A Guide to Spotting Roof Damage – Part 1: Spotting Roof Damage – Signs and Causes of Wear and Tear

Wear and tear is never a good thing, but it is inevitable. This is especially true when it comes to roofs. A worn-down roof is too weak to provide complete weather protection, making the rest of your home vulnerable. This is why you need to be aware of the following signs and causes of wear and tear on your roof:

Blisters

Blisters appear as small, unsightly bumps on the surface of the roof. Often seen in flat roofs and roofs with painted or multi-layered surfaces such as asphalt shingles, they are caused by water or vapor somehow getting underneath the topmost layer.

Splitting

Splitting is characterized by long, straight gaps appearing at the seams or joints. These are caused by regular temperature changes, and usually appear on parts of the roof where a metal accessory is flashed with a different material. Metal typically expands or contracts more than the other material when it gets too hot or too cold; this condition causes a lot of strain between the two materials and they eventually rip apart.

Punctures

Since the roof isn’t designed to accommodate foot traffic, walking on the roof can cause a lot of damage. A wrong step can put too much weight on some parts of the roof, punching a hole through the roof’s otherwise leak-proof surface.

Rusting

Even non-metal roofs have plenty of metal components such as nails, fasteners, flashing, and even the underlying support structure. Over time, these components can get rusty and can weaken over time due  to water exposure or even just due to high humidity, especially if the roof isn’t properly maintained.

Water infiltration

Signs of wear and tear on your roof can even be seen on other parts of the home. Mold or mildew growth in the ceiling or water streaks on walls are big indicators that the roof is already compromised and in poor shape.

How exactly does the weather cause wear and tear on your roof? Find out about three of the biggest cause of weather damage in part 2.