The roof of your house plays the critical role of keeping your home and its inhabitants safe from being exposed to the elements. From rain and snow to extremely sunny days, your home’s roof bears all of it, ensuring that the harsh outdoor environment does not seep into your home. While acting as a protective shield against nature’s elements, your roof continues to take a severe beating. All of this ultimately results in signs of roof damage, which are detectable and repairable in the earlier stages but can turn into a complete roof replacement job with huge costs, if they are not proactively remedied early on.
Looking for Signs of Roof Damage
The best way to know whether you need a roof repair or not is to determine how extensive the damage is. This can ideally be done by personally checking the walls and roof of the house. Start from the top-most floor and make your way downstairs, to the ground floor. Here are 8 warning signs that indicate roof damage and can spell a roof repair need:
1. Stains on Ceilings and the Walls
If you notice water stains or yellowing or browning of the walls in the upper floors or ceilings of your home, you need to call in a professional to inspect the issue. Water damage, discolouration, and stains generally occur when the roof is no longer able to hold rain and moisture out from the structure. Get this fixed timely if you want to avoid a hefty roof replacement bill in the near future.
2. General Signs of Wear and Tear
Homes in Pakistan are generally sturdily built due to the use of concrete in almost all buildings. However, even concrete begins to show signs of aging in the form of wall cracks. Similarly, all roofs aged 20 years or more need some type of repairing. This is called the age of your roof. If your residence was constructed back in the 1980s, it is high time to get the roof fixed and inspected for leaks and other structural damages.
3. Peeling Paint
Is your ceiling paint peeling away? If the top portion of your walls is damp, moisture is finding its way into your walls, which probably means that the roof needs to be inspected for leaks.
4. A Bending and Drooping Roof
One of the most noticeable signs of roof damage is when your roof starts to fall or sag inwards. This is most commonly visible with pitched roofs, as their construction style clearly shows the structure leaning inwards towards the house. The occurrence is also dangerous, as the roof might eventually collapse completely if not repaired immediately.
5. Mouldy Odours
When walls or rooms are constantly exposed to wet environments, they can lead to the growth of mould giving off a musty odour. Mould can occur in the form of black or white growth on your walls. If you find something similar while inspecting your house for roof repair, call in a professional plumber and roof repair technician immediately. This is because mould is not just ugly to look at, but it is also hazardous to human health. It can cause asthma attacks and respiratory problems in individuals exposed to it for a longer duration.
6. Slipping and Missing Roof Tiles
Most pitched roofs, even within Pakistan, are covered using roof tiles or shingles. With time, the tiles start to lose their grip on the roof’s surface. If you are suddenly finding broken pieces of your roof tiles in your garden or if a few of the tiles are missing from the structure, you need to put up a ladder and check out the extent of the damage. If the surface beneath the tiles is wet or cracked, call up a repair person immediately.
7. Poor Drainage of Water
Some cities in Pakistan see a lot of rainfall annually, and if you live in one of them, your roof needs to be able to drain rainwater to the gutters properly. This is an especially important consideration for flat roofs, where drainage pipes might become clogged or broken, leading to standing water that can eventually seep through the ceiling into your home and damage the roof.
8. Excessive Quantity of Bird Droppings
Pakistani homes are no strangers to nests of crows, robins, pigeons, and eagles. However, while these birds do not pose a direct threat to you or your home, their droppings collecting on your roof’s surface can slowly erode its durability and make it vulnerable to damage from the natural elements. This is because bird droppings are highly acidic. To ensure this is not the case in your home, clear up all the bird droppings on your roof. If your roof shows signs of cracks or water leakage after a good wash, seek help from a professional.
These are 8 of the many ways to determine if your roof is crying out for a repair. If you can clearly observe any of these signs of roof damage, be sure to call up a repair person, and get them to repair the roof with proper roofing materials for better structural integrity.
