They say that a home is only as strong as its foundation, and the roof is no different. A home can only remain safe and secure from the elements with a strong roof. When you notice problems with your roof, you absolutely need to look to get roofing repairs carried out as soon as you can.

Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t let your roof get any worse than it might be today:

The cost of doing nothing

A major reason is that roofing damage will cost your more is that you will see a needless increase in your energy bills. You will be spending more on your roof thanks to the gaps that allow heat to transfer out. This means that your home consumes more energy as it tries to keep up with the loss of energy that escapes out the damaged parts of your roof.

This means more year-to-year bill costs and they won’t get cheaper without doing something about your roof.

The damage will continue

Just like most forms of damage, some form of repair is needed to solve the issue that you are dealing with. The damage is likely to continue which can become a big problem for you, and it’s not likely to get any better without repairs. Roofing damage will only continue to expand and become worse, which is sure to cause you some issues as time goes on.

Your health is at risk

It is not just the building that is going to become damaged, but your own health is at risk, too. The development of damp, black mold and other toxins will mean the increased risk of illness. Mold spreads very quickly, which can lead to toxins building up and making it easier for you to fall ill.

It can make health conditions such as asthma get worse, and can lead to serious illness if something is not done about it.

Expect unexpected guests

When your roof is damaged and there are access points, expect to have some of the finest parts of nature come to visit you. Animals, such as birds and woodland creatures, will make their way in for some form of shelter. So, too, could creatures like bees, wasps, and various other insects you wish to avoid. Roof damage makes it easier for infestation and invasions to take place, so keep that in mind.

What should I do?

You should contact a roof repair company ASAP. A damaged roof is not going to improve anytime soon, and it’s only going to become a burden to you if you allow the problem to continue. As such, you should contact a roofing repair team as soon as you can. The sooner that you invest in an actual solution, the quicker and cheaper the roofing problems you have are going to be to solved.

Your entire house depends on the integrity of your roof. However, a roof tends to endure a lot. It tends to be affected by different weather conditions including storms, snow, or heat, particularly during summer.

Although some roof types are able to withstand a lot, certain weather conditions can severely damage your roof. For instance, flat roofs made of traditional materials like bitumen and felt, are particularly very sensitive to summer or hot weather.

In fact, the stress subjected to your flat roof by hot weather could be the reason it cannot withstand rainy days. With that being said, weather can greatly influence the structure and functionality of your building.

In this article, we will focus on the effects of warm weather on flat roofs.

How Hot Weather Affects Flat Roofs

• Thermal Movement

During summer, temperature tends to go through a continuous cycle of heating and cooling. As a result, flat roofs tend to expand and contract, and eventually crack, thus causing leaks.

However, you can prevent your flat roof from thermal cycle problems by using breathable waterproof materials such as single-ply PVC.  Not only is single-ply PVC 100% watertight, but it can also withstand condensation.

• Blistering

When water penetrates your felt roof, it tends to heat and expand. What’s more, the water expansion lifts the felt from your roof, which leads to the formation of blisters and bubbles.

Adddressing the blistering issue immediately it occurs can save you the trouble of having to repair or replace the entire roof. With that being said, you can avoid bigger roofing problems by immediately repairing the affected areas of felt.

• Moisture Damage

Flash damage is imminent due to moisture build up and fungal growth.  Fungi or mold tends to grow faster during summer due to the high levels of heat. Damaged flashing tends to compromise your roof’s draining capacity.

Therefore, to ensure that your roof lasts, it is important that you have it inspected regularly and repaired immediately.

• Faulty Installation

Failing to install your flat roof properly can result to heat-related damage. What’s more, installing a flat roof too flat or using poor quality materials can cause the roof to sag in the middle, which allows rainwater to accumulate and create a pool.

Eventually, the accumulated water tends to find its way into the cracks or holes caused by thermal movement. With that being said, it is important that you use the services of licensed roofers, which will help to ensure your flat roof is installed right the first time.  Be sure to use top-grade materials.

• Standing Water

Standing water is a primary cause for flat roof leakages.  If water does not evaporate from your flat roof within 72 hours, it is important that you drain it manually. Letting water stay on your roof beyond that time can damage your roof.

Issues of standing water are common on roofs that are too flat or where there’s insufficient drainage. Although it might take years for your roof’s damage to become a problem, regular inspections are necessary.

Regular inspections, particularly during spring or winter, help to ensure that leaks and other minor problems are addressed before they get worse.

Conclusion

Make a call to Gary Fox Roofing to have your flat roof issues addressed before they become major issues.

