In the case of severe storm damage where you’re missing swaths of shingles, it’s obvious that your roof needs professional attention! However, the signs of roofing damage aren’t always so obvious, and while not everything is a crisis—as we covered in our roofing contractor blog “What Qualifies as a Roofing Emergency?”—there are quite a few roofing problems that are dire, yet don’t show up with much fanfare.
Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors, your Sauk Rapids roof repair specialists, is here to shed some light on these sneaky, yet destructive issues. Below you’ll learn the skills you need to spot them, as well as what you can do until help arrives.
Soggy Roofing Insulation
Whether it’s an isolated spot or an attic-wide affair, wet insulation is an immediate threat to your family’s health—one you’re not likely to notice until the effects have become immensely widespread. While it’s true that damp insulation can’t keep your home warm, which results in high energy bills, this isn’t your primary health-related concern, of which there are two.
Mold
Because the space is dark, not often disturbed, and potentially full of starchy paper-backed insulation or particles of grime, wet insulation is the perfect breeding ground for mold.And when mold grows wild, it’s a lot more unpleasant than finding forgotten leftovers at the back of the fridge.
According to the EPA, “Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins).” While the degree of danger of course varies depending on species and the extensiveness of the issue, fungi certainly aren’t fun to tango with.
Fire
Yes, fire! According to a FEMA report from 2011, over 40 percent of residential attic fires are a result of electrical malfunction—and if your attic has conductive water waiting in the wings, it doesn’t bode well for your home. While your electrical system will of course need to malfunction first for a fire to occur, soggy insulation just adds fuel to the sparks.
What to Do Until Help Arrives
Provided there is not a significant respiratory problem created by the mold, you’ll need to inspect your electrical system to make sure all the wires are contained. While building codes work to protect you, you never know what you’ll find up there! As far as the mold goes, if it’s severe, you’ll need to get a hold of a remediation company before your roofer can come out and fix the problem for good.
Sagging Roofs
If you live in an older house, you might appreciate the lumpy-bumpy roof as just a part of its charm—few new roofs that are well-maintained experience this problem. But if yours ever does, it could be time to find safety, and fast! Though sagging roofs can show up gradually and thus dont always cause alarm, the very fact that your roof is misshapen indicates that it has been severely structurally compromised and is no longer sound. Collapse could be in your future.
What to Do Until Help Arrives
You’ll most likely call for emergency roof repair in this situation, so rest assured you won’t wait long until the pros can take care of your woes. Collapse isn’t always the outcome of roofs in poor shape like this, but regardless, if you want to repair the structure instead of replace it, time is of the essence.
Signs that you need to evacuate the premises include hearing creaking or popping noises coming from above, finding cracks in the walls, and struggling to use doors and windows thanks to the misplacement of weight. In this case, it’s best to get your family to safety before disaster strikes.
Animal Problems
If you’ve got a raccoon in your attic, you’d probably soon know about it with all the racket! But other animals like squirrels or mice can be much quieter, evading detection for weeks on end. Their presence can be no less destructive than their larger counterparts; squirrels, as you most likely know, are professional chewing machines, and mice can carry disease. When it comes to home damage, though, your top opponents are chewed cords—which can start fires—,mold accumulation, and insulation torn asunder.
What to Do Until Help Arrives
Simple: call a humane pest removal service! They’ve got the skills to remove the unwanted houseguest without compromising your roofing, and they may also help handle cleanup. What they won’t do, however, is repair the damage that caused the roofing issue in the first place—and that’s where a roofing company comes in. The holes where an animal first
Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors: Here for you Rain or Shine
Our team of asphalt roof and metal roofing specialists is always ready to handle even your toughest roofing emergencies. Give our Sauk Rapids office a call today at 320-252-9086.