Warson Woods Roofing Contractor

A long, low ranch roof sheds water more slowly than a steep one. When leaves, needles and small branches collect on it, water slows down even more and has time to work under shingle edges and into valleys. In Warson Woods we see this most on the back slopes facing the woods and in any valley where two rooflines meet.

Shade keeps those slopes damp. Moss and the dark streaks caused by algae show up first on the north and east sides, and a roof that stays wet ages faster than one that dries out after each rain. Overhanging limbs add another problem: they rub the shingles in the wind, and in a storm they come down.

Many of these homes have also been added onto over the years. A family room or a screened porch tied into the original roof creates a new seam, and if the flashing at that seam wasn't done carefully the first time, it shows up as a stain on the ceiling where the old house meets the new.

Heat builds up in a poorly vented attic during summer and bakes the shingles from below. In winter, warm, damp air from the house condenses on the underside of the deck. Over the years that moisture can soften the plywood or boards and rust the nails.

When we replace a roof in Warson Woods, we look at how air moves through the attic and fix it as part of the job. That usually means clear soffit intake and a continuous ridge vent, and sometimes means closing off old vents that work against the new ones.

• Soffit vents checked and cleared of old insulation
• Ridge vent sized to the attic, not guessed
• Bathroom fans routed outside, not into the attic
• Deck boards or plywood replaced where moisture has damaged them