Keeping a roof over your families head is one of the prime adult duties that we all strive to do. When you own a house you need to keep that roof in good shape but most of us never think about it until it has a problem.  Roof repair is obvious when there is a hole or a tree falls on the roof but what about the roof issues that aren’t so obvious? What types of roof repair can be done without full removal and replacement of the roof?  Not much if they are not addressed as soon as they are noticed. Remember roof shingles are layered on each other, like scales. It is difficult to remove portions and feather back in new shingles.

You may know that moss can grow on the part of the roof that doesn’t get much sunlight and remains damp because the sun doesn’t dry it out.  Moss and algae are invasive problems that need addressing sooner rather than later. It can cause serious problems since it grows into and under the shingles and removal can rip and tear the shingles making it necessary to replace instead of repair.  The chemicals needed to kill the moss can damage the shingles. Even if you can kill the moss, the removal of the roots leaves gaps where it grew under the shingles. There are new shingles that are moss resistant and there are coatings available to keep the moss from growing. Cut back the trees in the area to get the area more light. Installing copper or other metal strips along the ridge of an existing roof will slowly kill off moss or lichens as rainwater washes over the metal and down the roof surface. This method is suitable for both prevention of future or further moss or lichens growth on the roof and for gently treating an otherwise fragile old roof.

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Example of the bacteria Gloeocapsa magma growing on asphalt shingles. When the sunlight tries to kill the organism, it encapsulates itself with a hard black shell, resulting in these black streaks. The organism is slowly eating away at the shingle granules.

Power washers can do more damage than you would expect. You need to realize that unless you get above the roof you would be firing the jet of water up and under the shingles. It’s like petting the cat the wrong way. You don’t want to loosen the shingles much less get water under them. It’s defeating the reason for having the shingles there. So it might be tempting to do your own clean-up but it might lead to a full roof repair sooner than needed.

Think of it this way. A new roof is stronger and safer and the new shingles on the market are warranted for longer than ever before. We at George J. Keller & Sons have lots of colors to change the look of your home. It is almost always better to do a full replacement of the roof than a patch job on the roof. No matter how good a tailor you are you always see a patch on a jacket or pants.

It is hard to see what is happening under the shingles so if your roof is over 8 years old and it just doesn’t look right it would be a good idea to have someone inspect it.

George J. Keller & Sons is New Jersey’s premier home improvement company

If you live in the Northern New Jersey area and looking for roof repair or replacement, you should hire us for all of your roof replacement needs. We have been in the roofing business since 1980. Call today for your Free estimate: 973-668-4649

Image credit: By Mcbooz (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons