Brooks and Done Roofing

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Spring foundation leaks?

Most foundation leaks actually begin at your roof due to clogged, damaged or improperly installed eavestroughs and downspouts causing inadequate drainage. It is imperative that your eavestrough system carries rainwater and/or melting snow away from your foundation. You can prevent costly foundation repairs by having your eavestroughs and downspouts evaluated and maintained regularly by a roofing specialist.

Make sure your eavestroughs are cleaned at least twice a year, more often if you have many trees around your home. Have your evestroughs and downspouts inspected every spring. Ice buildup can damage evestroughs and snow covered downspouts can be stepped on or compressed by heavy snow causing damage and the joints to come apart. Proper maintenance by a qualified professional can protect your foundation saving you time and money.

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Roof Care

Here's some good information on caring for your roof! Inspect your roof in the late fall and early spring (you may need binoculars). Look for loose shingles, or shakes, or, if you have tiles, look for missing or cracked pieces. On shingle roofs, look for curling, fraying and tears at the edges. Don’t forget to check the flashings around the chimneys, vents, skylights, and other roof penetrations. They should be tight and in good condition. Also check the condition of the fascia boards near the joints of all eaves for signs of leakage or rot. If you see any of these signs of wear, call a professional roofer for a more thorough inspection.

Keep gutters and downspouts clean and free of leaves, sticks, and other debris.

Keep trees trimmed away from building.

Stay off the roof! Walking on its surface can do a great deal of damage, and you could fall! If you must see the roof for yourself, use a firmly braced ladder equipped with rubber safety feet and wear rubber-soled shoes. Stay on the ladder as much as possible.

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Roof Snow Removal 101

Why do I need to get the snow removed from my roof?

The main reason you should keep your roof as snow-free as possible is that it’s crucial for preventing ice dams from forming on your roof.

Ice dams can’t form without snow.  If you’re able to prevent ice dams, you’re far more likely to prevent your roof from leaking and damaging the inside of your home.

Another reason roof snow removal is so important is that it’s a good idea to keep all that excess weight off your roof.  As a rule of thumb, one square-foot of snow that’s one-inch in depth weighs about a pound.  If your roof has 12 inches of snow on it, that could easily amount to thousands of pounds of stress on your roof.  That’s not even counting the weight of any ice dams that may form as a result of leaving the snow on your roof; just one cubic foot of ice weighs 57 pounds, and a typical ice dam can weigh thousands of pounds.  Minimizing the stress placed on your roof is a great way to minimize the risk of leaking and cave-ins (the latter of which occur more frequently than you might think).

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How to Know if Your Shingle Roof Needs to be Replaced or Repaired

Wondering if your shingle roof needs servicing? Check for any of these five warning signs…

Top 5 Warning Signs: How to Know if Your Shingle Roof Needs to be Replaced or Repaired

#1 Curling or Clawing Shingles

Curling or clawing shingles are a sign of both an aging roof system and excessive heat. Curled or clawing shingles are highly susceptible to wind uplift and ice damage. Shingles will become rigid and can break easily and lose tab edges.

#2 Missing Granules and Bare Spots

Poorly placed downspouts, lack of eavestrough, or poorly designed valley drainage on a second storey can cause a waterfall effect that washes away granules over time. Aging of a roof system or physical damage can also cause bare spots and a loss of granules. When the protective granules of a shingle are lost the shingle begins to harden from heat and sun exposure. Granule loss on a roof system will accelerate aging and shingle decay and can become an entry point for water.

#3 Broken or Missing Shingles

Broken and missing singles greatly weaken a roof system’s ability to shed water and can be an entry point of water. Two common causes of damaged shingles are excessive wind and physical damage.

#4 Buckling Shingles

Buckling shingles are visible waved distortions that usually run vertically up a roof slope. Buckled shingles are highly susceptible to wind and ice damage and can be torn off easily. Overall roof age and wet or poorly installed underlayment are common causes of buckling shingles.

# 5 Damaged Flashings

Flashings located around skylights, valleys, eaves, rakes, wall details, stacks, and chimneys are all subject to separation, lifting, and dried out caulking. The flashing details can lift and separate due to general expansion and contraction. Expansion and contraction will cause fasteners to become loose and the bottom-flashing flange to lift thus allowing water to enter.

If you notice any of the signs noted above you may need to have your roof repaired or replaced by a certified roofing contractor. A roof leak is not always apparent immediately on the inside of a home; it can damage insulation and deck sheathing causing replacement costs to grow. Call Brooks & Done Roofing Services before your problems grow.