Common Roofing Problems
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Hopefully it doesn’t take a leak to motivate you to inspect your roof and look for potential problems. We have created the following guide to help you identify problems with your roof and what you should do about it. Be advised, this resource only provides examples of asphalt shingles.
The following will help you identify the potential for roof failure. Check your roof for these characteristics regularly, and don’t wait to take action!
Buckling
Buckling is a visible distortion or waviness in the horizontal lines of shingles, and usually runs in a straight line up the roof slope. Shingle tabs become exposed to wind and can be torn off. Very often, the problem is warping in the roof deck caused by poor attic ventilation. The use of thinner-than-recommended plywood and other non-plywood materials adds to the problem.
Flashing
Many problems occur at the flashings around vents, soil stacks, chimneys and vertical wall joints. Is the flashing cracked? Is the caulking around the flashing dried out? Are the shingles that lie over the flashing in good shape?
Bare Spots
The protective granular surface of shingles wears off as the asphalt, into which the granules are embedded, begins to harden over time. Bare spots are often accompanied by fine fissures on the shingles’ surface and by the accumulation of granules in the gutters.
Curling
The upward curling of shingle tabs makes them highly susceptible to wind and ice damage. This is a problem on older roofs where moisture build-up in the attic affects the underside of the shingle.
Broken Shingles
Damage can be caused by extreme wind conditions and snow removal. Since shingles are supposed to shed water, broken, torn or missing tabs become obvious entry points for water, especially on low slope roofs where run-off is slower and at the peaks of the roof where shingles are the most vulnerable to high winds.
Clawing
This is the curling under of the shingle tab’s bottom edge and is part of the normal aging process of shingles. The bulge created is susceptible to substantial damage by wind action, hail and ice.
For more information about roofing visit the following links
- Pictures of Composite Shingle Roofs
- Tile Roof Pictures
- Vancouver Roofing Company – Penfolds Roofing is the trusted leader in roofing since 1937 for people that love their homes.
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October 2nd, 2007 at 8:07 am
I am a roofer in Idaho Falls Idaho and heard of solar shingles i am interested to find out how to install and learn more about the products
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Hi Dustin,
Uni Solar makes BIPV’s that are available through vendors here: http://www.uni-solar.com/interior.asp?id=106
They also have more information about the shingles here: http://www.uni-solar.com/uploadedFiles/6DV44-146%20ver%2003.pdf
May 26th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
[...] your roof need repair? Warning signs that indicate it’s time include ceiling spots, blistered, curled, or missing shingles, cracked [...]
August 12th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Last summer I purchased an old one-and-a-half storey house, probably constructed in the 20s, 30s, or 40s. The second floor (1/2 storey) just has two small bedrooms and a shared closet. The roof is a 4-sided hip roof with three dormers. The upstairs is excrutiating hot in the summer and, in spring and fall, it is still way hotter than the downstairs. I live in Atlantic Canada and this heat is unusual for me. Inside the eaves (behind the knee walls) it is even hotter. It appears to me that the enclosed eaves and ceiling of the 2nd floor have no ventilation and so the heat just builds up all day. From what I can tell, the soffits are boarded shut. So, the only ventilation is from the 3 small dormer windows, but it just will not cool off at all. It is so hot that no one can sleep up there. Do you think my assessment of the cause of this problem is correct and, if so, can I fix it? Is there some technique or product that I can use to ventilate the eaves to the outdoors? Someone suggested a cupola or a ridge vent for the attic/peak, but I’m not sure what to do about the eaves. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
October 4th, 2008 at 6:05 am
We are in the process of roofing a small shed in a very shaded area of our year. We put the tar paper on and them my husband got busy and hasn’t out the shingles on yet. I noticed a leak after the last rain and upon inspection found that the tar paper had shrunk.
My husband has been in the construction industry for many years and has never experienced this problem until recently. He has also found a tar paper shrinkage problem with a recent building his company built – this one is in a very sunny location. Have they changed the components of the tar paper? Has anyone else experienced this problem?
October 17th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Thanks for checking in, Linda! The following post addresses your problem: http://www.calfinder.com/blog/air-conditioning-heating/no-one-can-sleep-up-there-addressing-attic-ventilation/ Hope it helps! KaTinka, we’ll get back to you soon!