One thing we’re very big on here at Watermaster Roofing is healthy metal roofing.
And the key to keeping on top of any potential roofing problems and therefore maintaining a healthy roof is regular inspections.
Even if you’re not planning on getting any work done on your roof, we still recommend getting your roof inspected every couple of years. Even if you think your roof is the best and most durable on your street, there’s no way to know for sure that it’s not suffering from hidden problems resulting in underlying damage.
But what exactly goes on during a roof inspection?
Why should I have my roof inspected?
Your roof is more than just a layer that sits on top of your house – it’s a whole system of different parts, each of which plays its own role in keeping your residence dry and safe.
Gutters, insulation, skirting boards, sarking… much of the roofing repairs we undertake isn’t actually carried out on the sheet metal itself!
If you’ve recently been handed the keys to your dream home, a roof inspection is a must.
You don’t know if the roof has any hidden problems. While it might look good from the outside, you can never be sure about what’s happening beneath the surface.
Furthermore, your roof has a finite lifespan. While most roofing materials (including our roofing material of choice, metal) will easily last decades, no roof will last forever.
Just as your joints start playing up on you as you age, your roof becomes more susceptible to damage as it gets older. If you live in an older home and your roof hasn’t been looked at for a while, it’s certainly high time to do so.
Most importantly however, it’s hard to be comfortable in your own home if your roof is letting in cold air or moisture!
Exterior roofing inspection
The first thing your roofing expert does when conducting a roof inspection is go up on your roof and look it over with a keen eye.
Your roof is the first line of defence against the elements – it takes the brunt of nature’s impact, so you don’t have to!
And after years of taking a beating from the sun, rain, wind and hail, a little bit of damage to your roof is almost unavoidable.
Just because it looks okay from the ground (and let’s be honest, how much of it can you really see from down there?!) doesn’t necessarily mean your home’s roof is healthy. Not all damage is visible from the ground – a lot of it isn’t even detectable even if you climb up with a ladder.
When inspecting your current roof, we typically look for things like:
- Broken or missing tiles
- Damaged or blocked gutters
- General wear-and-tear
- Signs of water damage
While it might be tempting to get your ladder out and try to do it yourself, there are two major problems here:
1) Your safety is always our priority. Do not attempt to undertake work beyond your skill set – and that includes climbing 15 feet up to your roof. The risk of serious injury is simply not worth it.
Sadly, three Victorians are killed every year from falling off ladders at their own homes. Victims are almost always “men aged over 55 who have fallen while doing odd jobs at home”.
2) Even if you do get up there safely, there’s no way of telling that you will be able to correctly and accurately determine the state of your roof, including any potential issues.
We urge you: leave this work to the pros – the risk to yourself in unacceptable!
It’s what inside that counts
Not all damage to your roof happens on the outside.
A lot of the invisible damage that we fix isn’t surface-level damage, but problems “under the hood”, so to speak. While it might be pretty obvious if you’re missing some tiles, it’s a lot harder to figure out if your roof has suffered internal damage.
That’s where the interior inspection comes in. Your roofing professional will follow up their analysis of your roof surface by diving into your roof… literally!
When your roofer goes up into your roof, these are just some of the problems they are looking for:
- Insulation and ventilation issues
- Deterioration in your sarking layer
- Damage to your rafters
- Water damage (including rotting)
- Moisture and mould
So what happens next?
Now that your roof inspection has been completed, you have a clear picture of the state of your roof. If your roofer comes back with an all-clear, that’s great!
If an issue is spotted however, we’ll put together a plan outlining what action needs to be taken to restore your roof, including a likely timeframe.
This is the perfect opportunity to ask any lingering questions you may have!
Even if roofing problems seem minor, we strongly recommend dealing with them sooner rather than later. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure… you might be left with a nasty surprise if you ignore your roof problems and leave them to manifest for years to come.
Metal roof inspections in Melbourne
Whether you notice the symptoms of a roof leak or simply want a second opinion, don’t hesitate to call a professional roofer to conduct a full roof inspection.
If you know your roof is decades old and you’ve never even organised a roof inspection, take this as a sign to organise an obligation-free inspection now!
At Watermaster Roofing, we take great pride in what we do. If you’re worried about the health of your home’s roof, a thorough inspection is in order to quickly identify – and importantly, rectify! – any underlying problems within your home or office’s roof.