Welcome to the website where you can find out all the information about Roof Repair. Whether you need information as a do-it-yourself homeowner, professional roofer or homeowner searching for a professional roofer, you will find it here. Honestly, you can expect to leave this site with all your questions answered. Or if you want a simple question answered this is the one stop information shop for you, built by Americans for Americans!
What is a Roof?
A roof is much more than simply a covering over the top of your home. It serves to protect the inside of your home from water and acts as a layer of insulation to keep the temperature of your home moderate.
There are many types of roofs, the most common are:
Gable – found on homes that are A-framed
Mansard – basically a multiple slope roof
Beneath the roof is a layer consisting of a protective sheeting or coating called an underlayment.
This underlayment can take several forms:
Tar paper for asphalt shingled roofs
Paint or rubberized coating for metal roofs
Slate tiles require no underlayment.
Damage to your roof can occur in either of these layers from a number of causes, including wind, mold, hail, or excessive moisture. Not all roof damages can be seen easily from the outside.
Knowing these basic facts will help you best determine whether your roof is in need of a professional roof repair company or, if you have a knack for do-it-yourself projects, repairing the roof can be done on your own.
How to Know When Your Roof Needs to be Repaired
It can be dangerous and costly to believe a roof is structurally sound without having the information necessary to make a basic assessment. The main reason for having a roof is to keep out water when it rains. Any breach in the roof structure can lead to water leaking into the house and cause significant damage to furniture, walls, and ceilings.
Where you should look for damage to the roof depends on the type of material it is made from. You must not overlook this step before you ask yourself how to shingle a roof? Shingle roofs can have missing or damaged shingles, or in some cases have protruding nails that indicate something is pushing up from under the exterior surface. Tile roofs can show signs of damage if the tiles are cracked or loose.
If you have a flat roof with a gravel covering, bare spots and standing water are two signs of potential trouble.
One concept that is a must to understand will help you better understand roof repair is flashing. Flashing is weatherproofing that redirects water away from the point where two separate structures meet. For example, a chimney is not part of the roof, but there is flashing around the base of the chimney where the chimney meets the roof. Areas where flashing can be worn down or damaged is another place to look during an evaluation.
