Under The Shingles: What Is Your Roof Made Of?

The roof of a house is one of the more intricate parts of the home, despite the fact that most parts are never seen unless the roof is being replaced or worked on extensively. This is because a roof in Toronto consists of more than the shingles that compose the outermost layer, which most people do not think about until they begin having serious roofing problems. That is why it is important to replace or repair a roof with quality materials as it ages before there are problems with broken shingles or leaks. Taking proper care and scheduling maintenance as needed can save you money and stress in the long run.

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Since your roof is one of the most important assets in your home and your life, it is essential to use quality materials so the roof can fulfill its duty for 20 years or longer – depending on the shingles chosen. Your typical roof consists of: Trusses, sheeting, drip edge, felt paper, and shingles. Roof replacement and repair by an expert local roofing company are important when necessary since the trusses, sheeting and the ceilings can be damaged by water.

Water is able to find a way in areas where the shingles are damaged by age or weather events and do some serious damage. The trusses are part of the original building of the home and the sheeting; the felt paper is protected by a tar type substance and protects the sheeting. This felt paper prevents moisture from damaging the sheeting wood sheeting when rain or snow gets trapped between or under the shingles. The drip edge helps protect the felt paper and sheeting from the rain that could otherwise blow up under the shingles or run down inside the walls of the home. This list doesn’t even take gutters – which are also important – into account, since they do not have anything to do with the actual roofing system.

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Another crucial part of roof replacement is getting new shingles or membranes put on. In many cases, the old shingles will need to be torn off since they add additional weight on the trusses and sheeting. This can be done easily and then the new drip edge and shingles can be put on the home. Since the drip edgewill protect your home from rain and snow damage for decades, it is important to have it done properly; the drip edge is nailed down on the parameter of the roof prior to the shingles being put on – the function of this element is important since water runs downhill.

Water from rain or melting snow will drip off the edge of the home and if this piece is not installed, it will mean that the water will run down the outside walls of the home where it could possibly find its way inside the wall between the outside material and the inside drywall. The damage that could happen involves wet insulation: a place for mold to grow and damage 2×4 framing if there is no functioning drip edge. When it is time to replace a roof, the professional roofer will be able to assess if any damage has occurred and correct the situation before putting on the new shingles.

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