The Unexpected Dangers Associated with a Bad Roof

Your roof protects everything underneath it, which includes your family, your personal belongings, and your home’s structure. When the roof fails, there are severe consequences which can endanger everything and everyone that it’s designed to protect. That’s why it’s so important to have your roof repaired as soon as you discover a leak or roof damage of any sort.

However, there’s more at stake than just water damage, though that factor can be significant and detrimental to your home’s value and safety. Once roof damage is discovered, a wise homeowner contacts a professional roofing company as soon as possible to inspect the roof, assess the damage, and provide a remedy. Roof damage that’s allowed to persist is dangerous on many levels, however. Keep reading to learn more about the unexpected dangers that are associated with an ailing roof.

Mold Growth

Everyone knows that water from a leaking roof can cause damage to the roof decking, trusses, and the ceilings of your home. However, that same moisture can also wreak additional havoc by creating the perfect conditions for mold and mildew growth. The mold growth is cause for concern because several species of mold can have severe ramifications on your health. Though toxic black mold may be rare, even less dangerous species of mold can cause breathing difficulty, allergy flare-ups, burning eyes and skin, and other symptoms. Once it begins growing in one area of your home, mold can proliferate and spread throughout your house via the HVAC system. Once mold has spread into wood, walls, upholstery, carpets, and clothing, it’s extremely difficult and expensive to remove it.

Fire Hazard

When one thinks of dangerous situations related to roof damage, an increased risk of fire is probably not one of the things that comes to mind for most people. However, fire hazard is a legitimate danger when your roof is damaged. That’s because not only does the leaking water damage wood, but it can also come into contact with your home’s electrical system. If that happens, you could experience shorts and faults that can result in a residential fire.

Falls

Even if your roof isn’t damaged badly enough to collapse, there could still be dangers associated with walking on the roof surface. The moisture that leaks underneath the compromised roofing material to the wooden decking causes that wood to rot. That creates soft spots that you may never know are even there until you fall through one, and that can result in a severe injury. Also, if water is actively leaking into your home, it will undoubtedly puddle on the floor, causing an indoor slipping hazard.

Substantial Structural Damage

If your damaged roof remains unrepaired for long enough, the result will be a compromised roof structure that could collapse on you at any time. Not only is it a safety hazard, but it also represents a huge financial risk. Remediation of a collapsed roof can cost tens of thousands of dollars. If the leaks are bad enough, the water damage won’t be limited to your roof. Water that drips into the walls can undermine the integrity of your home’s support structure all the way down to the foundation.

If you’ve recently determined that your roof is damaged, be sure to contact a roofing contractor to assess your situation and make recommendations for remediation. Call Findlay Roofing at (770) 516-5806.