Preparing your roof for the rain that comes with the monsoon is an important task of yours – if you are new to the Valley, you may even be wondering how bad it can get.
In order to get your roof ready, you have to understand the monsoon consists of heavy winds, sudden and heavy rain, and dust storms in the form of haboobs, all of which your roof will need to be ready to face because eventually, it will come through.
Before you order the inspection you can look for debris that's lying up on your roof. Things like branches, bunches of leaves, or objects that might have gotten tossed up there can get stuck in causing blocked gutters and downspouts.
This will cause a problem when it rains by trapping water and making it pool up on your roof. if you have a BUR (built-up) roof, you want to make sure there are no open seams where moisture can enter.
With elastomeric coatings, you want to also ensure they are still in solid, undamaged shape.
On a pitched roof, you’ll have valleys that run down it. These canals channel water down off the roof and need to be completely clear of debris like the material coming off of aging asphalt roof shingles, leaves, and branches.
Just like flat roofing systems, you have to make sure that the seams are inspected and that everything is in good condition and watertight.
Obviously, if tiles or shingles are missing, you’ll need to order some repairs or if it's still under warranty, get your roofing contractor out to replace them.
These need to be inspected also. They need to be in good shape, attached securely to your property and free of debris so they can be effective in channeling the heavy rainfall off your roof and down to the ground.
If they are hanging oddly or not how they’re supposed to they can accumulate water and it can be pushed back onto the roof, instead of flowing down away from your roof and foundation.
Speaking of the foundation, It’s also a good time to check the protection for the foundation of your home, making sure proper drainage is occurring and water isn’t pooling up against it, which will undermine it over time.
They provide shade that can cut down on energy bills, but if they’re too close to your property they can cause problems for a roof.
If it’s a bigger, older tree and it collapses during a high wind event, a large branch can scrape across the roof, knocking off shingles or tiles, or even knock a hole in your roof.
Even if it’s not a big branch that comes through your roof, just having all the falling leaves, twigs, and branches on your roof will interfere with proper roof drainage.
Previous owners might have taken shortcuts that weren’t caught during the home buying inspection. Patching or other roof repairs may have gone unnoticed.
Have a professional roof repair contractor come out and inspect your roof to make sure there aren’t any do-it-yourself problems.
Catching simple problems ahead of time will keep them from turning into major problems later on. Contractors should look for overlapping layers of roofing material, gaps, or just poor craftsmanship.
Any of these could lead to a leaky roof, premature wear, and mold or algae.
A few preventative steps will go a long way to avoid serious issues and damage to the interior of your property.
As December rolls through, and the rooftop reindeer have come and gone, we hear the same problem year after year. People call in for roof inspections after finding shingles on the ground and hoof prints up top. We have a small list of things to look for, that way Santa has a clean landing and doesn’t damage anything by accident.
As much as Santa loves seeing houses decked all around, you must be careful to leave room for him to land on your roof! Rather than just throwing all your lights and decorations on the roof, try to plan for a lighter roof load. Keep your lights in straight lines, creating a lane for Santa to land in, and avoid keeping too many stand up decorations on the roof (should one of Santa’s reindeer knock them down caught in your shingles).
If you have a chimney, make sure you clean it nice and good. The last thing Santa will want is to slide down a grimy, soot-filled chimney to deliver. Additionally, try to keep the front of the fireplace clear so Santa has a clean exit!
It’s safe to say that you’ll be on the “Nice” list this Christmas if you’ve been cleaning your gutters. If you have not cleaned them out recently, you’ve still got a few days before Christmas to get them squared away. Clogged gutters can cause damage to your exterior walls, or to the foundation of your home. If Santa notices damage, he may not have a safe place to land!
You may leave out a nice treat for Santa every year, but what about for his trusty delivery partners? A nice snack could be some leafy greens carrots or an apple if you want to really treat them!
Check your yard for anything that may hinder Santa on the busiest night of the year. Trim any overhead branches, make sure any large piles of leaves are raked and thrown out, replace any of your broken or missing shingles, and make sure your lights are all active (just to give Santa some more illumination). If you are in Northern Arizona or anywhere else that experiences snow and harsher conditions, make sure your roof is clear of snow and break any ice dams.
Of course, if you want to have the safest conditions and some peace of mind, the best thing you can do is to get a proper roofing inspection. Fortunately for you, Mikku and Sons works with Santa year-round inspecting roofs for his arrival. If you want to make sure you’re ready for Santa and his reindeer, give us a call today!
Your business or personal belongings depend on the proper maintenance and repair of your roof. Keep in mind that a little prevention now can prevent catastrophic roof failure in the future. This will save you a lot of inconvenience and expense in the process.
You should bring in a professional roof repair contractor if you have concerns after an inspection. The roofing contractor can also help you determine the remaining estimated lifespan of your roof, the roof’s general existing condition and help you develop a maintenance plan moving forward.
You should bring in a professional commercial roof repair contractor if you think that there could be some concerns after an inspection.
The commercial roofing contractor can also help you determine the remaining estimated lifespan of your roof, the roof’s general existing condition and help you develop a maintenance plan moving forward.
Regular inspections and maintenance is the best way to avoid major roof issues and help your roof sustain extreme weather conditions.
Regular maintenance will also prolong your roof’s lifespan. This may allow you to repair your roof instead of replacing it when issues pop up, saving you a lot of money.
How often you should have your roof inspected depends on several factors like age, recent weather events, foot traffic on your roof, and any type of conditions that may have been uncovered in past inspections.
Your roof should be inspected twice per year, in the spring and fall, to ensure that it’s not being forgotten.
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.
