Five Mistakes To Avoid When Inspecting Your Roof For Damage

Roof inspections are a very important thing to do, especially after a storm or after a long winter. If you are looking to save money, you might decide to grab a ladder, climb up on your roof, and perform roof inspections yourself. But you'll need to be very careful and there are several mistakes you can easily make.

1. Not Being Careful

Climbing up on your roof is very dangerous. Even professional roofers are sometimes hesitant to climb up on a roof and are increasingly using drones to perform inspections. If you already own a drone, you might decide to perform an inspection with a drone yourself. Otherwise, purchasing one might be a waste of money.

2. Not Using the Right Safety Equipment

Simply climbing on a roof is highly dangerous because your roof might be unstable or might be too steep to climb on without the right equipment. You should at least have a fall safety prevention harness.

3. Not Thoroughly Inspecting the Roof

The goal of an inspection is to check the roof for damage. For instance, if you have asphalt shingles, you'll want to verify that the shingles aren't curling and that they haven't lost their granules.

Some homeowners will simply climb up the ladder and inspect the roof as best they can without actually climbing on the roof. This is much safer but you might not be able to perform the thorough inspection that your roof needs. But you'll at least be able to identify more obvious problems and determine whether a more thorough inspection is needed.

A roof inspection involves more than simply inspecting the roof. You'll also need to inspect the underlying structure to make sure it is in good condition. The roofer must inspect the structure to make sure that it is not sagging. If you have a chimney, it needs to be inspected to make sure there are no cracks. 

4. Not Knowing What to Look For

If the roof has been recently installed, it might not need repairs. However, some roofs have poor workmanship that will be identified by a professional roofer. For example, around a roof penetration, the roofing contractor might encounter the wrong type of flashing.

5. Not Cleaning the Gutters

Your gutters need to be cleaned out regularly and should be cleaned before the roof inspection. They should also be inspected for signs of rot or other forms of damage. Then, you'll know whether your roof is in good condition or whether it needs repairs. However, if you still can't determine if your roof needs to be repaired, a residential roofing contractor can give you a professional opinion.  

Share