2006 Issue 3

 ROOFING’S KEY DANGER SIGNALS
A Checklist of Roofing Problems to Determine if You Need Roof Work
By Michael Rossi

Left unattended, small roofing problems can quickly become major – and costly – headaches.  I have seen more communities spend money on roof repairs, and then interior repairs to the wall boards, paint and other interior damage they cause.  Many community budgets have very high maintenance costs and insurance claim and rate increases due to leaks – and these costs can be STOPPED! 

By replacing 1) a section, 2) half of a roof or 3) an entire building’s roof you can dramatically lower expenses.  The cost of the roof is quickly paid off in saving money not paid by reacting to roofing emergencies, making fewer repairs and decreasing insurance costs.

The following seven problems are the roofing industry guidance for determining a shingled roof repair or replacement need:

1. Dark, “dirty-looking” areas on your roof.  
   Possible causes: Environmental pollutants, vegetation, fungus, algae or loss of granules due to old age of shingles.
2. Missing cracked or curling shingles.
   Possible cause: Shingles have reached the end of their useful life and need replacement.
3. Leakage in attic after driving rain.Possible causes: leaky or inadequate shingle underlayment, or deteriorated flashing.
4. Roof shingle curling, sheathing and siding decay.Possible cause: Excessive moisture or high humidity due to roof leaks and / or poor attic ventilation.
5. Blistering and / or peeling of outside paint. Possible cause: Excessive moisture or high humidity due to roof leaks and / or poor attic ventilation.
6. Stains on interior ceilings and walls or mold or mildew growth.  Possible cause: Inadequate or faulty shingle underlayment allowing leakage, or inadequate ventilation.  Special attention should be paid to stains and leaks that cause mold which could be a serious health hazard or insurance liability.
7. Excessive energy costs.  Possible cause: wet and compacted attic insulation due to roof leaks will cause your heating / cooling system to run more often which increases your utility bills.

If you see any of these danger signals DO NOT WAIT!

Recommendations:

1. Educate yourself about roofing by visiting www.gaf.com and click on the “residential homeowner” icon, there is a lot of free reference info. 
2. Use GAF certified roofers who meet higher manufacturer standards and can offer longer roof warrantees. 
3. Use a contractor that can educate you on your options and quality differences between techniques and materials.
4. Check references to ensure a contractor’s performance on:
   a) projects on time
   b) projects done at price quoted or additional costs were explained properly and
   c) jobsites were clean and the end result was high quality.

Don’t wait for your community to go through its reserve funds and have your unit owners’ quality of life and health affected.  Get pro-active and talk to a roofing expert.

Mike Rossi is a professional roofer and is the Maintenance and Construction Supervisor for Pyramid Real Estate Group.  For answers to any roofing questions you may have after reading this article please email construction@pyramidregroup.com