Leaks & Service Repairs

757-399-3066 ext 3 (Leaks & Service Repairs)

Reroof Estimates & Inspections

757-399-3066 ext 1 (Reroof Estimates & Inspections)

Tag: roof rot

How to Know When to Request a Service Call for Your Roof

For some things in life, it’s very easy to know when it’s time to call in a professional. If your car breaks down on the highway, it’s time for a mechanic. If you break your leg, it’s time for a doctor. But there are some things that are a little less obvious. For instance, knowing exactly when to call in someone to service and inspect your roof can be tricky for some homeowners. A lot of your roof may not be visible to you, and from the ground it can be difficult to spot some of the tell-tale signs of decay or damage. But there are a few good ways to tell if it’s time to call in a roofing professional, so here are some signs to look out for.

Soaring Energy Bills
Your energy bill may be soaring lately because of rate increases, but pay attention to the actual kilowatt hours you’re using each month. If that number has started to rise over time and you haven’t made any changes or added any new electrical elements to your home, that can be a sign of a roof that needs service. That’s because your roof is one of the main temperature control elements of your house. A leaky roof lets water in but it also lets warm or cold air out. Don’t pay money to air condition the outside, call a roofing company instead and see if any repairs are needed that will help make your energy bill (somewhat) more reasonable.

Sagging
A sagging roofline – usually a gentle slope down toward the middle of a roofline, or drooping at the edge of an eave – is a sign that there are problems with the underlying structure. This could mean that the rafters, roof decking or both have started to deteriorate. This can happen due to age, but it can also happen if moisture is coming in through the roof, causing the wood beneath to rot or invite termites. In any of those cases, a professional roofing company and potentially a general contractor and pest company may be needed to address this issue. Left unchecked, a sagging roof can cause massive and extremely expensive damage to the core structure of your home.

Dark Spots
Leaks don’t always present themselves as a steady stream of water or even a drip directly from the ceiling. In slow leak cases, a dark spot on in the interior will appear and start to grow in the area where the water is penetrating the roof. This is often in the corner of rooms that are along the exterior of a home. The dark spots may appear on the ceilings, but they also can appear along and down walls, especially if water is entering the house along the roofline. As soon as you see a dark spot start to appear, call a roofing company. The longer you allow those spots to grow and exist, the more likely it is that mold, mildew, and other types of water damage will occur in areas beyond your home’s roof. Drywall, trim, window casings and even flooring may need to be replaced if leaks are not addressed quickly.

Debris
If you’re finding bits of asphalt shingles in your yard, especially after a weather event, this may be a sign that your roof needs to be replaced. While asphalt shingles are very durable, they do have a life expectancy of 20-30 years. This means that even homes built after the year 2000 may be due for a new roof. Another sign of shingle deterioration is asphalt grit in your gutters. Small, sandy bits of a shingle’s asphalt will start to slough off when they’ve reached the end of their lifespan, and very often this material will make its way into your gutters and even down the downspout. Again, this is especially noticeable after a weather event with heavy rain.

The Obvious
Of course, there are some obvious signs that it’s time for a roofing professional’s opinion. Missing shingles, clear water leaks, or a roof that’s older than 30 years most certainly requires a service call to your local roofing company.

If you’re experiencing any of these issues in your home, contact Andrews Roofing. We’ve been working in the Hampton Roads region for over 25 years and we know the common issues homeowners in Tidewater experience. We can help you determine the best next step for your roof, whether that’s a roof repair or total roof replacement.

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Three Key Things to Consider when Finishing Off an Attic

Finishing off an attic is a popular way to squeeze more livable square footage out of an existing home. There are challenges to this type of renovation, however, and a lot of systems within the house should be considered, not the least of which is your roof. Since attics abut your roofing system, it is the most susceptible to poorly designed or constructed finished attics, so always make sure to use an experienced, licensed contractor. While we recommend having a professional do all the associated work for this type of project, here are a few things to consider ahead of time or to make sure your contractor addresses.

Ventilation
The number one most important thing to ensure during a finished attic project is maintaining proper ventilation. When an attic is unfinished, the system has space to breathe, while well-installed insulation and vents keep temperatures optimal to avoid condensation. But when drywall is put up, insulation is moved around and vents are covered, this can affect how the roof reacts to temperature changes. If not done correctly, this can cause condensation to build up between the roof and drywall, causing rot and mold to both surfaces.

If insulation is being reinstalled between the rafters behind the drywall, it’s important that air space is left between the insulation and the roof sheathing. There are special foam baffles that are made specifically for this purpose that should be used. There should also be a plenum (or connected air space) built into the design. You may notice that most finished attic rooms have a flat portion of the ceiling at the top (as opposed to an A-frame ceiling). That area above the flat ceiling is the plenum – it allows air from between rafters to move laterally as necessary in order to reach the roof vents.

If these design details are not incorporated into your project, rot will occur on your roof sheathing, drywall or both. The problem is that once an attic is finished off, it’s very hard to know these issues are happening until it’s too late and rot, mold and mildew have appeared. So be aware and discuss these details with your contractor ahead of time.

HVAC
For many homes, much of the HVAC system’s ductwork lives in their unfinished attic. Whether mounted to the rafters or lying across the floor of the attic (or both), all of it will need to be repositioned and worked around. This may require some creative designing to allow space for ductwork to go above and behind the drywall with enough space for insulation and air flow. This means you may need to call in an HVAC company in addition to your general contractor.

If your new finished space is going to tap into your central air system, then the ductwork will need to be reconfigured by an HVAC specialist. It would be wise to work in access panels for key parts of the HVAC unit so repairs can be done without having to rip out drywall. If you don’t plan on tapping into the main system, consider something like a mini split AC unit that is efficient, can be used when needed, and can help with maintaining reasonable temperatures in the space to help decrease any chance of condensation.

Plumbing
Although less likely, there is a chance that some key plumbing elements are housed in your attic that will also need to be worked around or reconfigured by a licensed plumber. The most common issue arises with homes that have hot water heaters in the attic. Space will need to be carved out for housing it, typically in a small closet so there is still easy access for repairs and replacement.

If you do decide to finish your attic space, discuss all of these concerns with your contractor, and also keep a close eye on your finished room after it’s complete. Check for mold or mildew on drywall and address it as soon as you see it. Make sure the room stays a reasonable temperature and investigate any damp or dank smells that may occur. If you have any concerns that a finished attic space may have caused damage to your roof, please contact Andrews Roofing immediately and we will send an experienced, licensed and insured professional to your home for an inspection and estimate before the issue gets worse.

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