6 Signs of Roofing Damage you Shouldn't Ignore

It’s easy to brush off damage to our roofing if we deem it minor. After all, the busy day ahead means you’ve got no time for storm damage repair. You’ve got that presentation at work to give, your kid’s soccer game, to attend, grocery shopping to do; the list goes on and on.

But the unfortunate truth of the matter is that roof damage is hardly ever minor. Left to its own devices, these problems have a way of snowballing into something so dire that it can lead to your needing outright roof replacement.

Don’t let this happen to you—and we don’t want it to happen to you. GCM Construction & Maintenance, as Eden Prairie roofing experts, is here with a few signs of roofing damage that need to be immediately dealt with below.

Ceiling Stains

Does your ceiling look suspiciously off-color? Don’t waste time pondering how on Earth your kids managed to get soda all the way up there; the cause could very well be roof-related.

Specifically, leaky-roof-related. It’s crucial that you get this fixed ASAP for a few reasons. Of course, there’s the aesthetic concern—who likes ceiling stains?—but mold can also set up shop in your roof thanks to the moisture the leak lets in, and that’s a costly issue to fix.

Finding the leak is trickier than you might think; after all, you’ll only be able to see it in action if you happen to climb up to your attic when it rains. However, a roofing contractor will have a much easier time thanks to their experience and will be able to fix the problem as quick as a wink.

Broken or Crooked Shingles

Shingles don’t always break thanks to hail damage; anything from prolonged rain to sunlight to simply the passage of time can leave your shingles looking worse for wear. While you may not like the looks of them, you may shrug your shoulders and move on with your life, tacking “call a storm damage roof repair pro” on the very end of your ever-growing to-do list.

Don’t do this! Any sort of shingle that has been compromised means that your roof now has a prime spot for a leak to begin—which, if you remember, can let that ever-pricey mold right on in. Schedule roof repair ASAP.

Standing Water

However it gets there, standing water is never supposed to appear on your sloped roof. It seeps up underneath your shingles—which are designed to shed water, not bathe in it—and rapidly degrades your roof, causing (lest we need to repeat it) mold and leaks.

Ice Dams

Caused by a complex interaction between external temperatures and your attic space—as per this article from the University of Minnesota—ice dams are no joke, despite their lack of an intimidating name. They create ridges of ice near your gutters and eaves, which prevents the meltwater that flows behind them from re-freezing. This, as we mentioned above, can lead to water seeping beneath your shingles and causing everything from mold to leaks.

Ice dams are generally the result of a structural error in the ventilation system and insulation apparatuses in your roof, though there are exceptions. Regardless, you’ll need the help of a roofing contractor to fix the resulting damage.

Soggy Insulation

You may not notice this problem until your energy bills begin to tank, but that’s not the only thing that soggy insulation can damage; take it from an insulation contractor. In short, wet insulation isn’t doing its job, which can lead to a warming attic and ultimately contribute to the formation of the aforementioned ice dams. Plus, it holds moisture well, which means that mold will adore its presence in your attic—and given that mold can cause severe health problems, as per the EPA—this is one roofing issue you don’t ever want to encounter, and that needs to be fixed by a professional ASAP.

Critters Living in Your Attic

It’s a bit hard to ignore the scuffles of a raccoon making itself at home above you. But aside from the health risks such attic inhabitants bring with them, they’re also liable to cause severe roofing damage via chewing, scratching, and elimination. Moreover, there’s certainly a way that they first entered your roof—say, a hole or a crack—that needs tending to after the animals have been removed. If you settle for giving the creatures a gentle eviction notice, nothing is stopping a similar variety from moving in right behind them.

GCM Construction & Maintenance: For the Wellbeing of your Home

Roofing, siding, windows, and more—all of it’s under our service umbrella. For all of your home exterior needs, give our Eden Prairie office a call today at 952-922-5575.