Check your Toronto Roof if it needs a Roof Leak Repair
Over time, roofing materials on Toronto roofs are exposed to weather changes that cause shingles and flashing to inflate. Eventually, this process causes roofing materials to deteriorate. This could be 15 or 25 years for most roofs, but, it can be much earlier depending on a variety of reasons. Therefore, a roof should be thoroughly inspected at least once a year, and a roof approaching 13-17 years of age becomes a candidate for a roof replacement.
In order to assess your Toronto roof and its condition, you’ll need to do an inspection. First, we recommend that you hire a professional Toronto roofing contractor. If you decide to do it yourself, here are some tips that can help you. First, check for leaks inside. Look at ceilings and walls in each room of your home. Be sure you check the following areas as they frequently leak, around chimneys, vents, skylights, and other penetrations, in valleys, or other areas that are flashed, low sloped or flat roofs. Also, check the attic for signs of leaking. Next, look at the roof from the ground using binoculars.
From the ground, you can get a pretty good idea of what shape the roof is in by visually inspecting it with binoculars and checking downspouts for excessive amounts of shingle granules that have washed down. Access the roof. The most accurate way to inspect the roof is by accessing it or at least climbing a ladder to get a closer look. Always exercise care when using a ladder and inspecting a roof.
Also, shingles are easily damaged when they’re hot or cold, so avoid walking on them as much as possible. Now, let’s take a look at the basic indicators. The basic indicators of a deteriorating Toronto roof are loose or missing shingles, and lots of granules. Tar, patching marks, or sections of different colored shingles indicate past repairs, and the Toronto roofing cement used to patch them may only last a few years, so pay particular attention to these areas. You can tell a lot about a roof by the way it looks. Normally, a good indicator of a well laid roof is straight lines. If shingles were set and fastened properly, they should form straight lines all the way up and across the roof. This tends to indicate that the roof is well-built and, as a result, will last longer.
Look for any unevenness or sagging in the roof. Check inside the attic too. If the ridge or whole sections of a roof sag, there could be insufficient framing support. Contact a professional from a Toronto Roofing Company. Now, let’s take a look at some of the common warning signs. In composition shingles, look for broken, damaged, or missing shingles. In wood angles or shakes, check for mold, decay, splitting or curling, broken, damaged, or missing shingles. On your flat roof, look for obvious patches, cracks or tears, several blisters, and/or wrinkles, and soft spongy areas. In flashing, take note of tears and buckling around roof penetrations. In your socket and fascia, make sure there is no decay, stains, and cracked or peeling paint. Also, check your socket and edge vents for clogged or damaged vents, flashing, and whether shingles around them are curling or missing. Take a look at your gutters. Things to look for include decay or rust, leaky seams, loosely attached to structure, bent or sagging, missing sections of the gutter or downspout, and if they’re filled with debris.
Clogged gutters can easily freeze shut and cause excessive weight on gutter fasteners and slippery walks below. Also, check your chimneys. Check to see if they’re leaning, loose, or missing, flashing, have damaged bricks, and have a gap or cracked mortar joints. Chimney flashing is especially prone to tearing because a chimney settles independently from the house. Roof care is very important. It serves as a barrier between you and nature’s elements. Maintaining a secure Toronto roof will keep you safe and possibly save you money in the end.
