Page 4C
East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald
Fall Home Improvement & Car Care
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Strong winds
caused damage
around Hermiston
in November 2015,
including this roof
on a home on SW
12th Street.
Catching roof
repairs early
can prevent
major damage
STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL
Shingles that have curled up, separated, cracked or lost
their coating of granules are signs a roof repair is needed
By JADE McDOWELL
EO Media Group
A
leaky roof can bring
more than water into a
home if it’s not caught
right away.
Mold, mildew, warped
fl ooring and disintegrating
drywall are all reasons for
homeowners to make sure
they are keeping their roofs in
good condition.
Steve Hoffman, owner of
Hoffman Home Services in
Hermiston, said when shin-
gles start separating, curling
up, breaking off or losing
their granules (the sand-like
coating protecting them from
UV damage) it’s time to have a
professional inspect the entire
roof and make repairs where
necessary. The problem is
that most people don’t spend
much time looking up at their
roof, and water dripping in
through a roof can sometimes
be soaked up by insulation for
a long time before any liquid
starts making its way into
a visible location inside the
house.
“A lot of people don’t
realize they have [a leak] until
it’s too late,” Hoffman said.
That’s why it’s important
for homeowners to pay
attention to what their roofs
are looking like. In addition
to damaged shingles, accu-
mulations of moss are also
a warning sign. If the moss
grows unchecked it will
hold moisture onto the roof,
hastening damage to the
shingles.
Metal roofs won’t start
shucking shingles, but the
panels do tend to loosen over
time, creating a path for wind
to tear the panels off the roof
during a storm. Building
owners should keep an eye
out for the tell-tale screws.
“A lot of times on older
metal roofs, screws will be
popping up,” Hoffman said.
Once water does work
its way into the home, there
isn’t always a steady drip of
water falling onto the fl oor.
Sometimes the leak manifests
itself in a brown water stain
on the ceiling, a new crack or
a large build-up of mold in the
attic. According to Popular
Mechanics, “What can make
a leak especially diffi cult to
locate is the fact that water
doesn’t necessarily drip
straight down. It can travel
along roof panels or lumber in
the attic before dripping onto
your insulation and leaving
the telltale yellow water spot
on your ceiling.”
If homeowners do notice
signs they may have a leak,
the sooner they deal with it the
better, which is why roofi ng
businesses like Hoffman
Home Services offer 24/7
emergency repairs.
Oftentimes a small repair
can forestall more expensive
fi xes down the road, but
eventually every roof will
reach a point where it needs
to be replaced completely.
Hoffman
said
modern
composition shingles can last
as long as 30 years, while
older three-tab shingles will
last more like 12 to 15 years.
In addition to keeping an
eye out for visible damage,
homeowners can help keep
their roofs working well by
keeping gutters and down-
spouts clear so that water
and ice don’t back up onto
the edges of the roof. They
can also make sure edges are
sealed down and that ventila-
tion is not blocked.
STAFF PHOTO BY GARY L. WEST
Shingles on a roof in Hermiston show signs of wear and begin to curl in this fi le photo.
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