The weather in Connecticut can be brutal on your roof, particularly in costal towns like Greenwich. Your roof is the primary line of defense for stopping water from entering your home. Wind, rain, snow and ice slowly degrade the roofing material and flashing and at some point it will start to break down. When it comes time to repair or replace your roof, hiring the right professional is critical. Using a trusted residential property maintenance company for this job can help assure the job is done right.
Because storms can cause premature ware, a thorough roof inspection should be part of your yearly maintenance program. Hiring a residential property management company is a good first step. They’ll have experienced professionals on staff that can handle the inspection as well as any work that needs to be done.
Your home maintenance handyman will be looking for missing or damaged shingles, flashing that is damaged or out of place, and cracked rubber vent pipe boots, among other things. They’ll also inspect the gutters to ensure that water from the roof is running away from the house. They’ll also inspect your drainage. Bent or misaligned gutters, disconnected gutter straps, and/or clogging are all issues that should be resolved.
Sometimes homeowners don’t realize there is water entering the house because the damage can’t be seen within everyday living spaces. Slow leaks can infiltrate attics, crawl spaces, and basements. Your handyman will thoroughly inspect these areas to look for mold, water stains, wet insulation, and/or rotted wood.
Homeowners oftentimes try to solve a roofing issue with a hasty patch from workmen that are inexpensive. This process typically ends with more repairs shortly down the line and unresolved issues. Fixing a roof the right way is a process that requires knowledge and skill. This is particularly true when dealing with the complex rooflines of homes like those found in the Greenwich, CT area.
Oftentimes it makes more sense to replace the entire roof instead of adding patch after patch. By avoiding continual issues you’ll end up saving in the long run. Costs add up when water issues become persistent. You end up paying for the new roof as well as new insulation, sheetrock, paint, and sometimes even framing.
An ice dam is when poor insulation in the attic allows heat to escape and melt the snow on the roof. The melting snow trickles to the edge and freezes in thick bands. When snow continues to melt, the water gets trapped behind the damns and can get pushed back under the shingles and leak into the house.
There are multiple steps that can be taken to prevent ice dams. The first step is to make sure that your attic is properly insulated. Insulation issues can allow heat to escape and melt resting snow. Bat insulation can fall off over time, or even be removed by animals. And today’s insulation codes call for a far higher R-value than in years past.
Proper ventilation is another critical part of fighting ice dams. Make sure that your attic has ridge and eve vents, and that your soffits are properly vented. This ventilation helps cool air circulate through the attic and eves. Also make sure to move any items that are blocking vents. When inspecting your eves make sure that the bath and kitchen fans do not vent into the eves. They should always vent directly outside. Homeowners can handle some of these jobs, but rerouting soffit vents and installing a ridge vent are jobs that typically require a trained professional.
Making the investment to do the job right from the start is always a smart idea – particularly when it comes to your roof. Leaking roofs can lead to big, expensive issues. By hiring a residential property management company you’ll be assured that any roof repair or replacement job will be done right the first time.
