You want a safe home. You want a warm home. And of course, you want an energy-efficient home. Do you know what can help you achieve all of these goals? Your roof. That's right, if you call up a roofer and tell them about your desires, they can recommend some roofing repairs or materials to help you achieve those desires. They may recommend a metal roof, or they might recommend adding zinc strips to the roof peak. It all depends. One thing we can promise, though, is that learning more about roofing is a good idea. This blog is a good resource, but we recommend looking for other ones, too.
Residential Roof Repairs You Might Have To Get When A Rat Infestation Damages Your Asphalt Shingle Roof
Rats can do a surprising amount of damage to your roof and your attic. They can gnaw through most roofing materials in search of a warm nest or food. When you discover you have rats in your attic, it isn't enough to have the rats trapped and removed, you also need to call a roofer to find out how the rats got in and then make repairs so the rats stay out. Here's a look at residential roof repairs for rat damage.
Search For Gnawed Areas And Holes
There may only be one entry hole in your roof or there could be several depending on how bad the rat infestation is. Rats tend to follow trails, so several rats will come and go along the same trail and use the same entry hole. This activity leaves an odor behind that attracts other rats, so finding all of the holes so they can be sealed is very important or your attic may have a rat problem again before too long.
The roofer can search for rat damage from the top of the roof where it's easier to find. There might be signs of damage on shingles where rats have been gnawing, or there may be holes in areas where shingles are missing. Rats also gnaw through soffit and fascia boards to reach inside your attic. Once all the holes and damaged shingles are found, repairs can be made.
Roof Repairs Needed For Rat Damage
If shingles or rubber boots were gnawed and damaged, these may need to be replaced. Holes and cracks in rubber boots allow rain to leak in around vent pipes. Sometimes, shingles can be repaired, but your roofer may opt to replace them to eliminate the damage and rat odor attractant.
Holes found in the roof deck or the fascia and soffit boards need to be sealed. When dealing with rats, your roofer may opt to cover the hole with a piece of sheet metal or stuff metal mesh into the hole to discourage further gnawing and digging in the area.
If holes were not found early enough, rain may have leaked in and caused the roof plywood deck to start rotting. If that's the case, the roofer may need to repair water damage to the roof too. This could entail cutting away rotted plywood and patching in a dry deck before new shingles are put on.
Residential roof repairs for rat damage can be costly if you have a bad rat problem, so it's a good idea to keep rats off of your roof if at all possible. Trim back your trees and get professional help if needed to keep rats away so they won't gnaw on your roof. Reach out to a residential roof repair professional if you think you have roof damage from rats.