roof in

Your roof should be given a check-up at least twice a year, usually in spring and fall and also after any major wind storm, especially if there are large trees close to or overhanging your roof. This means going up onto the roof and visually inspecting the shingles, flashing and roofing components.

The first thing you should take note of is the shingles. Are they lying flat on the decking or are the corners lifting or perhaps the shingle or tab (if you have tab type shingles) looks as though it is attempting to sink into the attic? The shingles should be flat on the decking. If the corners are lifting, and you can see bare spots where the granules should be and the whole side or the whole roof looks the same, perhaps it is time to consider changing the shingles, if the roof is not very old, and this is happening, the attic may have a ventilation problem. If the shingles look sunken in spots, this may be because the decking is uneven or it may be a hole which was not repaired when the shingles were applied, it may also be because of rotten wood or additional layers of shingles. Also look for broken or missing tabs and remove any branches or other objects you may find.

When walking on your roof, be cautious about stepping on lifted or brittle tabs of the shingles, as this can cause them to split or break off. Any areas that "sink" beneath your foot should be avoided as this could be rotten decking, and you may find yourself in the attic if the rotted area is large enough.

The next area of interest is the plumbing stack flashings, these are the flashing used to watertight the plumbing vents on your roof. They could be made of metal, hard plastic or rubber. They should be laying flat on the shingles and should have a small bead of caulk around the top where the flashing meets the pipe. If these were not installed properly, you may notice a mess of black roof tar spread around the flashing, on the pipe and even on the shingles themselves, if this is the case, this may be a problem area for a leak, for if anyone uses that much tar, they obviously did not know what they were doing.

The metal flashings around your chimney should be checked for broken or missing caulk around the top of the flashing where it meets the chimney. You should also look for any small holes where the caulk has pulled away from the brick or the flashing. Also look for missing or bad caulk on any metal joints which may allow water to enter. The same applies to any walls that connect to the roof, although if the walls are covered with siding, then the flashings should be under the siding, if they are not, and they are not counter flashed properly, this may be a problem area.

Vents come in many shapes and styles, from ridge vents to maxi vents and flat vents, to mention a few. The base of the vent should lay flat on the roof and there should be caulk covering any exposed nails. In the case of plastic vents, some types are attractive to squirrels and apparently quite tasty too. Give them a thorough check for holes that have been chewed to allow access to your attic. Damaged vents should be replaced as soon as possible.