While roofs are tough, they inevitably reach the point where they demand attention. Here are some problems that your roof can develop over time and thus need repairs, or even replacement.
Broken Terracotta Tiles
Terracotta tiles are incredibly sturdy and typically last for decades. However, they can form chips and cracks. This damage could be caused by someone walking across the tiles or a storm bringing down a tree branch. One of the advantages of a tiled roof is that contractors can replace individual tiles rather than entire roof sections, thus limiting the repair job.
Eventually, after years of exposure, tiles can grow brittle which means they'll snap more freely. If this happens en masse, you might be better off replacing the roofing. Otherwise, you'll have to pay for individual repairs, before it becomes more cost-effective to treat the whole roof at once. Run-down tiles are not something you should neglect, as leaking rainwater entering the crawl space can warp timber beams, crumble ceiling plaster and ruin roof insulation.
Rusty Metal
If your home is sheltered with a steel roof, you might have to deal with rust. Metal roofs are dressed with protective coatings such as a zinc film, forming galvanised steel. Zincalume has a coating of aluminium mixed with zinc and silicon. Colorbond has that, plus a powder-coat paint layer. These layers shield the inner metal from moisture and air.
Smaller rust areas can be treated — a roofer can advise on this — however, after several decades on top of your home, the protective coatings can wear away. Widespread rusting can then creep over the surface. If that's the case, then you might need to replace the metal sheeting.
Sagging Guttering
Without guttering, rainwater would flow down your roof, and some would make its way down the external walls to collect around the building foundations. Guttering channels the water to the downpipes in a controlled way where it can't cause damage. If your guttering is sagging or falling away, moisture can escape to all areas, uncontrolled. A roofer can determine what the problem is and whether the same guttering can be re-attached more firmly or whether it has decayed and needs replacing.
While new roofs are fairly sturdy, some lasting up to 50 years and more, they'll eventually need attention and repairs. Sometimes a storm can cause trees to topple onto the roof. Other times, the natural ageing process will call for a roofing repair or replacement. Terracotta tiles and metal roofing sheets are recyclable, so they don't need to end life in a landfill but can be repurposed into something else.
Talk to a roofing repair company to get more help.
