If you have noticed cracked or broken shingles, stubborn leaks in your ceiling, or have experienced a recent accumulation of rainwater in your attic You don’t always need a new roof. Sometimes, a simple leak just needs a quality patch job to prevent water damage to your home.
The average lifespan of Shingle Roofs is about 10-20 years. But weathering, overloading, and accidents having to get roofs repaired or even overhauled way before that time period.
Determining if it's time for your roof to be fixed or replaced can be difficult if you don't know the types of damage it can sustain. Here are the most common types of roof damage that will let you know if you need to call us ASAP!
Shingle Roof Repairs are the most common residential roof in Florida. Although Shingle Roofs are constructed with tough materials that can withstand UV exposure, heavy rains, and high winds. But over time due to Florida's climate, Shingle Roofs will start to wither and need repairs.
Common Shingle Roof Repairs
Flat residential roofs can develop ponding water on the surface for a variety of reasons, from sun damage and weathering to underlying structural issues and poorly installed drains. Ponding water is definitely a pressing concern that warrants a prompt solution. If you allow this issue to go without repairs, extensive damage to the roof membrane can occur, resulting in roof leaks.
Roof Wind Damage Winds reaching speeds over 45 mph can damage your roof. The surface of your roof isn't hit evenly by high winds. They tend to have the most impact on areas where the materials are already loose. On shingle roofs, high winds can create a suction effect and lift the shingles up, which loosens the nails that are holding them down. That, in turn, breaks the seal between the layers. Other areas susceptible to damage are the corners, edges, ridgeline, and flashing. High winds often carry debris that can damage your roof, as well. Anything that breaks the surface that seals your roof can lead to water infiltration. That can cause rot in your structure and damage to your ceilings.
Hurricane Damage The highest wind speeds you'll experience come with hurricanes. The leading cause of property damage from a hurricane is these high winds. When they hit your roof, they can break the seal that keeps you safe from the heavy rains that will also come. Sometimes there's also hail. That's another threat to your roof, especially if roofing materials have already been loosened by the strong winds. Shingles are usually the most affected in this way. The shingles that don't get blown out of place can be damaged by hail and flying debris to an extent that they can't protect your home.
Sun and Heat Damage Those warming rays from the sun can wreak havoc on some roofing materials, especially shingles that have reached their senior years. Aging causes roof shingles to become brittle, which can lead to cracking or even breaking apart. Another way that the Florida sun can affect the coverage of your roofing materials is excessive heat exposure. It can crimp the edges of asphalt shingles, which can warp your roof's surface. In addition, your shingles can experience granule loss caused by sun exposure and rain runoff. Shingles naturally lose granules as they age, but these weather elements can increase that loss significantly.
Pest Damage Rodents, birds, & bugs can breach the seal of your roof, as well. During the cooler months, pests look for warm places to hang out. Squirrels are able to chew through your roof's shingles, leaving you more susceptible to moisture damage. It can also leave you with uninvited and unwelcome guests that can cause additional damage to your home. Bird droppings are very acidic. Over time, they can lead to disintegration of your roofing materials, causing leaks. Birds can also take advantage of any small openings they find and build a nest there. Insects are another concern. Silverfish, for example, find the adhesives on your roof quite appetizing.
Metal Roof Leaks- Mistakes in the design and installation of a new metal roof are sources of major problems. These mistakes are not immediately evident after the installation. They may take time to develop.
Common Metal Roof Repair Issues
Openings in the Horizontal Seams- It is difficult and sometimes not possible to make metal roof panels that extend the full rafter length of the building. In some designs the project designer will limit the length of the panels based on expansion and contraction. As a result of the restriction on panel length, the installer must install horizontal seams into the roof system. These horizontal seams run perpendicular to the standing seams in the metal roof. Horizontal seams are prone to separation over time. In hydrostatic metal roof systems, this can create an opening that allows water to enter back into the building.
Openings in Penetration Flashing- Metal roof systems are prone to expansion and contraction. This is a result of the metal panels moving because of temperature changes. This movement creates stress at points of attachment as well as at the penetrations through the roof system. The stress leads to the breakdown of the flashings at the penetrations which results in roof leaks. Metal roof systems are constructed by attaching individual metal panels together at the seams. Once the metal roof systems are installed they are very difficult to remove and disassemble. Unlike an asphalt shingle system they do not disassemble to allow for a repair of penetration flashing. This makes long-term repairs more difficult to address especially if the penetration is installed after the metal roof is installed.
Metal Roof Oxidation- Metal roofs are made from a wide variety of materials. These include steel, aluminum, tin, copper and zinc. Some of these materials are subject to oxidation. Most metal roof panels are made from sheet metal that has been coated with a protective surface. Over time this coating can wear away leaving the metal panels to oxidize. Surface oxidation can lead to problems. These problems can include structural failure if the metal roof system is a structural system. Oxidation also impedes repairs. Metal panel oxidation at exposed fastener heads can make sealant application difficult.
Fasteners Backing Out- Metal roof systems typically include a combination of exposed and concealed fasteners. These fasteners can be nails or screws. Exposed fasteners typically have a neoprene washer that seals the fastener head to the surface of the metal roof panel. Overtime fasteners have a tendency to back out of their seated position. This can be for various reasons. Wind uplift can lead to fastener back out. Metal panels will vibrate under wind conditions leading the fasteners to back out. Backout is alo caused by the neoprene washers drying out which allows water to enter.
Open Ridge/Headwall Flashing- Roof systems need to terminate into other conditions on the surface of the building. These conditions include rising wall details where the roof system matches into other surfaces. An example of this would be a metal roof system ending into a rising wall below a signed band on a shopping center. This is an area where weakness typically develops. In many cases, it is because of poor detail from the original installation. These details require closure strips to prevent water from blowing back into the detail. Contractors may forgo the installation of this closure strip. Initially the underlayment waterproofs the roof system against the blow-back. As the underlayment ages moisture can penetrate the roof system.
Leaks are readily observable signs of deterioration and often indicate roof damage. But because water can travel through pipes and other roof materials. Whether it’s a small or a large leak, contact us ASAP. You can never tell if the tiny dark puddle on your ceiling is caused by a pool of standing water.
When you hire us for your roof installation project, you’ll get a dedicated team of professionals.
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