Roof restoration is an important part of routine home restoration requirements. Unlike other structures, roof damages have the consequences of affecting the related structures and thereby undermining the strength of the whole structure. Roof restoration also has importance when it comes to resale value of the house. A strong and well-maintained roof will fetch you better price as well as adds to the aesthetics of the house and will go a long way in impressing any prospective buyer. Timely roof materials also ensures that the damage is not compounded leading to more severe structural issues for which you may end up having to pay a very heavy price.
What Is The Most Common Damage That Requires Roof Restoration?
- Membrane Billowing: Roofs bear the brunt of the elements. When exposed to many cycles of heating and cooling, over the years, the adhesives and substrates being to lose its integrity and give up, under pressure of heavy rain and winds. This also happens with gradual infiltration of moisture into the roof system leading to deterioration of adhesive properties. Very soon, the nearby structures starts disintegrating. This then leads to tenting up of the flashings under heavy winds and then on to damage to the membranes.
- Gravel Embedment: During installation, the level of gravel embedment maybe overlooked. Poor embedment does little to hold things in place. Once the top shingles or flashings loosen, then the leak caused by it leads to water seeping under the subsequent shingles below it. It has a cascading effect not just dislodging the shingles but in causing increased moisture level damaging the concrete underneath.
- Insufficient Fastener: Fasteners maybe installed in a hurry and no serious attempt made to apply the sealants correctly. In due course, moisture will seep in trigger for a chain of damaging reactions.
- Leak and moisture: Lead and moisture gaining entry into the roof system is the major trigger for all other damages.
- Blistering: When moisture seeps into the space between paint and mortar, or between mortar and concrete, they gradually make the mortar to expand, this again allows further moisture to seep in. More the time you allow this damage condition to remain so, the more damage it causes.
- Shrinkage: Due to a host of reasons, the shingles or the ply under the roofing can shrink. This can be due to exposure to heat and/or by presence of high moisture content. This leads to compression of the material developing gaps between shingles or bending of the wooden supports.
- Ponding water: Water may pool in some areas due to blocking of drains or surface unevenness. This water will gradually seep down or cause non-uniform expansion and contraction leading to cracking of the surface.
- Poor installation: Poor cleaning, drying and priming before installation of adhesives, not relaxing the sheets before installation, etc., are other reasons that lead to poor installation. Though it may appear visibly to be perfect, damage done by these poor workmanship will show up only years later.
- Post installation damage: Though roof restoration workers may know all the technical details, they may leave the roof damaged by movement on the roof during restoration. They could cause tears on the membranes, crack a couple of shingles.
Sometimes, you need to hire professional for roof restoration might not have diagnosed the actual problem, but they bring in materials and equipments that they think are required to repair the damage. During the process of their repair, they go on to create further damage. They seldom realize that the original damage still remains. It takes some time before you realize that the damage still persists and go in for a second round of repairs, by which time the damage might have become grave.
Category: Home Improvement