Riverview Michigan is a beautiful place to live, and a well-maintained home makes it all the more enjoyable come rain or shine.
Your roof is one of the most important aspects of home maintenance. Your roof is the primary asset for protecting your home from water damage. It resists the seasonal storms, it shakes off piling snow, and it is essential for keeping your home insulated during both warm and cold weather. Your roof has taken good care of your family, so when something goes wrong with your roof, it’s only natural to call for roofing repairs to take care of it.
A newly installed roof can last for decades, but over that time it will need a few patch-ups to fight seasonal weather and occasional direct damage. The key to being a great homeowner is knowing when to call for repairs to keep your roof, and your home, in tip-top condition. Today, we’re here to share with all Riverview Michigan homeowners how to spot when it’s time to take care of your roof with roofing repairs.
1) You Can See Visible Damage from the Ground or Ladder-Top
Every now and then, take a moment to examine your roof. Look at it as you drive up or when you take a walk to get a nice long-view of a large surface area. And if you’re up on a ladder cleaning your gutters, inspect how your shingles look up-close. If you can see any rough spots, broken shingles, bare spots, or anything that looks out of the ordinary, your roof probably needs repairs. Roofs are built to look uniform because they are made of all the same shingles. So any difference in appearance is very likely a form of damage.
2) A Storm Has Recently Damaged Your Roof
The seasonal storms in Riverview MI are no joke, and your roof bears the brunt when screaming winds or pelting hail blow through the region. Storms are the single most common cause of roof damage here in Michigan which is why annual inspections and repairs are a regular part of the home maintenance routine. If your home has recently endured a bad storm, or you haven’t had an inspection since the last bad storm, then there’s a good chance that your roof needs a few touch-ups. This is especially true if you see granules in the gutter or can visually spot signs of damage.
3) You Can See (or Smell) Signs of Roof Leaking
Your roof is designed to protect your home from water damage. This is the purpose of the eaves and gutters which direct rainwater away from the walls. But when your roof is damaged, water can seep in through the broken or softened shingles and begin to cause water damage to the home. So if you start to see puddles in the ceiling, water along the walls, or can smell mysterious mildew then your roof likely needs to be repaired so that the water damage stops occurring.
Bonus Tip: Water damage when it has not been raining or snowing is more likely to be a burst pipe.
4) A Tree Branch Has Recently Fallen on Your Roof
Trees grow big here, and not everyone is vigilant about keeping larger tree branches from growing over the roof. Storms then rip these tree branches from their boughs and drop them quite destructively onto the roof. In a wild enough storm, your roof might even be hit by a branch that was considerately trimmed or even something that isn’t a tree branch at all.
These impacts are ten times worse than the impact of a hailstone. Your shingles can crack, fall off, and even your underlayment may be damaged with a big enough impact. If anything heavy has recently fallen on your roof, it’s time to call for a local roofing repair service.
5) Sections of Your Roof Feel Spongy to Walk On
We don’t generally recommend that homeowners venture onto the rooftop, as this can be highly dangerous. But if you (or your reckless teens) are up there anyway and notice a spongy feeling under a certain section when you walk, this is a problem. Shingles and underlayment are not supposed to be spongy and this is usually the result of excessive moisture as can be trapped under a pile of leaves or snow.
If the roof feels spongy to someone who climbs up there, call for roofing repairs immediately. This could develop or already be a serious problem.
6) You Can See Light or Leaks in the Attic
Finally, take a trip into your attic during the day and look around. If you see signs of moisture running down or rotting the beams, some section of your roof is leaking and needs repairs. And if you can see sunlight shining through, that means rainwater can get through as well. Naturally, you will need local or extensive roofing repairs to restore your roof to a solid protective surface.
Does your Riverview MI roof need repairs? If so, we’re ready to help! Contact us today to find out more about how to take great care of your roof and schedule an inspection to get an expert’s report on just what kind of roofing repairs you need. Here at Downriver Roofers, we are proud to provide fast, dedicated roofing services to Riverview Michigan homes!
