Damaged shingles can result in unnecessary water damage within the home. Ceilings, walls, and flooring can be the targets of prolonged water damage due to unmaintained roofs. Staying on top of maintenance can prolong the lifespan of your roof, delaying the costly roof replacement. Most water damage is not found or noticed until it is too late, making repair expenses larger than ever.

This is a Preventative Maintenance Task!

It is important to address these problems early on before water leaks cause damage to ceilings, walls, and flooring. If you see your roof is brittle or cupping, it might be time to call a roofing contractor to get the whole roof fixed.

Tasks can be done by: Homeowner, professional roofer, handyman, or home inspector

How To Inspect Your Roof | Task Steps

Step 1 – Inspect your roof

• Walk outside around your house and visually inspect the roof to see any curling, cracked, or missing shingles or tiles. Also, look for flashing that separates from the roof, siding, wooden roof trim, or chimney.
• If you have access to your attic, you can inspect the area to see if there are leaks on the underside of the roof.
• You can also check for water damage on the ceilings inside your home.  If you have wood, drywall, or metal ceilings, you may find water stains or dripping water.

Step 2 – If you spot problem areas: Call a Professional 

• If you find problem areas on your roof, contact a roofer to help you with the situation.

Step 3 – If you spot problem areas: DIY 

*Homeowners should consider straying away from getting onto roofs to do maintenance because falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury around the home.*

If you STILL decided to carry through with doing DIY repairs:

To fix curled corners or torn shingles:

1. Roofing sealant is a great fix. Putting a dab of roofing sealant under the curled corner and sticking it back down will prolong the shingle’s lifespan.
2. If there are any torn shingles, use a caulking gun to apply or spread the roofing sealant over the imperfections.

• Professionals should handle any other repairs or replacements.
  • Tool List: If DIY, ladder – Extension, caulk gun
  • Supply List & Costs: If DIY: caulk – roofing cement

Step 4 – Test repairs

• After proper maintenance, you can spray water with a hose from the ground and see if the repaired area is still leaking within the house.
  • Tool List: hose – garden

Want to know more useful information such as this?

Sign up with us at HomeManager!

Also, check out another interesting article- Schedule a Chimney Cleaning During Warmer Months!