Do You Need a New Roof?
Are you a new homeowner? Have you lived in your house for some years now? Maybe you’re a business owner with a new or existing office building? Deciding if you need to change or re-install a new roof is something that should be of the utmost importance when taking care of your residential home or commercial building. A roof is what keeps your family nice and dry, and keeps your valuable business assets protected from the harsh outside elements. Whichever is your situation Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration is here to offer advice and our services.
Residential Roofs
As a homeowner checking and replacing your roof is a significant part of maintaining your family’s home. In the main most residential roofs last from 20-25 years, however, that also depends on how the old roof was removed and the newer one was installed. Some roofs are one layer and should be checked that they are properly ventilated. However, another layer could have been mounted on top of the older roof and should be verified as well. If either of them is older than 20 years, they are probably due for a replacement.
Another sign that your roof is in need of replacement is if you see the shingles curling or buckling. If you look where your roof gets the most sunlight and see some curling or buckling of the shingles, it’s when the center is flat, but the edges of the shingle start to turn upward. This means that you probably have anywhere from a 1-5 years before it needs to be replaced. Also if you see bald spots on these and other shingles, it could mean that you are losing granules (the small rocks that make up the shingle). This is a tell-tale sign that your roof is reaching the halfway point of its lifespan.
You should also be looking at the valleys in the roof. Rainwater and snow travel and settle in these valleys and cause damage to the shingles and the surrounding area. Are there missing shingles in this area? If so that is a definite sign that you need a new roof, and you are possibly getting substantial leaks inside the home. Cracked shingles mean that you have experienced some wind damage and if some have been damaged, you can replace those, but if the whole roof is like this then you have 3-5 years till the lifespan of the roof is finished.
Do you have a chimney? Chimney flashing is the protective cement, tar or metal that surrounds the chimney base on the roof. If this is no longer water-tight, then it should be replaced immediately to prevent further moisture from damaging the surrounding area.
Are the shingles covered in moss and algae? Depending on how extent the roof is covered it could be merely a cosmetic problem or moisture could be being held in by the shingles/roof. If you’re not a fan of the look, you can get a solution of one part water and one part bleach and spray/scrape the roof with a low-pressure hose. This should get rid of the moss at present and to completely get rid of the problem you can put zinc strips on the peaks of the roof to prevent future moss/algae buildups. It is important to note that most shingles now days are moss and algae resistant.
Do you see the sunlight? If you can see the sunlight through the boards in your attic, then you have probably already figured out you need a new roof. If you can see the light, then that means that the rain, snow and the cold/hot air is getting in as well and potentially causing structural damage to the home. Depending on how long this has been going on you could just be looking at a patch for that particular area, or you may need to replace the whole roof completely. Another problem could be sagging or drooping of the roof, and it could be possible structural damage either from the decking of the attic or even from the foundation. If either of these are the cases, then we would suggest calling Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration immediately.
Commercial Roofing
A commercial roofing system is specifically designed to be used over an extended period of time, however, problems can arise during their lifespan. This can happen for any number of reasons like being installed incorrectly, a faulty design or it has not been maintained. There are four options available to you: full replacement, re-cover, repair or coat. Before you go looking for problems on your roof we recommend calling Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration first. Walking on a commercial grade roof, depending on what type it is, can damage it even more and possibly make the problem worse than it is. However, if you do have to walk out onto the roof, please make a note of where it is you walked so we can access those areas as well. It should also be pointed out that if the roof is sloping to not go on the roof at all, we have equipment specifically designed for such situations.
To figure out what needs to be done to the roof there should be some questions answered first. How bad or old is the roof and how much damage has it sustained? Is the insulation up to code? Can the roof be completely removed or is it currently occupied? Are you looking at using this building for short-term or long-term? Does the building generate moisture? If so it may not have the right roof. These are just some questions to determine what is the next step with your roof.
With these issues in mind, you can expect Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration to look at other factors as well. Depending on the type of roofing has water infiltrated the roofing system? If so there may be damage to the insulation or the membrane. You will be able to tell this from the interior if there leaks on the ceiling tiles or watermarks. On the exterior you can tell by punctures or holes and sometimes foot traffic on the roof can cause this as well. Next, what is the overall visual condition of the roof? Has there been any significant wind damage or wind-uplift? There are usually local building codes for this and can be tested on the parapets, seams, and corners. Next is to take a look at the roof deck, depending on if it’s wood or steel you may be looking at different repairs. If there is significant water damage to the deck then it will have to be repaired or even have the whole roof replaced. Also if phenolic foam insulation was used in the existing structure, this could lead to the sulfonic acid corroding the steel deck.
It all depends on what kind of commercial roof that you are looking to repair/invest in. Whether you are looking at repairing your roof at your residential home to keep your family out of the rain, adding on a new commercial roof to protect your valuable assets, or just need a quick roof inspection, Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration has got your covered. Call or message us for a free estimate, we look forward to hearing from you.