is a major safety concern, as it can affect everything from your tiles or shingles having a reduced lifespan, to causing damage to the structural integrity of your home!
It’s important to repair leaks right away, and it’s even more important to stop them at the source. For help identifying leaks when you find moisture or water damage inside and around your home where it shouldn’t be, give Mikku & Sons a call today. We offer free, no-obligation roof inspections and outstanding roofing repair or replacement. If your roof is in great condition, we’ll refer you to the right place to get your home back in good repair.
Among all the components on your property, the most useful and critical among these is your roof! Designed to protect you, your family, and your belongings, your roof is the first line of defense against the elements! The summer heat and monsoon storms (along with the wind that accompanies them) are particularly harsh on roofs. Should you find yourself with roof damages and need an emergency fix right away, give these tips a shot!
Your roof is one the most vulnerable features of your home, so a roofing system is usually exposed to changing weather extremes which erodes the quality over time. This also increases the odds of damage and can facilitate an emergency roof repair scenario.
If your roof was damaged during a storm by wind, rain or hail, the best thing you can do is wait until the storm is over before assessing any damage. Once the storm is over and you have good lighting, go and take a look – it’s never worth the risk and danger to inspect during a storm.
Once the whether improves, you should go check your roof. If it has not been damaged too badly, you may be able to get away with minimal DIY repairs to fix up anything basic. For greater damages and breaks, a roof contractor will be able to help you.
As one of the most critical steps, buying a protective cover or tarp for your roof can help to minimize further damages and keep items inside of your house safe and secure. If you fear that water will still find its way inside, make sure to move any furniture and belongings into another room and out of harm’s way.
If you find a pool of water on your roof, make sure to get it removed as fast as possible. Still water that collects on your roof is not just harmful to your roofing system, but also attracts various pests who like stagnant water, such as mosquitoes!
If your roofing system has to undergo heavier repairs, do not try and attempt them yourself. Skilled and licensed contractors should be able to help, even in an emergency. Putting off repairs can cause your damages to grow and should never be put off!
Discovering that you have serious damage to your roof can be stressful. Going through the insurance claim quagmire can require lots of contacts with insurance adjusters, roofing contractors, and in some instances, maybe even your mortgage company.
There are several roof repair insurance claim filing tips that will help minimize the hassle.
Getting roof repairs covered by your insurance company can be a difficult and confusing process. It is best to work with a certified, licensed, and locally experienced roofing contractor.
By doing so, you can make sure your roof damage claim is submitted correctly to your insurance company.
This will also ensure that the roof repair is handled quickly, accurately, and with the least amount of hassle. To make sure you can handle the insurance claim process, Mikku and Sons Roofing recommends you follow these five tips as a guideline.
If you think your roof is damaged, you should call a reputable and licensed roofing contractor immediately. Have them come out and inspect your roof. Even if your roof looks good from the outside, there could be serious internal damage.
You’ll want an experienced roofing specialist to come out and investigate to be sure. Some insurance policies have conditions that tell you how long you can wait after the damage has occurred and still have your roof covered under your policy. After a severe storm, as soon as it’s safe, have your roof inspected.
An experienced roofer will know where to check for damage and should be thorough in documenting the damage and how extensive it might be.
They will take pictures of damaged areas and get you a written explanation of what needs to be fixed and the estimated cost to repair. In some cases, you might have roof damage that isn’t serious enough to justify an insurance claim and in this case, your preferred roofing company can work with you to plan how to handle the repairs.
In more serious cases, you’ll need to get your homeowner’s insurance company involved and will need to provide proof of damage, including measurements, the events that led up to the damage, and dates and times the damage occurred.
It is always a good idea to take pictures of your roof periodically, especially after any maintenance has been done. Make sure the images are clear and well labeled with the date and time.
If possible, take several photos from different angles to show the whole roof and its condition. By doing this, you can make a more convincing argument and you will have visual proof to justify that the damaged areas were not there before the storm and were a direct result of the storm itself.
If you have extensive roof damage, be sure to contact your insurance company right away. If you wait too long, you may not be able to submit the claim.
Always have the latest copy of your homeowner’s insurance policy to see what statute of limitations there are for reporting damage and what types of roof damage are covered. Some homeowner’s policies have clauses detailing the amount of damage that will be covered.
For example, if your roof is over ten years old, your insurance company may only cover a portion of the roof replacement cost, based on the depreciated value of your roof. If there’s ever any question of the precise roofing insurance coverage you have, contact your insurance provider.
When you submit your claim, an adjuster will be sent to inspect the damaged areas and determine what the insurance company will pay out to repair or replace your roof.
If your claim is covered under your homeowner’s policy, you will have a certain amount available to repair the damage.
You can pick the roofing contractor to complete any repairs needed or to replace your entire roof. When selecting a contractor, make sure you ask for references and only use licensed and insured contractors. It’s okay to shop around and get more than one estimate to fix your roof.
