When it comes to maintaining the structural integrity of your house, roof repairs should be right on top of your priority list, quite literally indeed.
A leaking roof not only allow seepage of water into the walls of your home but may potentially lead to graver problems such as electrical short circuits which in turn, may even lead to fire hazards. Therefore, conducting periodic roof repairs as and when needed should be an absolute top priority.
1. Roofing Systems and Contractors
But before commencement of any roof repairs, you have to figure out just what kind of system has been installed in your home, if its Owen Corning roofing or GAF Timberline roofing or even CertainTeed shingles. Once you figure out the system, you would then need to take multiple roofing quotes from many a roofing company as well as a good roofing contractor. Only skilled professionals can determine if you require simple roof repairs or outright roof replacement. Their decision would be based on the extent of the damage to your roof. So it is always better not to procrastinate when it comes to roof repairs. As a rule of thumb, if your home has not undergone any roof repairs or had no new asphalt shingles installed for over two decades, it is likely that it would require major roof replacement.
You must always remember that you need to take action as soon as possible when you realize that your asphalt shingles are damaged. If left unrepaired, the seepage would spoil the wooden beam and sheathing of your roof and if they are damaged enough, they will rot away completely, potentially leading to the roof or part of it to come crashing down altogether.
If that happens then it might lead to serious injuries to anyone present directly beneath, not to mention the massive repair bills.
2. Replacement of Asphalt Shingles
Unfortunately, individual asphalt shingle repair is not possible, and fresh shingles have to be installed. But rather than doing it yourself, it is better to contact a shingles company for the same.
3. Re-seal the Curl
Many asphalt shingles are prone to curling around the edges. If that happens, simply advise your shingle contractor to use a powerful adhesive to glue down the edges of the asphalt shingle so as to re-seal the same and avoid seepage.
4. Look for Shiners
Sometimes asphalt roofing is not to blame for relatively small sized, hard to locate leaks. This is because the telltale signs of seepage may well show up far away from the leak. In this case you would have to play detective and trace the water flow to the area from where the leak originated. If none can be found then your asphalt shingles are not to blame. The culprit may well be a ‘shiner’.
A shiner is a nail that missed its mark when it was hammered into the frame. This allows moisture to seep in, especially in very cold climates where water vapor may freeze on the exposed nail and then condense as the weather becomes progressively less cold. Once that happens, it may then flow to a light fixture and cause a short circuit.
This is why it is absolutely imperative that every leak (irrespective of how seemingly innocuous it may seem) has to be taken care of till your asphalt roof is perfectly leak free and offers a snug and comfortable home to your loved ones.