Roofing shingles are the most visible part of a roof, and they play a major role in keeping the entire system dry. Shingles can be made from a variety of materials like wood, slate and clay, but asphalt shingles are the most common. A missing shingle or two may not seem like significant problem, but when left unattended, it can cause serious damage to your roof. Replacing a roof is an expensive process, and it’s not something most homeowners will have to do more than once or twice in their lifetimes.The best way to ensure a long life for your roof and to minimize costly repairs is to perform regular, routine maintenance.
You can check for damages of the roof and looking for shingles that are missing, or contain rips, tears or indentations. It’s wise to perform this check at the beginning of the spring and fall seasons and after any major storm. Of course, the obvious missing shingles or finding them in your yard is a red flag.When shingles are missing, not only is the dwelling open to weather, it compromises the remaining shingles that are intact,These missing shingles allow wind to remove large sections which would not be vulnerable if the missing shingles had been addressed.
Asphalt shingles contain many tiny granules composed of glass pellets that reflect radiation from the sun. If the granules are damaged or removed, the roof’s underlayment can quickly deteriorate due to sun exposure. So you can check for shingle damage by looking at the area where downspouts empty for deposits of the granules.
Shingles are typically damaged by severe weather like hail strikes, ice and high wind, but actually trees are the biggest culprit. Tree limbs are heavy and flexible,even if a limb appears to be well away from a roof, high winds can make limbs swing and cause lots of damage. To protect your shingles, we recommend to keep trees trimmed away from the roof, eliminating deposits of leaves and other debris that can accumulate on flat parts of the roof and getting a yearly roof inspection.