A roof inspection involves more than just looking at your roof to ensure it is still attached. You have to be aware of what’s going on from inside and outside of the house as well as look for common symptoms that arise from problems with your roof. A roof inspection can involve checking internally for things like mould, stains, or signs or water damage and checking the condition of your roof, gutters and around the outside of your home for important signs like flooding. The key to preventing major damage to your home is being proactive and having some idea of what to look for.
Why would you need a roof inspection?
One of the major determinants for anyone feeling safe and secure is if they have a roof over their head. For such an important structural component of a home, it is sorely overlooked. A roof protects you from the elements, offers cooling in summer and safety from the rain, while housing majority of the hardware that goes into powering your home. Even minor roof damage can let in water that slowly deteriorates the materials that form the structure of your home, causing power bills to skyrocket because of a small draft. Excess moisture can cause mould and bacteria to grow, affecting the health of everyone inside. And the potential to impact wiring means higher chance of power loss, damage to electrical devices and increased risk of house fires. The risk becomes greater when you have added complications like solar panels to account for.
Anything that can go wrong in the home due to roofing issues, is usually expensive. Unfortunately, by the time you realise there is an issue – it is often too late. The signs that you have spotted are usually only there after there has already been some significant damage. One of the best things you can do, is try and prevent these major issues from occurring in the first place. And to prevent these issues, it helps to have an idea of what they are before they get worse. This is usually done through preventative maintenance i.e., a thorough roof inspection and repair.
Sometimes you may find that your roof or gutters just need a clean to prevent gunk from building up and causing damage. A roof inspection can remind you that you need to get your solar panels cleaned to improve your energy yield. It might prod you to have your gutters properly cleared out before the spring rains hit and your foundations are affected by the flooded ground from overflowing gutters. A good inspection may reveal a hidden issue that can be quickly taken care of with a simple roof repair. Better yet, a good roof inspection may show you that your house is close to becoming a safety hazard and is in need of an immediate roof restoration. It can be difficult to know the difference between a minor or major issue and what you might need to do to address the problem. Professional roofers are best placed to help you with this. You can also see this post on roof restoration vs roof repairs for more information.
Whatever the case may be, you’ll have a hard time knowing what may be lurking above you until someone can investigate it. An inspection can be one of those first steps to ensuring your home and those in it, are safe.
Roof inspection basics
A roof inspection needs to be conducted internally AND externally. While there are some common signs you can look out for, this list is not exhaustive. Only professional roofers are able to spot all the important signs that indicate a deeper problem. This is due to extensive experience and knowledge gained over many years in the industry. But there are some basic things you CAN do that are a good start.
For the internal inspection, you need to:
- Walk around your home and look up.
Look for any signs that water might be getting in and damaging your ceiling. Keep an eye out for changes over time. If you spot anything, let your roofing professional know as this can direct them to problem areas. - Check inside the roof during the day.
We don’t often find ourselves in our ceilings so how would we be able to know if there was something going wrong up there? By taking the time to check in the space, you can sometimes spot signs of trouble before they become too serious.
For the external inspection, you need to:
- Walk around your home and look up…
Again, check for damage or changes to the external parts of your roof. You might have a lot leaf litter or blocked drains which could be causing issues. - …and also down.
Keep an eye out for signs of overflowing gutters or damaged pipes. While flooding and leaks could be caused by anything (or just a big bout of rain), it might also indicate something more nefarious. - Check the roof itself
Unfortunately, a lot of signs can only be seen from the roof itself. So it makes sense that to complete a thorough roof inspection the roof itself needs to be checked. We explain how to safely climb a roof in another post. By observing the roof directly, it’s easier to spot damaged or deteriorating materials as well as any sneaky problems that can’t be seen from the ground. For safety reasons, this is best done by a professional, therefore…
Get your roof inspected by a professional
A roof inspection should be conducted frequently. At least once a year. However, with extremes in weather, this may be required more often. We’ve given you the basics of how to complete a basic roof inspection to help prevent damage to your home and help catch problems before they become hazards. However, this is no replacement for a thorough inspection. And some people may not have the time or capability to complete even a basic roof inspection. For this, you can get a professional in. A professional can also get the job done properly so you don’t risk injury or accidental damage by inspecting it yourself. The point of preventative maintenance is to keep you and your home safe, after all.
If you conduct an inspection and find something worrisome, you can call our team at 1300 833 399 to schedule a further inspection or roof repair.
What is checked during a roof inspection?
An inspector walks around your home, checks inside the roof, checks gutters and checks the external roof
