HOMES
& GARDENS
Taking Care of Your Roof by Tom Daniel
L
ove your house? Of course you do! But true love requires a commitment. Under your roof is your home, most people’s most valuable asset. You can easily see when the paint or drywall inside your home needs to be redone, when you need new carpets or flooring, or when you need to replace your front stairs. But you probably can’t see the roof and have no idea what the condition is from year to year. You need to make sure the roof is properly maintained to protect that most valuable asset.
It’s not just the roof to worry about. What about the skylights, chimneys, hatch tops, flashing, wall caps/parapets, gutters and drains, HVAC systems and ducts? All of these appendages can cause problems and are a source of water entry if not properly maintained. Having them inspected and maintained annually is a good rule of thumb. Here are some warning signs to be on the lookout for: • A roof over 10 years old • Interior water stains or dampness visible on ceilings or walls • Cracks in drywall
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An older flat roof that needs to be replaced with a new roof.
A metal roof needing repair and maintenance.
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Loose attic insulation Water stains in crawl space or attic • Water overflowing gutters in rain Some homes have roofs that are uneven due to the original construction, especially many Hill homes built in the 1960s and 70s. These roofs often leave pooling water after rain that can take weeks to dry out. Excess water is a major stress to the roof. Recently we inspected a roof on Ninth Street near Eastern Market that had pooling water on more than half of the roof. This is a problem! Most homes on Capitol Hill have flat or lowslope roofs. A main reason for failure of such roofs is lack of knowledge about how to maintain them, or lack of maintenance. On a flat roof, damage from a leak often goes unnoticed for a considerable time as water penetrates and soaks the decking and insula-
Slate turret and flashing needing repair.
New sloped aluminum roof on 11th St SE near M St.
