Why check a roof before the rain season?
A check before the rain finds the joints, flashing and gutters that the dry months have weakened. A repair made before the first storm is simpler and less urgent than one made in the middle of a leak.
The dry months shrink sealant and crack joints, and the gutters fill with debris that the rain then pushes over the edge. The first heavy rain tests all of these at once, so the check is best made before it arrives.
A pre-rain check also gives the crew a chance to reset lifted tabs and clear the drains on a dry day, when the work is safer and the materials bond properly.
What does a check after the summer heat look for?
After the summer heat the crew looks for dry and cracked sealant, lifted tabs, blistered or cracked surfaces and attic signs of heat. The summer sun drives these changes, and they are easier to catch when the roof is checked once the heat has passed.
The sun dries the surface of the shingles and the sealant, and a tab that has become brittle can crack when it is lifted. The crew checks the tabs at the eave and the rake, where the wind also acts.
The attic is checked for signs of heat, such as warped boards, stains and blistered underlayment. These are the marks of a roof that has run hot for a season and that will need attention sooner than its neighbors.
What should I do after a strong wind?
After strong wind, look at the roof from the ground for lifted or missing shingles, bent flashing and displaced gutters. Then book a crew check of the edges, ridge caps and gutters, and keep a dated note of what you saw.
Walk around the house and look at the roof edges from a safe distance. Take photographs dated and labeled by side, and note any debris in the yard. Do not climb onto the roof to check.
A crew check after wind finds the lifted parts before the next gust takes them. It is worth doing even when no leak has appeared, because lifted edges are easy to miss from below.
Why does a plan keep a record over several years?
A record over several years shows how a point changes. A tab that was marked as watch and then repaired, or a flashing that has moved a little each season, is much easier to judge from a series of checks than from one visit.
Each check uses the same position labels and photographs, so the next crew can find the same points and see the change. The homeowner keeps the record with the roof documents.
A plan also helps when a sale, a claim or a lender asks for the roof's history. The written record of each check, with its date, is a more reliable account than memory.
What affects the cost of a maintenance plan?
The cost of a plan depends on the roof size, the number of checks in the year, the attic access and the number of points that need watching. No figure is printed here. The plan is quoted before it starts and the price is explained and approved first.
A small roof with one check a year is a short plan. A large roof with three checks, the attic and several penetrations is a fuller plan with more photographs and a longer written record.
Repairs that a check finds are not part of the plan price. They are quoted separately, so the homeowner can decide which to have done and when.
