As the summer heat exists stage left and the cooler fall weather takes its brief spotlight front and center, we are left with piles of leaves, debris and a bit of rainfall. Shingle roofs are water shedders while flat roofs are water proofers. This is obvious once pointed out but there are some implications that you may not have considered.
One of the most susceptible areas for leaks on a home in the valleys. This is where two planes of the roof meet create a sort of river that shoots water off of your roof. Just a valleys collect water, they also collect leaves, dirt and branches. This debris can compact quickly and create a dam in your valleys that holds water.
Your shingle roof is designed to shed water quickly and they only work one way, if you spray water up your roof, under the tabs of your shingles, water will easily leak through your shingles. (This is also why there is a minimum slope required for shingle installations). If water hangs around it can eventually creep up between your shingles through a process called capillary action (remember 5th grade science class?) Capillary action is the same process plants use to move water up its stalks or trunks to its leaves and fruit. If you have two objects parallel and relatively close to each other it creates a chute for water to climb up due to the natural tension of the H2-O molecules.
When leaves and dirt pile up in your valleys the hold water, allowing it to work its way between your shingles. through your underlayment, into your attic, onto your insulation which eventually drips from your sheetrock.
Fortunately there is a simple way to prevent this from happening. All you need to do is have your roof cleaned! If your roof is not steep, you can do this yourself. If you do have steep roof or would rather not pull out your ladder, we provide roof cleaning services. This will prevent any mud from collecting in your valleys. While we are up there we will also clean out your gutters to keep them sagging and overflowing.
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