While the roof is the most important part of your home, it can also be the most important to work on. Most people think a leak requires a minor repair. In truth, it often requires much more and that can be expensive.



When it comes to your roof, it is best to think of it as an upside down boat hull. Like a boat, the roof is a combination of systems that work together to keep the water out. If one of these systems fails, the entire roof has problems.

The problem with roof repairs is they are not restricted to just the leak point. The discoloration you might see on a ceiling inside the home may be coming from a link well up the roof in another area.

The nature of water is the problem. Simply put, it migrates in random directions. As a result, the leak in question may be anywhere. This means water tests to identify it and pulling up big chunks of roof to address the problem.

Spending money on your roof is probably not high on your list of things to do. With a bit of yearly maintenance, you will not have to. A roof is a solid piece of construction, so you just need to take care of it.

While maintenance is a matter of common sense, there is one additional step that can add 10 years to the life of the roof. The issue involves the air between the ceiling and outer roofing. The air in this space can destroy a roof.

Let us return to our ship hull example. A hull works great if water is kept outside. What if it is also collected inside, however? The interior starts to rust and the hull weakens. Eventually, it will fail and the ship will sink.

A similar problem can happen in the space below your roof. The components of the roof are laid bare there. The air just sits and heats up. It can get up to 150 degrees in some areas. Water in the air gets into the wood and the roof slowly fails.

Admittedly, this process can take years to do serious damage. Still, a new roof costs a lot of money. To put off that expense, you need to install an attic fan. It will get the air moving and give hot, humid air a way to escape.

Most homeowners mistakenly think the vents at each end of the attic will do the job. Unfortunately, they create only minimal movement. This is particularly true for air above the level of the vents. It just sits and the problem festers.

The cost and aggravation of having a roof replaced can be huge. In contrast, the cost and hour or so it takes to install the fan is tiny. As a homeowner, which one do you feel is the best choice?