The roof is one of the most important parts of the house. It is inevitable, whether you like it or like it! It would be awesome if it lasts forever to protect your house like it’s new, but no roof is perfect, and no roof remains unshielded from damage for a lifetime!
As much as you want it to always be in the best condition, there are agents that affect roof performance. Find out what they are, so you can determine what to safeguard your precious roof from. Be informed, so you will know how to take action when problems arise because of them too. Here are 11 crucial factors that negatively affect roof performance and roof life.
1 – Extreme Heat from the Sun
Sun is vital for living things, humans, plants and animals, to live and be healthy, but it can be detrimental to the state of your house’s roof. Due to being the direct recipient of sunlight, the roof is always at risk of experiencing the dangerous effects of heat. It’s not simple heat that your roof welcomes day by day but extreme heat, which can speed up its wear and tear.
Especially if your roof is dark-colored, which equates to higher heat absorption, it can be more susceptible to the sunlight’s savage properties. Because of the drastic shifts in temperature day and night, roof performance can be overwhelmed by material distortion. Segments of your roof may expand and contract, crack and deteriorate as results of the impact of intense heat and UV radiation.
2 – Water Accumulation
Besides heat, water is also straightforwardly received by the house’s roof. Yes, both rainwater and water coming from your rooftop garden (if you have it) fall down to the roof without a shield. The water amount and level increase when heavy rainfall leads to water accumulation. It’s the same when water coming from your rooftop garden is left unmanaged. Water accumulation happens, thus a problem happens.
Why? When water builds up on your roof, it can generally have an impact on your home’s roofing system. This is when roof and ceiling leakages that cause inconvenience indoors occur. Mold appears. Rotting becomes a distress. Soon, your whole roof might crumble and break down if you don’t act quickly to do the necessary roof repairs!
3 – Strong Winds
Another big enemy of roof performance and of roofs in general are strong winds. These winds may come on their own or with rain, which makes things even worse and unbearable.
This is because harsh winds are the main culprit for roofs flying after getting detached from the home’s frame. If not the whole roof, some fragments of it get disengaged. Indubitably, this is gravely hazardous not only to the inhabitants of the broken roof but also to people, animals and properties that might get hit by those flying roof pieces.
Furthermore, strong winds cause stranger outdoor elements to strike onto roofs. Tree branches, leaves, small stones, kites and garbage are some of these things.
4 – Unsuitable Roof Material
Roof material is a paramount aspect to think about because some roof materials are tougher than others, and needless to say, you’re looking for what’s best for your house. When picking the materials that will compose your roof, ascertain robustness, longevity, environmental soundness before aesthetics. Look at how they can withstand strong weathers because these times prove most of their reliable durability.
A wide array of roof material selections are present, and it can be overwhelming for homeowners to choose from them, particularly when you don’t really know anything about roofs. Ask help from expert residential or commercial roofing contractors for better understanding.
5 – Inappropriate Roof Design
While your home is still being built or renovated, make sure that it has the right roof design because the wrong one can lead to poor roof performance now and/or in the future. There are roof designs that suit your home’s location and its surroundings. Put into consideration your lifestyle also, especially if you’re planning to create a rooftop garden or a roofdeck for relaxation.
Choose among the best options for you to avoid regrettable roof design tomorrow. Speak with professional residential or commercial roofing contractors to get pieces of advice regarding the appropriate roof design for you.
6 – Reckless Usage
What do you do with your roof? Do you place large, bulky and weighty objects on it? Are there solar panels installed on the roof? Do you decorate it with huge ornaments every Christmas and New Year’s Celebration?
Reflect on your roof usage. Are you careful or reckless? This is a fundamental factor that affects roof performance and lifespan.
7 – Trees Near the Roof
It’s refreshing when there are trees surrounding your house, however, those near your roof can hurt your roof when branches and fruits drop on it. They can instigate holes, cracks, scratches and dents on your roof.
8 – Pests
One of the most exasperating roof problems are pests, which most often include roof rats and termites. Without a doubt, they nibble and munch on parts of your roof, causing passageways into your house building. They slowly kill roof performance and roof as a whole! These animals can destroy your house little by little before you know it, so investigate to determine whether or not your dwelling is infested with these annoying pests. Terminate them quickly once you detect infestation.
Their existence may also be triggered by trees overshadowing your roof because trees can be their bridge to your roofs. This is another motivation to trim hanging branches from nearby trees.
9 – Poor or Zero Roof Maintenance
How you take care of your roof determines roof performance and lifespan.Of course, good regular roof maintenance will keep it pretty, clean and long-lasting. Poor maintenance will surely cause it to degrade worse and earlier than expected.
Roof checkups are important, so you can do roof maintenance as much as needed. These allow you to detect issues that require immediate roof repairs, thus preventing more problematic structure concerns. If you forgo this, you forgo good roof performance.
10 – Foot Traffic
Whenever you’re cleaning your roof or having it cleaned, most of the time, the people cleaning it needs to step on it. Although it’s normal, foot traffic is also another crucial factor that negatively affects roof performance. Make sure the roof cleaner steps on the right zones of the roof to avoid wrecking it and to prevent accidents on top of that.
11 – Ineffective Installation Due to Lack of Expert Roofing Contractors
If you want a roof performance that is not only awesome in the beginning but ‘til the end of its life, which is hopefully stretching from generation to generation, your roof must be installed in the best way and with the best expert residential or commercial roofing contractors!
Ineffective installation will make you scratch your head from time to time because of exhausting and financially demanding roof problems. Roof lifespan is reduced also when the roof is often broken, repaired and replaced.
Failure to secure the most proven-and-tested roofing contractors for your home will be failure to secure a roof that lasts functionally long!
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ROOF THAT WORKS AND THAT LASTS LONG
Because the roof is the most exposed portion of the house, it is also the most prone to hazards brought by external elements from the weather. That’s why you should make an effort to take care of it with all the best you can. Proper roof maintenance is key. And when you do maintenance, see to it that you do it right to avoid man-made errors that may lead to head-aching roof mishaps and stressful roof quality issues.
With wise strategies in preserving your roof, combined with smart and speedy actions to conduct urgent roof repairs, you can guarantee a productive roof performance and a long roof life.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice over artist. Quality and well-researched writing is her worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. She is a daytime writer for Young & Co Roofing Manchester, an excellent roofing and cladding company in Greater Manchester. Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.
