Will Your Roof Leak This Year?

12/1/2016 (Permalink)

A home roof in Riverside CA with some sipped and cracked tiles...

Got leaks?

The weather in southern California is hard to beat. We get lots of sunshine, low humidity and a nice long summer to accommodate for all of our activities. However, this is exactly why we can get in trouble when we enter our short rain season. We don't get much rain so we assume our roofs are in good shape, often times not thinking twice on giving them some maintenance work from time to time...

During this potential rainy season, we will receive many calls from homeowners that will unfortunately have water damage in their homes due to roof leaks. Many can not be prevented if we have a heavy storm but the vast majority can actually be prevented. So lets take a look at some of the very common situations we come across.

Slipped Tiles: These can be ceramic tiles or concrete tiles. both have some nice weight to them and can usually withstand some heavy winds. But from time to time and over time, these heavier tiles can slip or slide away from their original position creating gaps in the surface area where potential water damage can occur. Wind, heavy water flow and the weight of the tiles settling in over years can all cause this "slippage". Also, broken tiles from objects impacting them can be a problem along with the occasional cracked tile from someone walking on it...

Missing Shingles: This is more topical of your asphalt shingle roofing. Asphalt shingles are very popular and perhaps the most commonly used. Their appearance is like that of sandpaper some say. They have good durability and usually come with a smaller price tag. With this kind of roofing we usually see "missing shingles". It is typical wear-and-tear that usually makes this happen. Over time heavy winds can eventually lift a shingle and continually work it to the point it detaches. Bad installation can also result in compromised performance when storms or wind hits.

Wind Driven Damage: This can and will happen to basically any type of roof. Wind driven damage is a term used to describe a situation where the wind was strong enough to be the main reason behind the damage. Strong wind can blow out weak or poorly installed shingles but when coupled with rain, it can actually force water to move up and under the roof shingles regardless of type. Water will usually find its way into the attic. In a situation we encounters not to long ago. Hail was present during a strong and windy storm. The wind was strong enough to push the smaller hail pellets up and under the roof shingles. The home owner thought the worst was over after the storm was done. However, it did not take to long for the hail deposited in his attic to start melting and cause massive water damage.

Tips: 

1) We recommend doing a yearly routine inspection of the roof ether by carefully doing the inspection yourself or getting a professional to do it for you. We strongly recommend getting help to do this inspection if you are not comfortable doing this yourself. It can be dangerous work if not handled properly.

2) Also, have your gutters cleaned out to prevent water from pooling along the gutter and flowing into the attic.

3) Pay close attention to wood shake shingles if you have them. They can be very easily damaged when old or worn out.

4) Don't forget that many times your home owners insurance can help in situations like this. Always check with your insurance agent first before putting in a claim. 

5) Finally, getting an inspection from a trusted service provider that works with all insurance companies like ourselves can be of great value in keeping cost and time spent down should anything happen. 

We hope this helps out and helps keep you dry and leak free!