Signs You Need Roof Repair That You Might Not Recognize

Posted on: 5 November 2021

Roof damage can be sneaky; this is why you hear advice to have your roof inspected yearly. It also helps if you can recognize the signs of roof damage, and while many of these are obvious, some aren't so obvious. If you see or hear these signs, it's time to call a roofing contractor for an inspection and possible repair.

Your Energy Bills Keep Going Up

It's easy to blame rising energy bills on rising rates, but if your air conditioning and heating are efficient, your home's insulation is in good shape, and you've patched up sources of drafts, your roof might be to blame. A number of roof and near-roof issues can lead to poor insulation even if the crawlspace/attic insulation itself is OK. One of these issues is damage that reduces the amount of overall insulation of the home.

So Many Palm Fronds

If you live in (or ever move to) an area with lots of palm trees surrounding homes, the sight of a pile-up of palm fronds on the roof is a warning. Palm fronds, when they fade, stay on the palm tree for a while and then drop off. Unfortunately, palm fronds are heavy, and when they hit a roof, they really hit that roof. If you come back from work and see that a couple of palm fronds from the tree next to your house are now resting on the roof, have that portion inspected to ensure the impact of the fronds falling on the roof didn't cause any damage. Remember that damage that's enough to allow the roof to leak is not always visible from the ground.

Scratching Sounds

Scratching sounds—the type where it sounds like something is actively trying to dig through your ceiling—usually mean that an animal has gotten into your attic or crawlspace. This is often through a broken vent, and chances are that a raccoon didn't suddenly decide to cannonball off a tree branch and bust a hole through your roof. But if you have a roof made from a material other than metal or clay tile, you don't know if that animal tried scratching at the surface of the roof at some point. An inspection for potential damage can't hurt.

Roofs should last a very long time, and even if they need repair occasionally, that's a lot less expensive than replacing the entire thing. Catch damage early so that the repairs you do have to make are tiny.

Contact a roofing company for more information.  

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