Why You Shouldn't Ignore a Leaking Roofs

Replacing a roof on your home is a huge investment to make. However, for most homeowners, it isn't something that has to be done too often during the course of their home ownership. If you suspect your roof is leaking and that your attic has become some sort of wildlife sanctuary, it's time to have a contractor inspect your roof and make an assessment in regards to whether you need a whole new roof or if you can get by with just some patch and repair jobs.

For most homeowners, money is tight and homes aren't exactly flying off the market or showing a significant increase in market value. These factors may make you lean more towards doing repair patch jobs than doing a needed replacement; however, make sure you talk to your contractor about the pros and cons of taking this approach.

If your roof is really beyond some simple patch repairs, you may be causing your home value to decrease even further and wasting the money that you are putting into repairs when you need a replacement roof. The root cause of most roofing damage comes from either storms pulling up roofing nails and shingles or the age of the home simply taking its toll or a combination of both. It only takes a few loose nails or missing shingles to create an entryway for wildlife and moisture to get into your home.

Anyone who has ever had a water leak under their sink understands how quickly water can create damage and how it can come from one location and settle in a completely different area entirely. And when it comes to water damage from your roof, you can imagine how a constant supply of moisture from rain or snow can settle through every hole or missing shingle and work its way undetected into your attic.

And once you have moisture in your home, it increases the possibility that your home is going to start developing even more severe structural problems including the possibility of developing black mold. Black mold can make a home non-inhabitable and dangerous to stay in. It is also virtually impossible to simply kill it and remove it unlike other forms of molds. Which means if you have black mold from water damage, you may have to remove everything it has contaminated including drywall and structural framing, and replacing the roof will be the least of your expenses.

If your roofing contractor feels your roofing damage is minimal and recommends doing a patch job, you need to take the same precautions that you would take if you replaced the whole roof instead of just repaired it. This means starting by getting at least three roofing contractors to bid on the job and do your research on the contractor before you hire them. Talk to your contractor about a warranty on both materials and labor to make sure that your investment is going to be backed up by a warranty.