How A Hundred Bucks Can Add 10 Years to Your Roof
Posted by: Aazdak Alisimo in Real EstateThere are many elements to a home. Some get much more attention than others. If you are not listing your roof at the top of that list, you could be making a very expensive mistake.
While the roof is the most important part of your home, it can also be the most important to work on. Most people think a leak requires a minor repair. In truth, it often requires much more and that can be expensive.
Think about the hull on a boat. What does it do? It creates a waterproof envelope that keeps the water out and allows the vessel to float. A roof is similar, but is a collection of systems that work together to keep water out of your home.
Logically, the leak in a roof should be just above where you see discoloration on the ceiling, right? If you have a sloped roof, it rarely will be. In fact, it is a very rare case where a direct vertical leak occurs.
This concept is known as migration. Water moves quickly and easily. To fix this problem, the entire area has to be pulled up and repaired. Not only does the leak have to be stopped, but the threat of mold has to be addressed as well.
All and all, you really want to make every effort to avoid roof repairs. Fortunately, your roof is a pretty solid structure. If you follow some basic maintenance steps, you can avoid problems down the line.
On top of basic maintenance, however, there is one major secret to making your roof last. It has to do with the space between your ceilings and the roof. This is a death zone for a roof because it is full of stagnant air that can cause all kinds of problems.
Let us return to our ship hull example. A hull works great if water is kept outside. What if it is also collected inside, however? The interior starts to rust and the hull weakens. Eventually, it will fail and the ship will sink.
A similar problem can happen in the space below your roof. The components of the roof are laid bare there. The air just sits and heats up. It can get up to 150 degrees in some areas. Water in the air gets into the wood and the roof slowly fails.
This can cut 10 years or more off the life of your roof. The secret to stopping it is to put an attic fan in. The fan will circulate the air with the exterior environment. This will keep temperatures much cooler and save your roof.
Most homeowners mistakenly think the vents at each end of the attic will do the job. Unfortunately, they create only minimal movement. This is particularly true for air above the level of the vents. It just sits and the problem festers.
Replacing your roof will run $10,000 or more depending on the size, materials used and so on. Installing an attic fan will cost you a couple hundred bucks. Which amount of money would you prefer to spend?
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