Why Ventilate?

Heat in unventilated attics may cause temperatures to exceed 150⁰F. This can cause damage to shingles, roof sheathing, and also radiate down into the living area. Trapped moisture is a home’s #1 enemy and can cause rot, mildew, mold, paint blister, and ineffective insulation.

It is estimated that over 50% of homes show visible signs of improper ventilation.

Proper ventilation reduces energy bills and winter ice build up, and eliminates mold and mildew, which can lead to major health problems. Ventilating the attic space extends the life of shingles, insulation, and other building components.

Elite Roofing offers a full line of products to properly ventilate your home. You might be surprised by what you like. Call today for a free estimate! 

7 Warning Signs of a Failing Roof

Don’t get caught with sudden, costly repairs. Keep an eye on your roof and learn how to spot problems before they severely impact your wallet with these warning signs.

1. A Leak in the Attic: After a strong storm or wind driven rain, take a look in the attic for signs of leaking. Ice damming can also cause water to enter the house if you don’t have an adequate shingle underlayment or if the flashing has deteriorated.
2.  Blistering or Peeling Pain: When paint starts to peel off, the cause is likely trapped moisture in the house due to excessive temperatures or high humidity from poor attic ventilation. The air in the attic needs to flow from the front of the soffit to the ridge to reduce humidity. Make sure there is a vent in areas such as the kitchen or bathroom, and dryers should vent outside.
3. Stains on Ceilings and Walls: If you see stains or, even worse, mold growth inside your home, it may be caused by inadequate or faulty shingle underlayment that is allowing water to seep into the house. Inadequate ventilation could also be the culprit.
4. Missing, Cracked, or Curled Shingles: If you see that your shingles are dry or practically break when touched, that means they have reached the end of their useful life and it’s time to invest in a new roof. 
5. Dark Areas on Your Roof: This could mean your roof has vegetation, fungus, mold or algae growth, or that the shingles protective granules have been lost. This doesn’t mean you need to replace your roof, but these stains can reduce curb appeal.
6. Sheathing and Shingle Decay: Older homes may experience sheathing decay. This can be easy to spot from the ground. Any areas of the roof that look like they are sagging are a sure sign of major structure problems. Homeowners can look in the attic, but it can be hard to locate the problem in certain structures.
7. Excessive Energy Costs: A possible cause of higher cooling costs could be insufficient attic ventilation, requiring the AC to run excessively. In warm weather, inadequate ventilation will trap hot air in the attic, causing air conditioning systems to work harder or leaving your home’s interior hotter and less comfortable. 

Most Common Roof Leaks

As a homeowner, you’d like your roof to maintain its integrity over the years but common wear and tear and following roof leaks are inevitable. Roofing repairs are simply part of roof’s life.

While there are many reasons for a roof’s deterioration, some roof areas are more prone to leaking than others. Skylights, chimneys and vent pipes all provide an opportunity for moisture to get through, especially in older roofs or when they have not been installed properly.

3 Most Common Roof Leak Repairs:

 1.    Leaky Skylight Repairs

A leaky skylight can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare. Most often than not, an improper installation is the cause of a leak. If that’s the case, your local roofing contractor must handle the repairs to avoid further damage.

Some common situations that cause skylights to leak are: improperly installed fasteners, poor flashing seals, glass micro-fractures or fissures and sealant failure due to thermal expansion.

A thorough roofing inspection will help your roofer uncover the problem and suggest appropriate skylight repairs so that should be your first step.

 2. Chimney Flashing Repairs

Whether it’s due to aging caulk, cracked cement caps or flashing problems, chimneys are one of the biggest problem areas when it comes to leaks.

Again, start with a thorough inspection of your chimney base and walls looking for gaps, cracks and obvious wear and tear. Depending on what you find, roofing cement, caulking and most often than not flashing will need to be replaced. For your reference, we’ve discussed chimney leak repairs in more detail last month.

Since improperly installed flashing leaves your home unprotected from rain and snow it is always best to have a professional roofer address more extensive flashing problems.

3. Vent Pipe Repairs

Aside from skylights and chimneys, roof vents are one of the most common causes of roof leaks. Rusty and cracked vent pipe collars around their base allow the water to first pool around, then seep through the interior walls of your home.  Again deteriorated flashing & old roof cements & sealants might be the reason behind vent pipe leaks.

Do You Need A Pro To Handle You Roofing Repairs?

If your roof is leaking, please call Elite Roofing at 502-643-4333 for a FREE inspection & estimate.  We do all types of roof repairs and replacements.

Contact us today and receive $50 off any roofing repair or $200 off any roof replacemen