A roof that is functional in every way is imperative for your home. If something should go wrong with your home’s roof at any point, the results could be a truly frustrating catastrophe. Too much water or excess sunlight and humidity can damage your truly important items and your home’s structure. This is why all modern New Jersey homeowners should remember to look at their home’s roof periodically. Certain signs indicate you might need a new roof. These include persistent water leaks, clear water damage in any area, cracked and exposed fiberglass matte on your asphalt shingles, and damaged plywood. You may also see shingles that are obviously loose even from a distance as well as visible damage around your chimney or your home’s skylight.
The Shingles
Shingles are commonly used in many New Jersey homes. There’s a lot of advantages to using shingles as a roofing material. Shingles come in many varied styles and sizes. Shingles are also found in varied colors. That makes it easy to match the shingles to the rest of your home and create a pleasing unified look with lots of fabulous curb appeal. It’s also easy to use shingles because they are generally an inexpensive form of roofing materials. At the same time, there are certain things that can go wrong with your home’s shingles.
Your shingles may have all kinds of damage. You might spot a few shingles that have fallen off your roof. If you see lots of missing shingles, this can be sign that you need to replace your entire roof. Shingles can also become cracked A few cracked shingles may indicate you need to repair the roof. However, many cracked shingles often indicate that entire roof has to be completely replaced. Shingles may also become loose. The brisk New Jersey climate can lead to shingles coming off from your roof now and then over time. If you see lots of shingles in a single section, this is often evidence you need to have the entire roof replaced.
Water Damage
Water is vitally important in your home. You need to have water in order to do activities such as showering and keeping your plumbing in good working order. The same is true for your interior and exterior spaces. Water keeps all your outdoor plantings in excellent shape. Water also makes it easy to clean your car and your walkways. At the same time, water can also present a problem in your home. Water damage can show up in many ways.
For example, you might see water immediately leaking into the walls of your bedrooms or your attic. Water damage to your roof is dangerous. Water can rot the structure of your roof over time. Even a small leak can turn into a much larger leak. There are many signs that indicate you have water damage in your home. Granule filled gutters, for example, are an indication that you have problems with your roof. You can see evidence both inside and outside of your home. A problem with leaking skylight typically indicates a problem with your roof. Peeling paint and obvious water stains are also evidence that you have problems with your roof that must be addressed immediately.
Underlying Structures
If you look closely at your home, you’ll notice there are lots of structures. The same is true of your roof. You’ll notice your roof has flashing, gutters that pull rain away from the home, a chimney, vents to ensure adequate ventilation, plywood and structures such as matting. You need all of these structures to be functional in order to keep your home in ideal shape.
Such structures can get damaged over time. If you see cracked flashing, this is a sign something is wrong with your roof. Your vent booting can have cracks that let in water and ice. You might see clogged gutters. During the winter, lots of ice dams are evidence there might be a problem. During the warmer months, you might notice that those gutters are filled with accumulated greenery. You might also have problems such as cracked plywood that is rotting. Your home might have lots of interior walls that have water stains as well. The same is true of damage to your roof’s fiberglass matting.
