As a roofing specialist in Sevenoaks, we’re constantly surprised at how little people know about one of the most important parts of their own home. In fact, it’s only when something goes wrong with the roof that they tend to take notice of it at all.
A little more attention and some regular maintenance, however, will help reduce costs in the long term and prevent damage that can be expensive to put right.
Here’s our quick guide:
Wind Damage
As you might expect, at our roofing business in Kent, we’re often at our busiest after a storm with high winds. A lot of this is to do with loose slates, and structural damage to areas like chimneys. If there’s been a storm, it’s always important to have a walk round your home and check the roof for missing or loose slates. If you have a loft, pop in and check that there’s nothing awry and you can’t see any spaces.
It’s important that you get even minor repairs done as soon as possible when it comes to your roof as, left unfixed, these can go on to cause even bigger problems.
Ageing Tiles
Even if you live in the most temperate location, time and age is going to cause eventual damage to your roof. It’s part of the life-cycle of any building. Most roofs in the UK use either clay, slate or concrete tiles and these can become loose over time. That means damp gets into the structure of the roof giving rise to mould as well as dry and damp rot.
Ridge Tiles
These are the tiles that fit over the angle at the top of your roof and various other areas. They’re usually fixed by mortar which can degrade over time. These may need to be re-mortared if you don’t want the tiles to come off during a high wind.
Flashing Damage
Flashing fits into certain areas of your roof and is designed to channel water from rain into the gutter below. These are usually made from lead and will degrade over time which means they need to be repaired or replaced. Failure to do so can mean that water doesn’t wash away efficiently and can leak into your roof.
Fascia and Soffits
The fascia is found at the point where the roof meets the rest of your building and soffits are found just underneath that. In many houses they are made of wood and are painted. Once that paint begins to peel off, it exposes the raw wood and raises the potential of damp and other damage. This is a really important area of the roof as it supports everything and, if the damage is left unrepaired, can lead to major and costly problems later on.
Blocked Gutters
Particularly if you live in an area where there are a lot of trees, your gutters can get blocked up. When it rains that can cause water to flood into certain areas causing damage in a short space of time. Making sure these area are kept clear is important.
Chimneys
Finally, if you have a chimney or two, these can also degrade over time and need repairs. Brickwork becomes loose or cracked and flashing around the base of the chimney damaged. Deterioration of the mortar lets damp to get in which causes more problems. For older houses, thinking about repointing can help ensure that your chimney remains in good condition for the future.
Regular maintenance and checks of your roof area help keep any issues down to a minimum and also keeps the costs down the long run. If you’d like advice about your roof or think you have a problem, contact G R Regan Roofing Specialists in Sevenoaks today.