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Living in the Lower Mainland, homes need a roof inspection from time to time because they have to endure a rainforest-like climate with heavy rainfall; a variety of storms and vegetation related damage year after year. Some areas more than others. At Roofing Mission & its Neighbouring Areas (a.k.a "BulletpRoof Roof Systems"), we know from experience that the rainy weather is a lot of trouble for many homeowners.
As a homeowner, it’s not uncommon to wait until the first sign of leak or a storm event to take place before requesting a professional roof inspection; At this point, it may be too late, it means serious damage to the home and it’s occupants’ health may have been already been caused (due to structural issues, mold, damaged insulation, etc.).
Before getting to that point, the homeowner can look for warning signs that roof repairs are needed, prioritizing any areas that could cause a leak.
For a relatively new roof, within 5 years, a minor visual inspection by the homeowner will suffice, unless your roof has been exposed to a major weather event. In that case, a minor visual inspection of the roof and a quick check of the attic for leaks; If there are excessive leaks, contact a professional roofer for further inspection immediately. While a home with a roof that is 10 or more years, consider inspecting your roof seasonally at the least.
To the untrained eye, catching any roof damage early will result in a roof repair instead of leaving it until it gets serious, resulting in a re-roof or worse an expensive roof replacement.
A professional roof inspection is recommended whenever the homeowner suspects the roof isn’t performing as it should, but the homeowner can’t pinpoint the cause via visual inspection themselves, as a general rule of thumb.
There are five times to consider:
During a roof inspection, the professional will prioritize looking for leaks, followed by:
Generally, looking for anything that prevents water from running off the roof, or causes the water to stick or stay in a place it shouldn’t.
There are 4 parts to the roof inspection process that will be documented with the support of pictures; First 3 parts look at the external roof itself and its immediate surroundings and the last part looks at the home’s interior:
After a thorough roof inspection, the roof inspector will compile one or two documents for you depending on what they found during the inspection.
If they had found roof repairs, expect a written estimate for repairs with a scope-of-work document. Otherwise this document will be omitted.
If they didn’t find any roof repairs, at a minimum you’ll receive a written roof inspection report documenting each of the areas mentioned above; structural, material, workmanship and interior inspection.
When the roofing inspector is handing over the documents to the homeowner is when they should ask for any recommendations of preventative measures to take. With the documents in hand the homeowner can choose to pursue roof repairs, a re-roofing or roof replacement to solve the issues, if needed.
As a rule of thumb (for the future), anytime water sticks where it shouldn’t, the risk of a leak and shingle damage increases.
Finally, take some time to perform regular maintenance where possible like keeping debris off of your roof, keeping your gutters clean (consider hiring a professional to handle this twice a year) and have a professional roofer inspect your roof every 5 years. To avoid any serious damage from happening in the future.