Inspecting your roof can be complicated with all the dormers, drip edge, eaves, fascia, underlayment, flashing, louvers, rake, pitch, ridge, slope, valley, vapor barrier, hips, sheathing, rafters and trusses.
Let's break it down to the important parts that you can inspect easily. All of the inspection listed can be done from the ground with the use of binoculars, standing on a ladder, or by walking the roof. When walking the roof be sure that you pick a day when the shingles are not hot or to cold. Hot shingles will become sticky and when walking over them you can remove the gravel that works as UV blocker and decrease the life of the shingles. Yet if the shingles are cold or wet they can become slippery and dangerous to walk on.
- Look for missing or damaged shingles. Damaged shingles can be buckling, curling or blistering. Theses shingles should be replaced to prevent moisture from getting under them.
- Check around chimney flashing and all vent tubes for cracked or missing rubber boots and for faulty caulking.
- Look for moss growth. This can be an indication that moisture has gotten under your shingles and causing decay of the sheathing.
- While you are checking out the roof also look to make sure that chimney caps and vent tube caps are in place.
- Inspect rain gutters for signs of shingle mineral granules. If granules are found in the rain gutters it can be a sign that the singles are beyond their life expectancy which is usually 15-30 years depending on the weather conditions, installation, and upkeep and maintenance.
This is just a short list of things to look for when inspection your asphalt shingle roof. If you find anything that might be concerning or that you are unsure about, the best course of action is to contact a roofing contractor to have them weigh in on what you are seeing.
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