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When it comes to owning a home, you inevitably have to deal with repairs to your home. One of the biggest assets when it comes to your home is the roof. Your roof is a system, much like your HVAC system or your electrical system. It’s composed of different parts, materials, and components that together, make up your roof. We recently sat down with Levi Randall of Advanced Exteriors, one of The Mortgage Company’s Community Partners to discuss roofs and their importance to your home.
Roofs, unlike many aspects of your home, do not require regular maintenance. In fact, unless something terrible happens to it, you often don’t even think about your roof and the quality of it. Especially for us in Colorado, the only time we tend to worry about our roofs is after a hail storm or massive windstorm.
However, it is important to have a professional inspect your roof on an annual basis. There are components of your roof such as the caulking or the rubber boots around the vents that can deteriorate with normal wear and tear, and if you catch ahead of time, can be repaired, and prevent a lot of headache in the long run.
Try using the acronym IOU when assessing your roof to see if you need to hire a professional:
- I – Inside: If you have access to your attic, that is a great place to start. Look for water damage, moisture, and wetness on the underside of your attic. That is usually a sign of improper ventilation and can affect your roof system and its overall lifespan. Again, this is something to get fixed ahead of time before it causes major headache. Stains on your drywall would be a clear indication that you have water entering somewhere in the system.
- O-Outside: Walk around your property and see if you can see any damage to the roof from the ground. If you see shingles are missing, or are able to see obvious damage, then you may need a professional to come look at your roof and get those things fixed.
- U- Up: If you are 100% comfortable, you can get on your roof and inspect it. But we don’t recommend doing that unless you are comfortable. After looking inside the roof and taking an ancillary glance of the outside, if you see any damage, it may be time to get up on the roof to assess the level of damage.
If you have looked at your roof from the inside, outside, or even inspected it from the top, and you think something is wrong, it is important to call a professional. Maintaining your roof will extend its lifespan and keep your house protected.
About Levi Randall
As a second-generation Colorado native, Levi enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children, enjoying Colorado’s outdoors.
Growing up in the Construction Industry gave him a good foundation in building materials, designs and the various systems. He then made a transition into the Insurance Industry as a property and casualty claims adjuster, handling catastrophe property loss claims for almost 6 years. In this time, he handled over 5,000 property loss claims. His experience as a claims adjuster in Colorado, opened his eyes to a gaping hole in the “insurance restoration” contractor field in Colorado; specifically, in the Front Range areas. Through his professional interactions with property owners/managers, and many of the roofing & restoration companies, one company always stood out with exceptional customer service, repeat and referral business, as well as employees who have been with the company for several years. He decided to become a project manager with Advanced Exteriors, Inc. to have a positive impact in this field, with an exceptional company who provides the tools necessary for him to accomplish this.
“I believe education adds value, and I love educating property owners on the ‘ins and outs’ of this industry so they don’t get taken advantage of.”
Cheri Landin
NMLS #68929