By doing this, you can be comfortable that you’re not overpaying, and you’ll have a lot more information to choose a qualified roofing contractor that you think will complete the job correctly. Not every roofing contractor will provide insurance claim assistance.
At Mikku and Sons Roofing, we’re roof replacement specialists who will work with you to make sure your claim is submitted promptly to your insurance company, and that you get the maximum reimbursement for your roof repair issues.
Most roofing contractors will provide a free roof inspection and roof repair estimate. However, keep an eye out for contingency contracts that may be disguised as inspection reports.
By being led to signing one of these contracts you are agreeing to give the job to that roofing company if your insurance claim is approved. Remember, when you’re getting estimates, you should not need to sign anything.
If you are pressured into signing something, it’s probably time to find a more trustworthy roof replacement company.
Checking with the Better Business Bureau and selecting only the roofing companies that have an A or better rating is a good way to parry your list of options to only those roofing professionals that have a reputation for doing quality work.
We only think of them when there’s a problem, and we only replace them when we have to. But, when we do maintain them regularly, we can extend their useful life. It doesn't matter if you have a tile, shingle, flat roof, or foam roof it must be maintained.
We also need to make sure that our roof receives the proper maintenance to increase its useful life.
Guaranteeing roof life starts with regular inspections. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends inspecting all roofs twice a year: once after the coldest temperatures, once after the hottest temperatures. It’s also always good to scrutinize your roof following any major weather occurrence.
Establishing a schedule for routine, professional roof inspections should be a priority for property owners. Inspections are cheap and can provide critical information that can prevent expensive repairs later.
Also, regular roof inspections provide a checklist for routine maintenance work and enable owners to prepare budgets for the future. Roof inspections are the first step in a roof maintenance program that can help owners plan and schedule repairs instead of having to do expensive emergency repairs.
Few other property maintenance tasks provide a better return on investment than regular roof inspections.
Before the monsoon season gets started, call a recommended roofing company and have your roof completely inspected. The roofing contractor will look for signs of any loose or missing shingles or tiles, gaps or cracks around any flashings, also check for deterioration in sealants or the underlayment.
Any problems can make your roof susceptible to the strong rain and wind that come with the storms
If your roofer finds any issues or signs of potential problems during the inspection, have the repairs taken care of before the monsoon season picks up.
You will be making sure your roof is in the best shape possible to fight off tears and cracks that can lead to moisture leaks. Make sure any loose tiles or shingles are fastened or replaced.
Update the seals around flashings and other roof elements. Make sure that your roof is strong and provides a strong barrier between your home and the coming violent storms.
Leaks after heavy rain are one of the primary reasons roofs should be inspected. But a leak is only a sign of a problem that might have been building over time.
If you’re looking for a silver lining, a leak can actually be good news. Without evidence of a roof leak, a lingering problem of undetected water infiltration could continue to create hidden deterioration, such as rotting wood, mold, wet insulation, or corrosion.
It takes an experienced professional eye to conduct a thorough leak investigation and diagnosis because the entry point for water might be quite far away from the detection point. Leaks can be evidence of serious roof problems or minor issues.
Many roofs in excellent condition occasionally have issues due to minor flashing problems.
Few features are as important to roof performance as proper slope and drainage. Water standing on a roof increases the chance of leaks and water infiltration significantly. Making sure you have good drainage is a very important reason for regular roof inspections.
Leaves, trash, debris, and other objects can clog or obstruct roof drains, creating standing water. Regular cleaning of roofs can help remove such problems and allow water to drain properly, which reduces the chance of leaks. Also, water is heavy – weighing about 5 pounds per square foot per inch deep.
Poor drainage also causes deterioration of roofing materials, leading to a shorter life of the entire roof system.
If a leak occurs from standing water, insulation can get saturated over a wide area, which could require entire roof replacement.
Vegetation can grow on roofs when gutters and other low areas aren’t cleaned on a regular basis. Birds can land and nest on roofs.
They also deposit seeds, which will promote the growth of vegetation. Gutters are a particular source of problems because of the accumulation of dirt, seeds, and water. In addition, tree branches scraping on roofs during wind storms can cause serious damage.
Gutters should be cleaned regularly, and trees near your roof need to be trimmed to prevent contact with roof surfaces.
Many owners pay for repairs themselves that would be covered under a contractor or manufacturer’s roof warranty.
Leaks can be caused by a lot of things, only some of which are covered under a warranty. However, when a leak is found, you should have a qualified person perform an inspection to determine whether or not to file a warranty claim.
When a roof warranty claim is filed, the contractor or manufacturer will visit the property and make an assessment of whether the leak or repair is covered. The important thing for the property owner is keeping possession and ready access to the warranty paperwork, as well as timely filing of the claim.