For anyone working within the roofing industry, one thing that you can never take for granted is roofing safety. If you are serious about being safe, though, you need to know where to start. Here is a simple overview for those up on the roof.

De-roofing

First off, you have to be very careful when you are dealing with any form of de-roofing during roof replacement. Indeed, a whopping one-third of fall deaths take place during residential constructions thanks to falling from roofs. And, as you might imagine, de-roofing is one of the most risky operations for a roofer.

You must undergo de-roofing training to make sure you are fully aware of any potential hazards that might exist as you work. If you do this, you are much more likely to ensure you are ready to handle the risks of being on the roof.

Maintaining structural safety

When you are working on a roof, it is essential that you make sure the roof is actually safe to be worked upon. Many people don’t scout their construction location beforehand. We recommend that you make use of both a personal fall arrest system and a railguard platform. If you do that, you reduce the likelihood or the risk of hurting yourself should you fall.

You should also make sure that you have secured the entire facility using staging material. Make sure that you secure tools to avoid the risk of people being tripped up. Cords from electrical tools and equipment could put you at needless risk of injury.

Preparing accordingly

You should always make sure that all staff arrive with the correct kind of roofing attire. For example, you want strong, sturdy, secure and safe footwear. You want to make sure that they can easily step onto the roof without having to worry about their feet. They should also have strong grips, so that slipping on any dust build-up is not something you need to worry about.

Make sure that you clear out any areas that debris falling from, too. While tools like hard hats and other protective equipment are essential, you should reduce risk by clearing any area where debris could fall from the roof. Create a restricted perimeter that avoids putting people at risk.

Always have secondary support

Roofing is a dangerous job, and often means putting yourself at risk to try and get the job done. In a bid to help you stay safe as you work, we recommend that you always work with a secondary staff member. While many roofing jobs can be done alone, you do put yourself at risk by doing so.

Make sure you bring things like guardrail systems and that you put them in place as soon as you possibly can. If you do that, you vastly increase the likelihood that you can retain support and safety moving forward.

Keep these simple but important facts at hand: they are essential to safety in the workplace when you are working atop a roof.

The roof is the most important exterior part of your house. Roofs are important because they protect you from heat and other elements like rain which can leak into your house. The roof faces varying weather conditions and fluctuating temperatures that can damaged it over time necessitating roof repair. Sometimes roof repairs are expensive therefore it is more economical to maintain your roof and add more years to its life. Though roofs last for decades, maintaining it in the right way can increase its efficiency. Here are 5 tips that you can do to maintain your roof properly.

1. Inspection:

The first thing you need to do is to inspect your roof for signs of warping, damage or discoloration. In doing so, you can spray the roof with a hose in order to find trouble spots by considering where water collects itself. Don’t forget to give attention to the damaged or missing shingles immediately or the places where the roofing material is missing or the spots that have noticeable bubbling. This is also important if you are purchasing a new house to remember to watch for these issues.

• Clean mold and moss:

Molds and moss can lead to significant damage to the roof, therefore you must remove it as soon as you see it. Do not use a power washer when cleaning the moss and molds, because the pressure of power washer can blast the protective layers of shingles, damaging them. Instead of that, you can buy a mold removal solution that is sprayed on the roof in order to clean the debris with a broom.

• Keep the trees away:

Trees are one of the major reasons causing problems for the roof. The branches that lean from the tree can cause scratches to the roof, it also gouges the roofing materials when the wind blows. Branches that fall from overhanging trees puncture as well as damage shingles. Other than that the gutters can get clogged by the falling leaves, which lead to blocking of water and redirecting it into the house’s living spaces or attic. If there are trees near your home, make sure to trim them before they cause damage to your roof.

• Clean downspouts and gutters:

The gutters must be cleaned once every 6 months, ideally. Also, remember to clear the exit and entrance of the downspout. Keep flushing the gutters and downspouts with a lot of water so that you know that they are properly draining away from the foundation of your house.

• Proper insulation:

There must be proper insulation so that your house gets good ventilation as well as air flow. In order to protect your house from heat loss or gain, it’s better to include a gap-free layer of insulation on the floor of the attic and also a vapour retarder beneath the insulation and besides the ceiling so that the moisture is stopped from rising towards the attic. There should be a distance of one inch between the roof sheathing and insulation so that the air passes freely along the vented and open spaces.

If you want your roof to live a long and happy life then you should take these 5 steps to maintain it. However, if you don’t have time or the inclination to do it yourself, then another alternative would be to contact Gary Fox Roofing who can maintain your roof for you in a hassle free manner.