Your home’s roof plays a vitally important role in protecting everything you own and love from the elements. Just imagine all the things in your life that would be ruined should your roof suddenly disappear. While it isn’t likely your entire roof will vanish, it is important to prevent smaller issues before they grow into severe problems.
Not many people realize it, but a home’s roofing system is much more complicated then just asphalt shingles and underlayment. Other factors such as: proper attic ventilation, air intake from soffits, roof vents, attic insulation, and attic air sealing play a vital role in preventing ice dams from damaging the roofing materials and its structural integrity. A simple attic inspection by a qualified roofing contractor can help uncover any potential issues with the underside of your roof.
At our Minneapolis roofing company, we recommend having an attic inspection before starting any roof replacement job and here’s why:
- To Ventilate Your Attic. If your attic space is not properly ventilated, most roofing manufacturers will void their warranty. In simple terms: Proper roof ventilation prevents your attic from “baking” your shingles and roofing materials. If you live in an area that gets hot during the summer, eventually this heat it will begin to damage your roof’s decking. Over time, delaminating of the roofing materials and sagging of the plywood will occur and ultimately lead to roof failure. In the wintertime, air leakage from your attic will contribute to ice dams on your roof. Ice dams are notorious for causing leaks in homes and damaging not only roofs, but internal ceilings and walls as well.
- To Save Money on Energy Bills. If your home doesn’t have the recommended insulation (based on R-Value) installed for your climate, during summer and winter months you will be paying much more to heat and cool your house. Attic insulation is crucial when it comes to energy savings. How much can the proper insulation save me? Upgrading from R11 to recommended R-49 will save you around $600 per year. If you were to pay a roofing contractor $1500 to install attic insulation, you would have your money back in three years. And with the various rebates from energy companies, this attic insulation could pay for itself in in 1 or 2 years in the energy savings alone, plus all the additional savings thereafter.
- To Ensure Proper Air Sealing. Air sealing your attic is even more important than proper attic insulation! Many homes lose up to 20% of their heat through leaks and poorly sealed connections in heating ductwork and other fixtures in your attic.
If your attic has a major air leak, you will likely have moisture escaping from the house. In the winter months, leaks will create frost on your roof decking and contribute to mold and deterioration of roofing materials. Over the years, we here at Storm Group have received many calls for roof leaks during the winter months. In many cases the leak was caused by frost inside the attic melting down on insulation and leaking down to the ceiling.
A trained roofing contractor can ensure that can lights, pipes, wires, and any other gaps in your attic are property sealed before installing attic insulation.
The Minneapolis roofing contractors at Storm Group Roofing are trained in properly sealing and insulating attics. We will help you find the best deals and energy saving rebates on attic insulation to ensure that your roof remains safe and leak free this winter. Throughout the month of January, we are offering free attic inspections and 10% off our attic insulation services. Contact us to learn more about this offer and how our attic insulation services can save you money!
