I've seen plenty of surprise damage, but honestly, the bigger issue I've noticed is homeowners missing subtle signs of trouble. Sure, stepping through a weak spot is dramatic (and painful), but smaller things like cracked flashing or minor shingle curling can lead to major leaks down the line. I get why people climb up themselves—saving money is tempting—but without knowing exactly what to look for, it's easy to overlook stuff that's quietly causing damage underneath.
Had a homeowner last year who thought his roof was fine because it looked okay from the ground. When I got up there, found a section of shingles that had been improperly installed years ago. Water had been slowly seeping in, rotting out the decking beneath. He was lucky we caught it before it spread further into the attic insulation and framing.
So yeah, DIY checks can save money upfront, but sometimes having someone trained to spot the less obvious issues pays off more in the long run. Ever run into something subtle like that?
"smaller things like cracked flashing or minor shingle curling can lead to major leaks down the line."
Couldn't agree more with this. Had a tenant mention a tiny water stain on their ceiling—barely noticeable, honestly. When we checked it out, turned out the flashing around the chimney had a hairline crack. Water was slowly trickling in every time it rained, quietly rotting away the wood beneath. Makes me wonder...how often do you all typically schedule roof inspections to catch these subtle issues early?
I feel your pain on that chimney flashing—been there myself. Had a similar issue last spring, thought it was nothing until I poked around and found some soggy plywood underneath. Now I try to eyeball things at least twice a year, usually spring and fall. Seems like overkill, but roofs are sneaky...they look fine until suddenly they're not. Better safe than sorry, right? Glad you caught yours early.
Good catch on the plywood—I've seen way too many cases where folks ignored minor leaks until they turned into major headaches. Twice a year isn't overkill at all, honestly... roofs have a sneaky way of hiding trouble spots until it's almost too late. Glad you dodged a bigger mess.
"roofs have a sneaky way of hiding trouble spots until it's almost too late."
Couldn't agree more with this. I've found that attic ventilation issues often go unnoticed during routine roof checks, yet they can cause significant damage over time—especially in humid climates. Has anyone here had experience identifying and addressing ventilation problems early on? Curious if regular roof inspections typically cover this thoroughly or if it's something homeowners need to specifically request...
