Most people don't pay much attention to the roof of our house until it starts to leak. However, the roof of our home provides protection from one of nature’s most destructive elements. Water leakage inside the home results in some of the most expensive repair costs and can significantly reduce the life and value of a home.

Experts recommend that you go into your attic or crawlspace at least once a year after a rainstorm to check for leaks and water damage. Special attention should be paid to areas where you have flashing (the metal or plastic weather stripping that will be around chimneys, pipes, vents, roof planes and eves) because this is typically the most likely area to develop leaks. It is also recommended that you visit the surface of your roof yearly – during good weather – to look for any loose, missing, eroded, warped or otherwise damaged shingles and to check the overall condition of your roof.

Many people would prefer not to inspect their roofs themselves. Roofs can be pitched at very steep angles and pose quite a challenge to those leery of heights. Inspecting the roof from an attic or crawlspace full of spiders and other creepy inhabitants may not be too attractive either. Another issue is most people are unsure of what to look for. Leaks can be hard to track, water travels downward and the damage can be far from the actual leak. Because of this, hiring a professional to inspect the roof for you is something you should consider.

A roof inspection should include the following:

• An examination of the all the roofing materials, asphalt, wood or metal roofing panels. You should be checking for excessive wear, loose shingles, and blistering in flat or rolled roofing.
• The structure of the roof decking should be reviewed to determine any areas where the roof is starting to sag or pull away from a wall.
• An examination of all metal flashing such as step flashing at the intersection of a roof and wall, roof jacks around all vent pipes and other attached items to the roof such as a satellite dish.
• Verifying that the roof gutter system is complete with downspouts and splash blocks at ground level. All screens over the gutters or leaf guards should also be examined and repaired or replaced, if necessary.
• Housekeeping of the roof, such as cleaning drains, and blowing off leaves.