Your roof is designed to protect your house from exposure to sunlight, heat, and rain. Your roof should be designed to shed water and drain it away from your house. Every penetration through your roof is a potential place for water to find its way into your home. Plumbing vent pipes, dryer vents, gas water heater or gas furnace vent pipes, chimneys, attic vents, and electrical service entry points should all have flashings that tightly surround the pipe or vent and extend under roofing uphill of them or over the roofing material downhill of them.
Any valleys or joints formed by merging roof lines should have metal flashings that extend at least 4- 6 inches on each side of the joint to direct any water that finds its way to this area, downward and towards the gutter or edge of the roof.
On the edge of the lowest row of roofing, there should be a drip edge flashing that will stop water from running over the facia or trim. A flashing is also needed where the roof merges with an outside wall. The siding should be cut 2-4 inches above the roof so it does not contact it. A 90-degree angled flashing should go under the siding and under the roofing butting up to it to stop any water from getting in. The other vital place that needs to have flashings is where a roof line merges perpendicular to a wall of the home.
At the front edge and wrapping at a 90-degree angle to the wall, there should be what is called a kickout flashing designed to direct any water running down that joint between the wall and the roof directly over the edge to the ground or into a gutter if they are present. This will stop water from running down the over the siding of the home directly below this joint.
Sometimes when a leak develops, roof sealant or caulking is used by many DIY warriors at these different flashing points. This may even fix the leak….but it is a temporary fix. In the Arizona sun and heat, this sealant often breaks down and deteriorates leading to another leak. It is best if the flashings and the roofing is repaired to make a good seal. If you have flashings that are sealed over with sealant, inspect them yearly and refresh any deteriorated areas with new sealant
It is also important to keep your roof cleaned of tree debris, bird droppings, nests, and anything else that finds its way up there. All the valleys and flashing points where water will collect need to be clear of obstructions that will dam up the water or hold the moisture.
Most homeowners choose to have a roofing professional inspect and maintain their roofing. If you are one of the brave souls who decide to do your own roofing maintenance, it is it is important to be careful where you place your foot and distribute your weight once you step off your ladder onto the roof. Tile roofs are very brittle and can crack easily. It is recommended that you stay off of tile roofs as much as possible.
When it is necessary to inspect or maintain your tile roof, be careful to always distribute your weight between both feet as much as possible. On flat tiles only walk where the tiles overlap. This is a more solid area that will transfer your weight to the roof sheathing.
On curved tiles avoid stepping in the low areas or troughs. Place the ball of your foot on the top of the curve on one tile and your heal on the curve of the tile next to that. Walk in a way to smoothly move weight off of one foot on to another as you move. Do not jump or land hard. Avoid walking on valleys, ridge caps, and edges. Be aware as well that wet tile or dusty tile roofs can be slippery depending on the pitch.
Inspect for damaged or cracked tiles, displaced tiles, or significantly chipped tiles and repair or replace as needed.
Asphalt composition shingle roofs are much easier to walk on but it is recommended to avoid walking on them at high heat times of the day. The asphalt can get very soft and if you push sideways or twist your foot, it is very possible to damage the surface of the shingle. Inspect for missing or damaged shingles, granule loss (granules are tiny rocks embedded in tar surface), cracks in shingles, and shingles that are cupping up on corners. Treat these roofs for moss if present (wetter climates), clean debris, and check flashings as well.
Here in Arizona, the majority of roofs are tile and the tile will last for over 50 years. The problem is that the underlayment that is stapled under the tiles to the roof sheathing deteriorates over time in the heat. Most builders tend to use only one thin layer of underlayment to meet code and save money. This typically begins to fail at around 20 years or less. This can lead to roof leaks where rain is blown up under joints in the tiles. Having this sheathing replaced is a significant cost even though the tiles are reused.
One other type of roof that may be seen is a flat roof. These roofs require extra attention and maintenance. These roofs cannot have tiles or shingles because there is not a significant enough of a pitch for the water to run off of them.
These roof surfaces are typically rolled asphalt roofing, PVC material, or Modified Bitumen (asphalt product) that is laid flat and torch sealed at the overlapping joints. Flashings are necessary as well at all the same points as a traditional roof. Flat roofs need to have a small enough slope to run pooling water to drains or scuppers at the low areas. Sometimes as the roof sheathing under the roofing material ages, it can form dips or low areas that lead to ponding of water on the roofing that has nowhere to drain to. This should be looked at by a professional roofer if it is present to avoid a potential leak problem.
In Arizona, the majority of homes do not have gutters installed. Some only have gutters where the roof run off spills toward another home closely built next door or over walkways to the entry way of the home. If your home has gutters, it is vital that you check them for debris and especially during the fall seasons.
If these back up with water, it can damage your siding, roof facia, or even get under the first row of the roofing and cause damage. So, the primary thing is this; Take care of your roof and it will take care of you and your home!
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