Roofing Inspections

Having your roof inspected annually is generally a good idea.  Even moreso if the home or building you own is occupied by tenants, who may or may not be as attentive to your property as you (or us) would be.  Other reasons to have your roof inspected might be excessive moss and algae growth, storm damage, your roof is really old, or if you’ve discovered that your roof is leaking.

ThunderStruck Restorations LLC offers complete roof inspection services for homeowners within our Minnesota service areas including Ham Lake, Andover, Anoka, Blaine, and Coon Rapids.

Roof Inspection Services

• Hail Damage Roof Inspections
• Wind and Storm Damage
• Poor Flashing Installations
• Inadequate Roof Venting
• Ice Dam Prevention and Repair

We have many years of experience as local roofing contractors specializing in several different types of roofing materials and complex roofing projects.  In short, we know exactly what to look for in roof to help the homeowner avoid expensive repairs or even roofing replacements further down the road.

More specifically we’re looking for things like roof damage from hail which is incredibly hard to see, yet causes pre-mature roofing wear that is most often covered by your insurance policy.  Hail the size of what we have pictured on the left is not uncommon in Minnesota and it can do serious damage to your roofing system.

We’re also looking for things like the amount of roofing granules you have in your gutters.  This tells us really quickly what kind of lifespan you can expect from your roof and if there is any support from the roofing material manufacturer.  These are very common issues with roofing systems in our area of Minnesota.

What Exactly Are We Looking For During A Roof Inspection?

There are a variety of issues that can occur with a roofing system.  Some issues can be traced back to damage from a storm and other issues can be traced back to poor installation practices or even material failures.  If your roof has been visibly damaged or it’s leaking, a thorough inspection is necessary to find the issue and solve it once and for all.

#1.  Visible Shingle Damage: Hail, wind, ice dams, and heavy snow load can cause damage to your shingles.  We’re usually looking for any visible damage to shingles.  This could include; broken or cracked shingles, torn shingles, shingles that are lifting or out of place, bruised shingles from intense hail (this makes them more prone to breakage), and even missing shingles that have been torn off by heavy wind.  If your roof has been damaged by severe weather Thunderstruck Restorations can provide your insurance company the proper documentation including written and photo evidence of the damage to your roof along with the recommendations for a proper repair or in some cases total roof replacement.

#2.  Proper Roof Flashing & Roof Valley Flashing: Anywhere where two seams meet on your roof such as up against a dormer or window or against a vertical seam like a wall or a chimney you should have roof flashing.  The roof flashing is just thin metal that is formed into shape to protect these vulnerable seams from water intrusion.  The roof flashing will direct the water away from the seam and towards your gutters.  It’s not uncommon for roof flashing to be damaged by falling debris or even blown off the roof if it was poorly fastened.  When roof flashing is damaged or missing it’s an open invitation for water to enter your building envelope.  When inspecting one of our clients roofing systems we pay special attention to their existing roof flashing to prevent future problems.

#3.  Proper Roofing Ventilation:  A roof with inadequate ventilation will encourage condensation build-up within your attic which can lead to moisture which can lead to mold growth.  Poor roofing ventilation also contributes to the building of ice dams during the winter months.  We come across many customers roofs during inspections with inadequate ventilation and it’s generally an easy fix.  Ensuring your roof has adequate ventilation will increase the performance of your roofing system and also help to regulate the temperature within your home.

#4.  Roof Decking Inspection:  Your roof decking is usually plywood that is nailed down to your homes structural trusses.  The roof decking provides a nice, uniform, flat surface for the roofing underlayment and shingles to be fastened too.  When a roof leaks or there is excessive condensation build-up within your attic the roof decking can actually rot.  This will create soft spots in your roof and eventually lead to total failure of your roofing system.  It’s not always easy to spot problems with your roof decking when your old shingles are still on the roof but there are tell-tale signs we can look for including soft spots, or areas where the roof appears to be dipping or sagging into the attic.  These “low” spots often indicate that the roof decking is damaged.  Replacing damaged or rotten roof decking is usually worked into our roof replacement estimates and it’s not a difficult repair once we have removed your old shingles.

#5.  Roof Leak Detection:  This is actually not as easy as it sounds!  When water enters your building envelope it can actually be difficult to trace.  If your roof is leaking it’s not always obvious where the water is coming in and in many cases the actual leak or damage to the roof is quite a ways away from where the leak is visible within your home.  This is because water can work it’s way along trusses and studs until it finally surfaces somewhere within your home.  When we’re called out to inspect a roof leak we use our many years of knowledge and expertise with roofing systems to quickly pinpoint where the leak is coming from so we can repair the issue.

ThunderStruck Restorations LLC takes our roofing inspections a step further.  We are the local roofing experts and can help you solve complex roofing problems such as roofing leaks, poor installations, storm damage, poor venting, and more.

Because we’ve got so much experience with roofing installations and proper roofing techniques we can also offer you several recommendations on materials, maintenance and even venting and properly waterproofing your roof decking to keep it functioning and in good condition.

If you’d like to have ThunderStruck Restorations LLC come and inspect your roof for hail damage, rot, shingle granule loss or storm damage please give us a call (612) 806-7048 or fill out our contact form.