How to prevent roofs from leaking
How to prevent roofs from leaking
For some of us in Australia rain can be a lifeline but for others the start of rain can be the beginning of a nightmare. Owning your own home can bring with it both highs and lows and more so when you look outside and see dark clouds approaching should your home have a leaky roof. The risks of a leaky roof can be varied but usually quite expensive if not seen to immediately. Proper maintenance of your home’s roof should be a priority and knowing how to not only effectively manage a leaking roof, but also how to be pro-active in the prevention of roof leaks.
Preventing Roof Leaks
No matter how much you have spent on your roof at some stage all roofs require some level of maintenance to ensure the remain in good condition. Some roofs such as slate and tile can last a long time but regular maintenance of your roof will ensure it will be a long time before any expensive repair or roof replacement occur. The easiest and most effective way to maintain a roof is easy, a regular check of your gutters, valleys and downpipes to ensure there are no blockages that can occur from leaves and build-up of dirt inside your gutters and downpipes. If unchecked this may lead to rust or accumulation of water that potentially could seep down into your walls.
Whilst a blocked gutter or downpipe is one of the areas we can maintain to help prevent a leaking roof one factor we cannot control is time and despite some roofs surviving better than others eventually all roof systems begin to deteriorate and create a potentially expensive problem for the homeowner.
What to Do When Your Roof shows signs of damage
An obvious sign of damage to your home can be water running down the inside of your home often leading to serious problems for you and your family. If any moisture seeps into your lighting or electrical fixtures there is a very real risk of fire or electrocution. One of the most tell-tale signs of water damage that may not be obvious at first is discoloration on the ceiling and any extreme leak may result in water dripping right into the inside roof with little warning and together with signs of mould and mildew around the ceiling or walls are an immediate warning that your roof is leaking. Don’t delay and call a professional tradesperson immediately though be prepared as this could be costly.
If you wish to be smarter than that and prevent these problems in the first place before the first sign of water intrusion or potential roof leaks a better solution is to contact APBI and arrange your building inspector to visit you and conduct a full building inspection report that may help prevent water leaks or issues with your roof before they become major problem. Don’t wait for the big storm to send water gushing into your home, when you can easily conduct basic maintenance and prevent damage from occurring in the first place.
If you are buying a home or haven’t checked your roofs recently for peace of mind the best avenue and very affordable to ensure you are aware of any roof leaks to the property is to work with a professional building inspector for regular evaluations of the property. A professional building inspector from APBI is a highly qualified and industry experienced professional that unlike a roofing contractor has vested financial interest in finding fault with what may be a perfectly sound roof because their job is to provide a building inspection report not suggest how or with whom you should repair the damage.
Before the next storm highlight the lack of maintenance on your roof wreak make sure you contact an independent professional building inspection company like Australian Property Building Inspections to schedule your building inspection report. By taking a pro-active approach early detection and intervention of any potential fault possibly help you avoid exorbitantly expensive and damaging leaks this winter to your roof and gutters and possibly large parts of your home.
Avoiding a crisis is a better option than simply managing one, and roof leaks certainly qualify as a crisis and Australian Property Building Inspections with offices and inspectors in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other major cities of Australia can organise a building inspection report. A building inspection report not only provides you a detailed and simplified building report but also photos of any problem that helps you can become aware of the problem as early as possible.