By Laura Jean Whitcomb

Perhaps you are buying a new house. Or maybe you are preparing your home for winter. Here are two words of advice: look up. Whether the roof is brand new or 20 years old, it
is an investment that you’ll want to protect.

“Many homeowners replace a roof in order to attract a sale,” says Jim Kirby, Senior Director of Technical Services at the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). “It can be easier to make the sale if they can say, ‘Here’s my house. The roof was done two years ago.’ People seem to like that.”

The Day in the Life of a Roof

Consider the conditions your roof must endure: the intense heat of the sun, strong winds, heavy rain and snow, ice and hail, tree limbs, leaves, moisture, and pollution. Just one of these factors is enough to make you run for cover, but your roof is out there every day—expanding, contracting, drying, cracking, deteriorating, aging.

As architect Frank Lloyd Wright said, “If it didn’t leak, it wouldn’t be a roof.” Well, if you’re sitting in your home surrounded by small pots and pans to catch drips, this may not be what you want to hear. Fortunately, most well-designed roof systems will last 20 years or more. Well-designed means watertight right from the beginning — a simple design (leaks love nooks and crannies where planes intersect) with very few penetrations (the less pipes, vents, chimneys, and skylights, the better).

If the design is out of your hands, periodic maintenance will help extend the life of your existing roof. Grab the ladder and remove all debris — twigs and leaves in the fall and snow and ice in the winter. Inspect your roof regularly, twice a year and after hailstorms or high winds. Promptly replace any broken or missing shingles, eliminating the possibility of rain water seeping under and into your side walls or ceiling.

Leaks, as you may have guessed, are a sign of initial roof failure. A leak stain can be found anywhere on the ceiling — near an exterior wall, surrounding a ceiling fixture, around a ventilation pipe or in the center of the ceiling. Look for concentric rings that get progressively lighter as they move outward. The dark center ring is the oldest stain; each ring around it is a separate occurrence. If you see lots of rings, the leak has been around for a long time.

The NRCA Web site lists signs of trouble:

▪ Shingles that are buckling, curling, or blistering; this indicates the end of the shingles’ life expectancy
▪ Loose material or wear around chimneys, pipes, and other penetrations
▪ Excessive amounts of shingle granules in your gutters; granules give shingles added weight and protect them from ultraviolet rays
▪ Lack of or deteriorated surface coating
▪ Worn spots or punctures
▪ Dented metal, loose fittings, or worn, cracked rubber gaskets on metal flashing

Emergency Repairs

If you’re not afraid of heights, it’s relatively easy to repair an asphalt or cedar roof. Take a sample shingle from the repair area and check with your local home center or roofing material supplier for a match. New wood shakes or shingles will be considerably lighter than what is on the roof, but should weather to look like the old ones in about two to four years. Asphalt shingles are harder to match, as the color comes from the granules embedded in the top layer of the shingle. Keep in mind that darker shingles will lighten somewhat over time after exposure to sunlight.

DoItYourself.com provides the following tips: Start from the bottom of the repair area and work up. Use existing shingles as a guide for aligning your rows. When you reach the top of the repair area, you’ll need to lift the existing shingles and work the new shingles underneath them. Asphalt shingles will usually lift easily if they are warm, but may snap in colder weather. Wood shakes and shingles can be lifted gently, then pressed back into place after the new ones have been worked underneath. Be careful: if the shakes or shingles are old, they are prone to cracking. They may be easier to work with after a prolonged period of rain, when the wood is slightly moist and a little more pliable.

…clean your gutters of leaves, pine needles, and other debris. Gutters help carry water off the roof and away from the house—but not if they are filled with decaying material.

These repairs can be done at any time. But if you have an immediate need—a leak—you probably want to fix and find that one trouble spot as soon as possible. First, locate roof leak within the structure. Use windows doors walls as reference points when on rooftop. Find the area you think is causing the leak and grab the necessary tools: a trowel or putty knife, hammer and roofing nails, roofing cement or plastic cement, caulk gun and caulk, and Betinite (comes as a powder) to pour into the area that is leaking.

Winter probably isn’t the best time to fix your roof, but you can patch an area or install a new system when the weather is cold. The conditions should be dry and free of moisture (snow). In general, most roof systems should be installed at 40 degrees or more, ensuring that the finished product has the quality or adhesive capabilities that warmer temperatures would offer. Asphalt shingles, for example, are more pliable and easier to seal on warmer days.

