When most of us think of roofing in Virginia all we really think about is a roof over our head. A roof protects our home from the weather and unless it begins to leak we don’t think much about it. Yet this could be a mistake, for what you cannot see underneath the surface of shingles can actually hurt you in that it’s under the shingle barrier that leaks occur. For even if a leak does occur it’s unlikely that you will be able to see exactly where the problem lies simply by standing in front of your home and looking up.
Most roofing in Virginia has a wooden roof deck. You can think of it the same way that you would think of the outside walls of your home; underneath they are made of wood. You need a wood surface in which to attach your siding to, so it’s the same with your roof; it’s what the roofing materials are attached to. Obviously one couldn’t have roofing in Virginia weather without a protective barrier, the wood would simply become saturated and leak very quickly. With the hot summer sun and the rainy springs, and sometimes the ice and snow of winter you would soon have the outdoor elements inside.
What you might be surprised to find out is that it would leak even on the very first day that the contractor attached the plywood to your homes wooden trusses in your attic. Why is this so? Because with roofing in Virginia the weather here has to be taken into account and the wood can’t be laid snugly right next to one another. Purposefully the plywood is attached to the trusses in a staggered pattern that leaves some room for the wood to expand when it changes temperatures. All wood contracts and expands when exposed to cold or heat. Once there is a breakdown in the roofs surface it’s the roof deck that becomes damaged. So how does the surface break down and what is the most common reason it happens?
One of the most common reasons roofing in Virginia needs to be replaced is due to the poor workmanship of the crew that laid the roof’s surface originally. With roofing it’s imperative that the seals are completely and 100% air tight. This is not a problem when it comes to the flat areas of a roof, but it is often the lack of experience from a worker around a valley or roof structure, like vents or chimneys that the worker can lay the surface “good enough” and it isn’t really airtight. This is just as likely to happen in an area of the roof that has a valley, this is almost always where a leak will occur. So take a good look at your roof deck from your attic to check for wet spots or any leaks. Remember roofing in Virginia can take a real beating; be sure you check your homes roof deck to be certain you don’t end up with a roof emergency.
While it is unfortunate most roofing in Virginia once it needs to be fixed can be a sudden emergency. Ward off such a situation by checking your roof deck, or call the experts at OSRoofing who will be happy to come out and inspect the protectiveness of your roofs surface.
