Home and property maintenance involves a lot of things. As such, it can be quite understandable if you find yourself procrastinating on some. But this can be especially harmful if you’re a landlord as it’ll leave you with unsatisfied tenants. If you’re one of those, it might be in your best interest to hire someone with great property management skills to take care of your rental properties.
That said, if you have a damaged roof, then it may be in your best interest to tend to it immediately.
After all, the roof is one of the most valuable parts of your property. Your roof stands between the interior of your home and the exterior world. When functioning properly, it helps provide a barrier against elements like ice, rain, hail, snow, branches, and debris.
If it’s in bad shape, your home can experience problems like mold and mildew, and get leaks. Left unattended, these problems can cost you time, money and energy that greatly exceeds the costs of checking for damage.
Now, roof damage can occur due to a myriad of issues. They include:
- Trapped moisture
- Poor/faulty materials
- Poor roof design
- Poor workmanship
Also, remember that most roofs usually last for about 20 to 30 years. Sometimes, however, detecting roof damage can be difficult. This is especially so if you don’t know where to look.
In this article, we’ll look at 5 interior signs of roof damage.
Sign #1: Rising Energy Bills
Have your energy bills shot up in the last couple of months? If so, your roof could be the culprit. Admittedly, higher energy bills can be a result of various factors, with the most common ones being the lack of proper insulation, energy-inefficient light bulbs, and old, outdated appliances.
But unbeknown to many homeowners, a failing roof can also lead to higher energy bills. If your roof is leaking, water can penetrate into the attic. As a result, it can cause damage to the insulation.
When this happens, your home will not be able to keep hot air in the winter and cool air in the summer. Consequently, you will end up paying high utility bills as your heating and cooling system will need to work harder to maintain the set temperature.
Furthermore, there is a risk of fire breaking out. This is because of the exposure of electrical wires to this water.
Sign #2: Light Passing Through
Another sign that you may need to replace your roof is if the light is passing through your roof. Usually, the attic of a home is exposed to various elements such as snow, ice buildup, storms, or rain.
Over time, these elements will ultimately cause your roof to weaken. When this happens, holes or cracks may form.
So, if you can see some light passing through your attic, chances are that your roof is damaged.
Sign #3: Compromised Structural Integrity
This is one of the most common signs of a home with a damaged roof. Signs usually include damaged exterior trim, wall framing, fascia boards, rafters, and ceiling joists.
In addition, severe cases of water intrusion may also cause deterioration of wood as well as rotting and weakening of wood framing. When this happens, a host of problems can ensue.
Also, if the ceiling framing is rotten, there is a high risk of the entire structure crumbling down. This may lead to extensive property damage and bodily injuries.
You may also need to hire professional services if water passing through the wall ends up causing cracks.
Sign #4: Appearance of Mold or Mildew
Signs of mold or mildew are also interior signs of a damaged roof. You see, mold requires three things in order to thrive:
- High relative humidity. Anything above 60% is ripe for mold growth.
- Source of moisture. For example, condensation, leaks, and flooding.
- Organic food source. This includes most building materials such as insulation, drywall, wood, etc.
When combined with warmth, mold and mildew will start spreading throughout your house like wildfire. It will attack anything from your furniture to your carpet to your ceiling tiles to your walls to the health of you and your loved ones.
Speaking of health, mold and mildew, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, can lead to health issues like inflammation, nasal congestion, and arthritis.
Fixing mold damage can be one of the most expensive repairs you will ever perform in your home. According to HouseLogic.com, repairing widespread mold damage can cause you anything between $10,000 and $30,000.
Therefore, it is in your best interest to prevent water intrusion into your home as much as possible.
Sign #5: Puddle on The Floor
Another interior sign of roof damage is a puddled floor. Since as it might not appear to be something serious, it poses a serious health risk particularly if you have kids, an elderly person or a disabled person living with you.
This is because the puddles forming on the floor could lead to slips and falls.
Clearly, prevention is better than cure. As such, save yourself some money and preserve your roof’s structural integrity by conducting periodic roof inspections.
