8 Roofing Tips Helping Homeowners

Texas weather changes quickly and before one realizes, there is a storm or high winds. Are you ready? Better yet, is your roof ready? One of the most vulnerable parts of your house is your roof, which can sustain damage from wind, snow, ice, heavy rains, and fallen trees. Failing to make needed repairs is one costly mistake. Following are 8 roofing tips you should know.

Roofing Tip 1: Check Your Roof

Check for any roof damage. Pay attention to surface bubbles and areas with missing gravel on flat roofs, or missing or damaged shingles or tiles on sloped roofs. Leaks can eventually damage the wood sheathing and rafters below the shingles, leading to thousands of dollars in repairs. If you own a set of binoculars, they will help you spot cracked, curled, or missing shingles safely from the ground. Some people are uncomfortable looking for roof damage so they should contact a professional roofing contractor. An experienced roofing contractor will check your roof and flashing around the chimney to help prevent water penetration, skylights, and roof valleys for leaks, and the rubber boots near vents for cracks that can let moisture seep into your home.

Roofing Tip 2: Clean Your Gutters
Clear gutters using a towel and the downspouts from debris. As the leaves fall, make sure they are not building up in the gutters. Gutters filled with leaves, pine needles and other debris can let water spill over the side, pool around your home’s foundation, and seep inside.

The cost is about $300 a year for a pro to clean your gutters twice a year. That might be worth it rather than risking a fall off a ladder if you simply don’t have the time.

You may want to consider changing your gutters to a gutter-guard system to keep debris out and rainwater flowing correctly within your gutters. Make sure that gutter drains extend 5 feet from the house—and that soil slopes away from the foundation 1 inch per foot for 6 feet or more.

If your roof needs replacing, consider impact-resistant roofing materials, especially if you live in a hail-prone area, which yes, Dallas and Fort Worth areas are hail-prone. At roughly $3 per square foot installed, new sheathing would total $6,900 for a 2,300-square-foot house if you had to replace all of it. Figure on an additional $7,000 to $10,000 to install new shingles, plus added costs if the roof rafters need replacing.

Roofing Tip 3: Trim Your Trees

Trim trees and remove dead branches so they will not damage your home if they fall. You can hire a professional to cut branches away from your roof.

Roofing Tip 4: Clean Your Chimney
A wood-burning fireplace or stove may be cozy, but creosote buildup can block the flow of smoke and cause chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, even unused chimneys can develop cracks that weaken the structure. If your chimney has not had a recent inspection, schedule one now before you want to use your fireplace. Figure on roughly $150 to $300 for an inspection and a sweep. Go to Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) csia.org for industry-certified chimney sweeps and check Better Business Bureau for complaints. Homeowners can save up to $5,000 if the chimney flue liner cracks and thousands more if there is a fire. You also avoid potentially deadly safety risks.

Roofing Tip 5: Get Rid of The Pests

It is unfortunate, but pests can eat you out of house and home. Termites literally eat your house. They cause more than $5 billion in property damage each year. Carpenter ants destroy wood by tunneling inside it. The best way to protect your home is to know the signs. It is worth it to call a Pest Control and get a thorough pest control inspection.

Roofing Tip 6: Carpenter ants:

They are normally black, though some are red or a combination of the two colors. You will find them crawling around the inside and outside of your house as they search for moisture. Spring and summer are their busiest times, but they can keep munching on wood throughout the winter if temperatures are warm enough. If you see or hear them (they sometimes make munching noises in the walls), call in a pro. Also, cut back branches and plants from your house, move firewood and other stacked timber far away from it, and seal any cracks.

Roofing Tip 7: Termites:

These home wreckers are light-colored and are rarely seen, except when they swarm in early spring. Call a professional exterminator if you see swarming or wood that is soft, blistered, or darkened. Other signs include mud tubes inside or outside the house, especially around the foundation. Go to pestworld.org to find an industry-certified exterminator.

Roofing Tip 8: Repairs:

Replace or repair missing or broken shingles: A roofer may use roofing cement and/or nails to repair shingles that have become cracked or loose. He may also replace any shingles that have broken free or blown away. Small fixes done properly by a professional roofing contractor can help prevent larger problems or major repairs.

Northwest Roofing Uses Quality Roofing Shingles

We only use the top roofing shingles available. Consumer Reports tested various roofing shingles and came up with a list of the highest quality roofing shingles.

• Owens Corning
• Certain Teed
• Tamko
• Atlas

Northwest Roofing has been installing the same shingles for years. We do not cut corners or buy seconds. We install only the highest quality roofing shingles. Our customers are happy and their roof will last much longer because they chose wise and got their money’s worth.

Protect your home by calling Northwest Roofing today at 817.439.3065 or 817.614.1630 or receive a free estimate by completing our easy Contact Form.