No matter why you chose to read this article, one of the best ways for you to learn the condition your roof is in is by hiring a professional roof inspection company. By hiring an expert, they’ll check the construction, which means that they could also detect potential life-threatening problems with it, thus, you’ll know whether or not you’ll need to repair or replace it.
They’ll most likely check every single detail about your roof, from the ventilation to the skylights. To help you understand what they’re going to inspect and for you to learn what you might have to repair and/or replace, here is a list of the top six things contractors look for once they get on your home:
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They’ll First Head to Your Attic
Although you might be surprised by this, you should know that the roofing contractor will first take a look at your attic when they arrive at your home. Why? Well, they’ll want to make sure that it’s ventilated properly. If it isn’t, it highly possible that the experts will find some issues with it. For example, changes in hot and cold air can easily shorten the lifespan of your roof, which means that proper attic ventilation is crucial when it comes to the safety of your home.
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Searching For Water Stains Caused by Leaks
This step in the process might be quite obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning it. Once the professionals check your attic, they’ll move on to looking for water stains on your ceiling and walls that could be caused by leaks. If they discover anything, they’ll then start looking for the cause of the leak. Leaks can be extremely dangerous if left untreated for a long period of time, and they could easily damage the integrity of your home.
Hence, if they find anything suspicious or dangerous, they’ll most likely repair it and, of course, if the issue is really big, they’ll most likely tell you that you’ll need replacement. Remember, you’ll want professional, reliable, and high-quality services such as the ones offered by rooferinct.net, mostly because they can ensure that they repair/replace/inspect it properly and according to the industry standards.
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They Look at The Layers
Once the expert you hire finally gets onto your roof, the very first thing they’ll check is how many layers it has. If the issue discovered is too large that it requires your roof to be replaced, the whole construction – including all the layers – will have to be taken off. Why is this important for the inspection and replacement process? Well, to put it as simple as possible, it’ll most likely be more expensive.
If it features more than one layer, the estimate you receive will probably include the number of layers that have to be taken off. Hence, once the roof is being rebuilt, later on, one of the best things that you could do is to talk to your contractor in order to determine what approach is best for you, especially if you want to ensure that you don’t pay a fortune for repairing the new structure in the future.
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The Decking Will Be Crucial
Yet another thing the expert will check is the decking on your roof. But, besides examining it, they’ll most likely perform several tests that will reveal whether it’s solid or spongy when they apply pressure to it. The professional will also check the condition of the nails that are holding the components in place. Keep in mind, they might not be able to tell you if the decking is bad by simply walking on it, instead, they might have to perform other tests as well.
This means that they’ll either try and locate a shingle that has broken off or that they’ll remove the shingle themselves in order to check the condition of the decking. If they see that the safety of the decking has been compromised, you should know that they might advise you to replace that particular section and if needed, the entire decking. This might be a long process, but it’s one that’ll keep you and your family members safe.
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The Vents + Shingles
There is a wide range of vents that you might have installed up there, and no matter what type it is, it has to be inspected. For instance, if you have ridge vents, the expert that comes to your home will have to check and see if there are any obstructions or if you have has appliances in your home, they’ll also check if the movement of metal has pulled the cables out from the gas vents. Skipping this step isn’t an option, especially since it can help you make your home safer.
Additionally, the second most important thing – besides the ventilation in your attic – is for the contractor to check your shingles. If they haven’t been installed in the right way, the structure might have a shorter lifespan. This is why the expert will check for any issues with your shingles, including whether some of them are missing, cracked, or buckling. By replacing them, they could increase the lifespan of the entire construction.
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The Chimney Will Be Inspected Too
Last on this contractor checklist is your chimney. Though it might seem weird, your chimney does penetrate your roof, which means that there are some issues with it that could cause worries for the contractor. Hence, when they’re done with the aforementioned things, they’ll move on to checking the flashing, the state of the mortar, as well as the condition of the cap located on top of the chimney.
Why is this an important step for a contractor? Well, for instance, if you have weeds or anything else growing from the mortar, the chimney will start getting damp, which can be quite dangerous if left untreated. Now, keep in mind, some roofing inspectors might not offer chimney maintenance and repair services, which means that you might have to hire an additional company for this step in the process.
Conclusion
If you cannot remember the last time your roof was inspected by an expert, you should call one as soon as you can. Besides checking whether or not you’ll need to repair something, hiring such services will also help you prevent any accidents, which means that you can keep your family members and yourself safe.
Since you’re now well aware of the things a contractor will look for once they arrive at your home, you shouldn’t waste your time. Instead, open up your browser and start looking for a reliable, experienced, and professional organization that’ll help you fix the issues with your roof.
