20 Mar Leaking Roof? Do This One Thing Before Anything Else
Here’s a not so shocking statement: all buildings have roofs. Here’s a slightly more shocking statement: that roof over your head, if not properly taken care of, can easily and quickly become a leaking roof.
What Causes A Leaking Roof?
Leaking roofs are not to be trifled with. Moisture is a constant enemy of building interiors, and roof leaks can be caused by a variety of issues:
- Lack of maintenance
- Poor installation
- Natural Deterioration
- Compromised Building Envelope
- Damage due to storms and others
Regardless of the reason for a leaking roof, it poses a huge problem. Your gut reaction most likely is to panic slightly and call the first contractor that shows up in your Google search result. But, before jumping to that reaction, there is one thing you should absolutely do: call a roof or building envelope consultant to inspect your leaking roof.
Why Not Call The Contractor?
There are good roofing contractors in the roofing industry, but the endgame of most roofing contractors is to sell you a new roofing system. When it comes to your leaking roof, figuring out the cause of the leak and the extent of damage to the roofing system is a common tool they can use to sell you expensive repairs or a new roofing system. Further, your leaking roof could be related to another building system or building envelope issue and not be related to the roof at all. Therefore, a roofing contractor could be limited in dealing with your building envelope or roof leak analysis.
What About Free Roofing Inspections?
Free stuff is always enticing, but it doesn’t always lead to a great deal. The free inspection is simply a sales ploy for the sales arms of dubious roofing contractors to get their boots on your roof and sell you a new roof. When it comes to your leaking roof, which is a tremendous financial investment, do you really want to call someone who is trying to sell you a new roof or someone who is looking out for your best interest?
Finding Unbiased, Independent Information
A roof or building envelope consultant, the good ones at least, do not sell or install roofing materials and are not owned by an organization that does. Their goal is to provide you with unbiased information as it regards to the issues surrounding your leaking roof. They are interested in what is best for you as the owner, not selling you a new roof. Further, their expertise from a leak perspective is not limited to just the roofing system. They can track down the leak, assess the cause, provide reparability options, and potential budgets to get the repairs completed. And while a leaking roof is an emergency, it should not be a platform for a company to use sales and fear tactics to convince you to buy an expensive roofing system.
Alliance Can Partner With You
As experienced building envelope consultants, our team of trained experts will help you determine the location of a leak, understand the reasons why the leak happened in the first place, and design a plan to get your roof back in good shape. If your roof is leaking or it has been a while since your roof was inspected, our team can help. Contact Alliance today to learn more about how we can help you with your leaking roof and how we can help you avoid leaks in the future.