Don’t Forget…

Sometimes more than shingles need a repair. Metal flashings can become loose and slip down to a point where water can get underneath the metal from up above. You’ll need to check for a tight, continuous seal between the flashing and any other materials—pipes, flues, walls, chimneys, vents, and skylights—and make repairs as necessary. Depending on the type and location of the flashing, roofing tar or silicone sealants can be used to seal small cracks and gaps. Be sure that the flashings are clean and dry before you start.

It’s also a good idea to clean the roof of debris at regularly scheduled times—perhaps once a season. Use a rake, broom, or electric leaf blower to remove loose leaves or pine needles. Check the roof for any overhanging tree limbs which can shed leaves or needles onto the roof, rub up against the roofing and wear away shingles, or impact the roof when they break. Consider trimming back overhanging limbs to lessen potential dangers. Finally, clean your gutters of leaves, pine needles, and other debris. Gutters help carry water off the roof and away from the house—but not if they are filled with decaying material.

Remember to use safety precautions—and common sense—when working on a roof. Snyder, from the Asphalt Manufacturers Association offers this advice: “Don’t walk on roofing. It’s not only dangerous, it can damage the shingles. When it is necessary for someone to go on the roof, use ladders, scaffolding, or other suitable protection.”

When in doubt, hire a professional. “There’s more to roofing than just nails,” says Kirby from NRCA. “It’s an art and a science. Roofing contractors understand decks, installation—and safety.” Call in a professional roofer if ladder climbing makes you uncomfortable.
The Roof over Your Head

Do you want to hear the ping, ping of rain on the roof? Or do you prefer the old-fashioned look of cedar shakes? Before choosing a roofing material, take into account your personal preferences, how much time you want to spend on upkeep, where you live — and the size of your bank account. Here are a few of the most popular roofing options.

Metal

Did you know that the Washington Monument and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello have metal roofs? Metal roofs have been around since the late 1700s. Today, there are many types of metal roofs: flat-locked copper shingles, steel Spanish barrel tile, traditional standing or vertical seam as well as aluminum and steel products designed to mimic shakes or shingles.

Metal roofing is popular in high snowfall areas, allowing snow to slide off (usually with a rumbling, avalanche sound). It is also the roof of choice in many cities. Metal roofing reflects sun’s rays, and cools quickly at the end of the day — superior solar reflectivity that translates into less air conditioning and lower energy bills.

Other advantages to metal roofing in-clude: A long life span (potentially outlasting the rest of the building); fire resistant; no warping, splitting, peeling or cracking; impervious to moisture, rot, insects and pests; and can hold up in areas prone to high winds, hail, and earthquakes.

Metal roofing reflects sun’s rays, and cools quickly at the end of the day — superior solar reflectivity that translates into less air conditioning and lower energy bills.

Cedar shakes or shingles

Cedar shakes and shingles are an ideal roofing material for many areas of the Northeast. A wood roof keeps the house warmer in the winter, absorbing the sun’s heat and transferring it to the interior of the home through the process of conduction. It’s also more resistive to thermal shock associated with freeze-thaw conditions which can quickly break down some of the cement composites used in other types of roofing, such as tile.

Cedar shakes are hand split and thicker than shingles, which are usually cut with a saw. Some cedar roofs have been known to last quite a long time — some say 15 to 20 years, others claim 100 years or more — but only with regular maintenance. This means keeping the roof clean of leaves, twigs, snow, and ice at all times.

Tile

Clay and concrete tile are the two most widely available forms; Mission style and Spanish round topped tiles are the most popular.

Tile is very durable but fairly expensive. Tile roofs offer great fire protection and a long life with little maintenance. However, breakage and excessive weight are safety concerns. Hail or heavy snows can result in cracked tiles, and more tiles may shatter under the weight of the person fixing them.

Asphalt

Asphalt shingles are the most popular product in the U.S. residential roofing market. According to the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA), roughly 12.5 billion square feet of various asphalt shingles are manufactured annually, enough to cover 5 million homes every year. “Four out of five houses are roofed or reroofed with asphalt shingles,” says Russell K. Snyder, Executive Vice President, ARMA. “Sales are approximately $16 billion (installed) per year.”

Asphalt shingles are good performers in extreme temperatures, and in areas where wind, water and ice are of particular concern. With a typical lifespan of three to seven years, they are considered to be the easiest of all standard roofing materials to apply and are quickly repaired if damaged. Despite the affordability, an asphalt roof may not last as long as other roofing materials. Asphalt is easy to scar if hot and they may blow off in high winds.

One word of advice: Beware of the inexpensive. “Even though homeowners can go to a national chain and buy shingles, you’re better off not doing that,” recommends Jim Kirby, Senior Director of Technical Services, NRCA. “Most shingles sold at discount do not meet building code requirements.”