Why Roofing Is About More Than Keeping The Elements Out
Customers frequently view roofing projects as fundamentally about keeping wind and precipitation out of their houses. Shelter is certainly a critical reason to always keep a roof in top shape. However, there are other reasons to care about roofing.
Drainage and Erosion
Everything that comes off of your home's roof goes somewhere. A poorly designed roof can lead to drainage problems. In severe cases, it can even trigger erosion around your house.
The slope of the roof needs to be right to encourage reasonable run-off. Also, you may want to think about installing a drainage system from the roof to direct where the water goes when it rains or snow and ice melts. This can prevent large pools of water from collecting in your yard during extreme weather events. It also can ensure that run-off doesn't start cutting channels in the soil along the sides of your house.
Aesthetics
Picture any house in your neighborhood. The appearance of each house will include windows, porches, and doors. However, a major part of the look of the house will also be the roof. Depending on which angle you're viewing a home, the roof could appear to be as much as half of the house as it looks from the road.
Whether a house looks nice or not often boils down to whether the roofing work is high-quality. If the choice of roofing materials doesn't match the paint, the house will look off. Likewise, a degrading or fading roof can just look bad. Quality roofing ties a home's appearance together.
Structural Protection
From the beams in the attic all the way to the bottom of the foundation in the basement, a roof protects everything below it. Consequently, a good roof is an investment in everything else you've done with a house.
A leaking roof can cause beams to soften, and this can trigger deformities in the structure. Extreme problems can even compromise the structural integrity of the building to the point that demolition is the only option.
Similarly, water goes everywhere. It can go through the walls and ceiling and stain the paint. The water will continue traveling through the house until it gets into the foundation. Left to do its thing, the water will slowly encourage cracks in the foundation as it expands and contracts with the temperature.
Calling a roofing contractor is an early intervention. Just like you'd go ask a dentist to provide a filling to avoid a root canal, you can ask a roofer to fix the roof to prevent bigger problems.