Your roof keeps you and everyone else in your home dry, sheltered, and safe – or at least that’s what it’s supposed to do. If it’s failing at one or more of these crucial duties, it’s absolutely essential to repair or replace your roof so that it can competently do all three once again.
Roofs have a simple yet important job to do, so any damage to your roof could compromise the well-being and safety of any residents in your home. What causes damage to roofs and how can you go about restoring your roof to top condition? Here are some of the most common sources of damage to domestic roofs:
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The Elements
Exposure to the elements is exactly what your roof should be designed for, but even still, wear and tear can weather away at the roof and cause long-term damage. One of the greatest sources of damage to any structure big or small is water, so your roof should be able to manage rainfall efficiently around your property and never allow seepage or puddling.
Another major source of damage is snow. Although much less dense than rain (around 1,000 kg/m³ vs around 100 kg/m³ for fresh snow), snow can accumulate quite easily and add deceptively massive amounts of weight to your roof. The good news is that in Melbourne and pretty much everywhere else in Australia, you won’t likely ever have to deal with the stuff!
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Excessive UV Exposure
Although snow may be written off as a highly unlikely danger here in Victoria, excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can be quite damaging to some roofing materials. Natural roofing tiles made of slate or terracotta, for example, can stand up quite well to the sun. Synthetic materials, on the other hand, can warp and curl under intense heat and sunlight.
Some roofing tiles are installed with protective coatings that render this not as much of a problem – unless that coating wears off, of course.
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Poor Construction
Perhaps one of the most egregious sources of roof damage comes from poorly done roofing installation. Unfortunately, there are some cowboys out there that perhaps don’t abide by standards and employ labourers without the requisite qualifications. If a roofer gives you a quote that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
It’s a great idea to shop around for a few quotes and to use price to find your next roofer, but going too low could get you unqualified roofers that potentially put your whole family in danger.
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Objects Falling onto Roof
Long-term damage happens gradually with wear and tear and the waning and waxing of the seasons, but acute damage can become evident immediately. Falling branches and other objects thrown into the roof under heavy winds or storms can crack tiles, puncture holes directly through the roof, or even compromise the roof’s structural stability.
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Poor Maintenance
Over time, all roofs require at least some level of maintenance. Even extremely durable and reliable roofing materials like slate can become cracked or dislodged over time, so proper servicing is essential to prevent water from entering through cracks, replacing missing or broken tiles, and to inspect the overall condition of the roof as it ages.
Guardian Roofing
Keep your roof in top condition with Guardian Roofing.
