From the top down, your roof protects your entire Roseville, CA home and all that it contains. Unchecked roof leaks and other roofing problems can damage your siding, drywall, ceilings, flooring, and more. They can even undermine the integrity of your home’s foundation. The following are five common roof problems along with tips for resolving them.
1. Clogged Gutters and Downspouts
Clogged gutters and downspouts can wreak havoc on your roof and lead to visible damage to the building interior. Blockages of wet leaves, twigs, moss, dirt, and other debris prevent water from entering and flowing through your rooftop drainage system.
If your gutters become too heavy with debris, they may pull away from the building. Clogged gutters can additionally attract pests in warm weather. Their dirty, damp interiors serve as the ideal breeding grounds for ants and mosquitoes. Worse still, your gutters and downspouts are meant to direct water away from the building; when they’re clogged, your foundation is left unprotected.
Cleaning your gutters is the simplest, most effective solution. A licensed roofer can help if the blockages are especially stubborn or hard to reach. After your gutters are clean, you can protect them and minimize your ongoing maintenance by installing gutter brushes, covers, or mesh.
2. Separation at Roof Valleys
Your roof is a multi-layer construction that serves as a seamless barrier against moisture, UV light, wind, and other natural elements. Before rainwater can blister your interior paint and stain your ceilings, it must travel through:
- Shingles
- Starter strips
- Underlayment
- Water barriers
- Roof decking
It also has to pass through your home’s framing and insulation.
However, roof alleys and protrusions are easily the most vulnerable parts of these systems. Valleys are where two or more sections of your roof come together, and protrusions are points at which exhaust vents, chimneys, and skylights protrude. These areas are protected by metal flashing, but if the flashing curls, pulls back, or fails outright, moisture could damage your roof’s underlayment and enter your home.
Both moisture-related and time-related wear cause roof valleys to separate over time. When this happens or when separations occur at protrusions, the best solution is often roof replacement.
3. Impact Damages From Trees
If you have trees that tower above your roof, you need to account for the potential of falling branches and limbs. Having your trees regularly pruned allows arborists to remove dead or weak branches before they break and fall off. Given that falling limbs can cause serious bodily harm and property damage, having your trees pruned isn’t just key for protecting your roof. It’s also an important part of fulfilling your duty of care and avoiding premises liability claims.
If a tree or a heavy tree limb has already fallen on your roof, exit the building. You cannot know the level of structural damage sustained until your home has been professionally inspected. For smaller and less significant impact damages, schedule a roofing inspection and have the affected areas tarped until they’re repaired.
4. Storm Damage
In addition to knocking down trees, tree limbs, and tree branches, heavy storms can harm your roof in a variety of ways:
- Ice damming
- Hail damage
- Shingle loss
- Flashing damage
Whether a cold front has just passed through or your home has been hit by heavy wind, you should schedule an inspection to verify your roof’s integrity.
5. Pests
If you have a wood shingle or wood shake roof, you must have an ongoing pest management plan to prevent termite infestation. Keep in mind that different termite species eat different foods, and although most termites feed on wood cellulose, some are happy to subsist on leaf litter and other detritus commonly found in dirty, ill-maintained gutters. Thus, no matter what type of roof you have, letting organic material fester in your gutters could draw these bugs closer to your home.
Unchecked termite populations can severely damage wood roofs, roof decking, and rough framing. Termites can even cause total roof collapse. Unchecked populations of bats, cluster flies, squirrels, birds, and rodents can also lead to serious roof problems.
Having a pest management plan proactively deters insects and animals that naturally thrive within the region. Conversely, professional pest treatment is the service you want if you already have an active infestation.
We proudly serve Roseville, CA and the surrounding communities. We offer top-notch roof design, repair, and replacement services. With more than 35 years of industry experience, we specialize in tile roofs and roof shingles. To schedule an appointment, contact Clark's Gables Roofing today.
