The kind of roofing repairs that a roof might need depends on the type of roof that has been installed. Rightly so, the choice of the roofing contractor is critical in determining how long your roof eventually lasts before finally requiring replacement. But before an owner or a prospective home-owner decides which contractor is best, it would be prudent for you to familiarize yourself with some of the potential repairs that will be encountered. This will not only enable you to determine the expected cost of repairs, but it will also help you to determine which roof repair contractor in Phoenix offers the best value for your money.
Type of Roofing Repairs
The type of roof repairs a roof might require will depend immensely on the type of roof installed. There are 3 main types of roof. These include the following:
1. Cedar Shake roofs
2. Composition Shingle roofs
3. Metal and Tile roofs
A description of each type of roof and the repairs each would need are described below. It is worth noting that the lists of common roof repairs are not exhaustive.
Cedar Shake roofs
The roofing materials used on a cedar shake roofs are tapered cedar slabs of varying length and design referred to as shakes. The shakes are made from perfectly straight grained and knot free cedar wood. This type of roof was popular in the colonial America and it is still prevalent in Cape Cod style of homes. This roof type is quite expensive to install and is no longer a popular roofing approach. Furthermore, it is very difficult to accurately determine the age of a cedar shake roof. However, as long as the roof is installed correctly and treated regularly with preservatives, a cedar shake roof can last up to 25 years without requiring any roof repairs. You can still find homes in Phoenix with shake roofs.
Repairs for Cedar Shake roofs
After 5 years of use a cedar shake roof can develop the following issues:
• missing shakes,
• rotten butts,
• excessive splitting of shingles
• warping and cupping shingles
• worn our areas between shakes
• exposed shake bed or felt
In order to determine the type of damage on a cedar roof, one would have to physically walk on the roof and count the missing and damaged shingles. If this approach proves to be too daunting then hiring a roof inspector would be a viable alternative. It is worth noting that most roofing contractors in Phoenix do offer reliable roof inspection and certification services.
Once the damage has been accessed then the appropriate roof repairs can be carried out. This would involve replacing missing, broken, warped and cupped shakes. Prior to replacement of the damaged shakes, it might be necessary to lay a new felt upon which the shakes will be placed. This is in scenarios where the roof also exhibits leaks arising from the extensive damage to the shake beds.
Shingle Roofs
Shingle roofs are one of the most popular roofing styles, including here in Phoenix. The shingles are rectangular grooved or flat slabs that are made from a variety of materials including slate, fiber glass, metal, plastic, asphalt, cement stone and rubber composites. As with cedar shakes, shingles are usually installed starting with a bottom row first and then advancing upwards. Shingle roofs have a fairly long lifespan of between 18 to 20 years. Some newer shingle products can last up to 30 years.
Typical Repairs for Shingle Roofs
Some of the damage that is observed on single roofs after a period of between 5 and 10 years include the following:
• missing shingle
• split shingles
• exposed shingle bed
• worn out shingles
• exposed nail heads
• shrunken shingles
• Worn out shingles
• Weakened flashing around chimneys and roof to wall junctions
Repairs of Shingle roofs
A roof inspection before and after carrying out roof repairs will help the owner evaluate the lifespan of the newly repaired roof. The repairs will include replacing broken, shrunken, spilt and cracked shingles, relaying the shingle bed in cases of leaks, adding new sealant between shingle beds and replacing weak flashing. It is advisable to use the same type of shingle as those found on a particular type of roof. Using different types of shingles ends up reducing the lifespan of the roof. For instance, using composite shingles on a slate shingle roof actually decreases the life of the roof by 2 years. It is therefore necessary to make sure the contractor actually uses the appropriate shingles.
Metal and Tile roofs
Metal and tile roof have the longest service of all the available roof types and is the reason why these two roof types are grouped together. Both have a service life of at least 40 years. However, between the two, metal roofs are need the least repairs compared to tile roofs. Tile roofs are the popular choice for Phoenix homes built in the past 30 years.
Repair of metal and tile roofs
Initially metal roofs were susceptible to rusting however with the advanced preventive measures such as efficient electroplating, these roofs can last up to 50 years without needing any repair. Tile roofs on the other hand experience problems similar to both single and shake roofs. These roofs include the following:
• Missing tiles
• Split and broken tiles,
• Worn out tiles
Repairs carried out on a roof tile would therefore include the replacement of missing, split, broken and worn out tiles. It might also include replacing the bed on which the tiles are laid where tile damage has resulted in leaks.
In order to ensure that the appropriate roof repairs are carried out on your roof, it would be necessary to carry out a roof inspection first. The roof inspection would help determine the actual damage. It is advisable for potential home owners to have a roof inspection performed by a licensed roofing contractor, not just a home inspector prior to buying the house. The roof inspection ensures homeowners get the best value for their money.
