Do I Need a New Roof?

Roofs can take a real beating in our area - hail, wind, heat, ice, snow, animals, and the list goes on.? If your roof is damaged though, we have good news.? You might not need a new roof, Continental Roof Company not only does roof replacements, but we also specialize in roof repairs. Whether the damage is residential, commercial, or multi-family, our 50 years of combined experience will provide you with a proper 19-point Roof Inspection and scope any issues for repairs.?

Let me tell you a little more about common types of damage because often you might not even know you have damage until it’s too late to repair.? The first is hail damage.? Like any insurance claim, you have a limited window of time to file a claim, so if your property was in a hail storm, don’t wait! Hail damages the fiberglass mat of a shingle. Call The Continental Roof Company,? and we will walk you through the claim process.? We will also identify storm damage to windows, gutters, and siding.

The reason this damage might not be visible to the untrained eye is that hail blasts the granules off of the shingle at the sight of impact, exposes the asphalt base, and fractures the fiberglass mat of the shingle. Hail does not blow shingles into your yard making it rarely visible from the ground.? It’s also important to understand that whereas hail damage will not void a shingle manufacturer’s warranty, it does not cover those damages either. One thing is for sure, the damage from hail can drastically reduce the life of your shingles.? If left in disrepair, those areas affected by the hail impacts will eventually lead to leaks into your attic and home.? In some conditions, hail as small as a quarter can have devastating effects on the exterior of your home, imagine what hail the size of a golf ball will do. Factors such as roof pitch, wind gusts, and the hardness of the actual hail will cause irreparable damage to your shingles, gutters, and siding.

Another common source of roof damage is wind.? What is Wind Damage exactly? Wind damage doesn’t necessarily mean shingle pieces laying in your yard, much of it isn’t visible from the ground. Wind gusts of 40 mph can have devastating effects on the exterior of your home, imagine what a 60, 70 or 80 mph gust will do? Like hail, factors such as structural height, geographical ground features and roof pitch can and will contribute to the exposure of weak construction points of your home.

Aside from shingle blow-offs, high wind gusts can break the manufacturer’s seal meant to keep your shingles in place. Once this seal is broken, repetitive wind fatigue will fracture or “crease” shingles at the top lap. These broken seals and fractures contribute to ice damming, water saturation of your attic recesses, and, eventually the interior of your home. Here’s the catch! Broken seals, Creases, and Fractures are typically not visible from ground level.

Even missing shingles may be obscured by the low slope of many roofs. Any one of these wind-caused defects can void your manufacturer’s warranty. These defects MUST be inspected from on top of the roof. A repair consisting of replacing a handful of shingles will not solve the problem. We will fight for you and apply our experience in getting a full Roof Replacement in this case.??

If you’ve had hail storms or strong winds in your area, please keep this in mind especially if you start to experience leaks or drafts.? If you aren’t sure if your property has suffered hail damage or wind damage, give us a call and we will set you up for our signature Roof Inspection. Roof repairs can save thousands of dollars if the damage is caught before a new roof is required, so don’t wait.? We’re here to help, just give us a call!