If you have water coming into your property, you have a leak and need roof leak repair. There are a lot of reasons that a roof might begin to let water into your home. By identifying what causes roof leaks most commonly, you might be able to help your roofer find a solution to your roof leak repair faster.
Also, we have provided a guide on quick ways to fix an emergency leak until you can find a professional to repair or replace your damage roof.
There lots of reasons a section of your shingles or tiles can go missing. High winds or sudden heavy rains can rip the shingles right off your roof, which will require roof leak repair. Also, missing shingles or tiles could mean that your roof has reached the end of its lifespan and you’re in need of a new roof. No matter the cause, having new shingles or tiles installed should be done right away to avoid major water damage inside.
You may not consider gutters to be a part of your roof system, but they play an important part when it comes to keeping roof leak repair to a minimum.They take rain water away from the roof and the foundation of your property, preventing water from backing up under shingles or ending up pooling next to your foundation. Your gutters can become clogged by debris, causing rainwater to back up, which means another roof leak repair.
Many property like to do their own roof leak repair to keep costs down. While DIY roof leak repair can save money, it might also result in the need for major roof leak repair. Walking on the roof can cause damage to the shingles and the underlying structure. If the roof is already damaged, one wrong step could cause a major roof leak repair problem that can be hard to find.
Flashing is metal installed around roof penetrations. They form a barrier to keep moisture from finding its way in between the shingles and the weaker areas of your roof. Over time, the metal can corrode away or the seal around it may crack, giving rain access to the attic and your living space. If the rest of the roof is in good shape, the old flashing can be replaced. A professional roofing contractor will just lift the surrounding shingles or tiles, pull the old sheet metal out and install new pieces. Once its sealed, the roof leak repair is complete and your roof should stop leaking.
Roof valleys are where two roof planes come together to create an inverted corner. They can add a dynamic roof line, but these areas are also weaker than other areas and they can collect water. If the leak is coming from a valley, you’ll see a line of water running where the seam occurs, and you’ll need another roof leak repair. New leak barriers could be needed. A new layer of shingles keeps the water moving down the roof and collected by the gutters.
Your roof is made up of big, heavy materials that work together in creating a barrier to the elements for your home. When you have a problem with it, it’s difficult to decide whether to replace or repair your roof with a new one. Here at Mikku and Sons Roofing, we’re experts in all things roofing. You need to make an intelligent decision. We can provide you with all the information you need to make that decision an informed and cost-effective one.
Eventually, every roof needs to be replaced. You need to know when the time is right because you don’t want to blow a lot of your hard-earned money on a big project that could be postponed. Consider these things:
If most of the roof is in good condition, it would make sense to fix the trouble spots and problem areas to save big bucks. Obviously, spot repairs are way less costly than full-blown replacements.
In case of wind damage, get in contact with your homeowner’s insurance agent because they may cover repairs. If it’s minor work, like replacing shingles, it can be completed for relatively little cost.
It’s easier to repair an older roof when you’re keeping up with regular maintenance and inspections. By doing the necessary repairs through the years, you will save money in the long run. Check yearly for dark spots or stains on your ceilings that could indicate damage, or paint that might be peeling on the underside of any overhangs. Have a professional roofing company, like Mikku and Sons Roofing, to come out and thoroughly check your roof to make sure there isn’t any cracking in the caulk, any buckled shingles, any rusty areas on the flashing, or, if you have a tile roof, any brittle or deteriorating underlayment.
If your roof only has partial damage to one side, it would make sense to only partially re-roof – which would save you a lot of money. However, If you think your roof needs complete replacing, here are a couple things to consider:
Do-it-yourself projects are currently very popular, but you should know when you need a phoenix roofer. Learn when it’s time to bring in the experts for the benefit of your home and your finances. A professional roofing company will help your roof look and perform at its very best, but they can’t make that happen unless you let them know when you need help.
Routine maintenance is an extremely important part of properly maintaining your roof. It will prevent avoidable problems down the road. No matter how simple the maintenance task might seem, you should leave the job to a professional who has the training, knowledge and experience necessary to do the job adequately. Your roof is your home’s strongest and most important line of protection. It only makes sense to do everything possible to protect it.
Getting Ready for a Move? If you’re planning on putting your home on the market in the near future, you can definitely increase its market value and curb appeal by tearing off your current worn out roof and replacing it with a new one. By investing in the repairs upfront, you can sell your property for more than you probably thought. Even if you’re planning on staying for some time, a new roof is a great way to improve your home’s exterior look for the better.
Visually inspect your roof several times a year, but a professional can do a much more thorough job. If you see any streaking, stains, buckling, curling or missing tiles or shingles, make sure to let your roofing contractor know as early as possible. Even if you don’t go up on your roof, you probably have problems with the materials if you ever see water stains in your attic, ceilings or walls on the interior of your home.
