One of the largest sources of damage to a roof or a home is water. Once water is allowed to start leaking into a home, it can damage structural elements, including walls, floors and support beams as well as insulation and wiring. As with many things, prevention is the best medicine.
The first line of defense against water leaking into a home is roofing tiles, and the majority of roofs are covered by asphalt tiles. These tend to be the least expensive to have a Sugar Land roofing service install, but they are also susceptible to damage from wind and exposure to the sun. When tiles are torn or are made less effective by the sun, water can begin to leak through them.
Underneath most roofing tiles is a layer of weatherproofing, which is also referred to as flashing. Flashing normally comes in two forms: long strips that can be cut to fit or large sheets. It is installed under shingles and on top of decking and is normally placed in areas where shingles are not able to provide complete coverage, such as around a chimney.
Flashing is also important around the valley, which is where two sides of the roof meet. The valley is a metal route under the shingles where water is collected and can flow safely off the roof.
Roofers from Houston Restoration Services of Sugar Land TX can answer any question about commercial roofing or residential roofing.
Since so much water goes through this area, it is important that weatherproofing around it is in good condition.
Shingles and flashing must both be in good condition to keep a home safe from water damage. Although one can help act as a backup for the other, one cannot completely replace the other. Shingles in poor condition will allow enough water through to eventually cause flashing to deteriorate, and no shingle can completely prevent all water from getting past it.
Another source of water protection, although it is somewhat indirect, is gutters. Gutters help to provide a path for water to flow through and away from a building. However, if gutters are not maintained or ice dams form on them, they can become a source of problems rather than assistance.
Gutters that are backed up tend to overflow, and the water will then pool on the roof or splash onto areas that are not designed for constant contact with water. While identifying problems with flashing or shingles can be difficult without getting on a roof, overflowing gutters are normally very obvious and easy to detect by checking to see how they perform when it rains.
