How to Perform a Proper and Safe Roof Inspection After a Storm

A post-storm inspection is necessary to make sure your roof is in good shape. Even if you didn’t experience rain inside your home, it doesn’t mean leaks won’t happen the next time you have some inclement weather.

Before you call in a professional roofing contractor like Dior Construction, here’s what you can do to assess your roof properly and safely:

Check the Attic

The attic can tell you a lot about your roofing system’s health. As the room directly below your roof, it’s the most vulnerable area to leakage.

One of the things to look for is sunlight penetrating through the wood decking. Any sunshine showing through the roof boards indicates serious holes. If the sun can get in, so can the wind, snow and rain. Apart from daylight, look for dark streaks around the ceiling and walls, which can indicate chronic leakage. Any professional roofing company would say that mold growth suggests your attic has high moisture levels caused by either poor ventilation or water infiltration.

Examine Your Roof From the Outside

Next on the list is the exterior surface of your roof. Walk around the perimeter of your home and look for issues from the ground. Shingle deformation, such as cracking, curling or cupping, is a telling sign of damage. Dark patches could mean that some of your shingles are going bald, losing their protective granules with age. Missing shingles are a cause for concern because the uncovered areas are easily susceptible to the elements.

Furthermore, seeing your entire roof sagging should suffice to hit the panic button. It’s the classic sight of structural issue related to the roof’s wood decking or your home’s foundation. Although localized drooping is repairable, severe depressions may call for roof replacement.

Look for Gutter Debris

If you know your way around the ladder, check your gutter system for debris. Clogged gutters and downspouts increase the chance of water leakage and ice damming. Since cleaning them is always a burden but not cleaning them can affect your roof’s health, invest in low-maintenance gutters. With plenty of options, you can upgrade to a system with fewer potential leak points or with greater capacity.

If you feel your roof needs repair or replacement, call Dior Construction at (201) 470-5077 to schedule your in-home consultation. We’ll be happy to talk about your needs and explain your best roof replacement options, including slate, metal, tile, asphalt shingles and wood shakes.