As the saying goes… “A stitch in time, saves nine”.
Here at Whonnock Roofing and Gutters Ltd, we do a lot of roofing inspections and roof maintenance all year long. You might be surprised to hear that getting a roof inspection done on your roof every year can save you thousands in the long run and also prolong the life of your roof. Whether it’s a repair to get you through for the time being, or just a basic roof maintenance package to keep your existing roof in good, long-lasting condition, we do it all depending on what best suits your needs. This time of year there are a couple of things, in particular to keep an eye on. They are:
1.) Cracked Rubberized pipe flashings or pipe boots.
This is the number one roof maintenance issue on roofs in the Ridge Meadows area and beyond. These are the rubber flashings that are made to be installed over all of your existing plumbing pipes that exit your roof deck. They are friction fit and can work quite well. However, over time they can also break down; especially if they were forcefully installed in the first place. This is especially true as we get into some drastically colder temp in Nov-Feb. The neoprene gasket around a plumbing vent stack can crack and cause water ingress into your homes.
2.) Proper roof ventilation.
One thing homeowners have to watch for this time of year is condensation issues. This is when you have moist warm air trapped in your attic and it cannot properly escape. This will lead to mold and the delaminating and breakdown of your plywood/roof deck. Making sure that the insulation that is in your attic is not covering your soffit venting is key.
3.) Missing or broken down caulking around chimney pipes and other flashings.
Another common issue on roofs is missing or broken down caulking on exposed fasteners and storm collars. It is essential to keep these metal piped storm collars watertight as they can produce a small leak that over time can cause major damage within your home. We have seen these things happen in false chimneys where they end up rotting out the whole inside of the cavity. Because these false chimneys are located on the outside wall of the home, they are left undetected until major damage is done.
4.) Broken hip or ridge capping
Another place to look out for is your hip and ridge capping. The first signs of wear are always in the places where your roofing lines terminate like the capping at roof peaks and hips. That’s why you will often see a cedar shake roof with new capping installed to “buy” the home owner that few extra years before a total roof replacement. This is also another place birds and squirrels like to perch or peck at their food/nuts.
5.) Wind blown damage
Significant wind can cause shingles to break or be blown off of a roof deck… especially if the roof is over 15yrs old. Sometimes the damage isn’t easy to see from the ground. The seal at between each layer can be broken, leading to leaks. This is even more so the case if the shingle isn’t broken right off but folded over to expose the roof decking. In these harsher winter months, those winds, along with the colder temps can wreak havoc on a roofing system.
Please feel free to contact, call or email us with any questions you may have about roofing maintenance here in the Ridge Meadows area, Lower Mainland and beyond!
