Is your roof hiding a secret?

Unlike other areas of home maintenance—a cracked driveway, a broken window, a leaning fence—your roof could appear perfectly fine to the untrained eye yet be in serious need of care to keep it intact.

I recently caught up with local experts Joel Arlia, co-owner of Spartan StormShield, and Dan Bestor, Emergency Recovery Coordinator for Paul Davis Restoration of Cleveland Metro West, to find out more. Often, these two highly-regarded companies collaborate to provide top-notch services for dealing with storm damage and in-home water penetration throughout Northeast Ohio.

With their combined expertise and resources, they’ve been able to deliver efficient and effective solutions for any storm damage or water penetration issues that homeowners may face.

“Most people take a walk around their home after a storm looking for missing shingles,” says Joel. “And while that’s a smart thing to do and would indicate damage, the components of a roof system can often look normal and still have sustained damage.”

He explains that by the time a leak shows up in your ceiling or walls, water has already made its way through the flashing, the deck board, the underlayment, 16-18 inches of insulation, and your drywall.

“We take a forensic approach with a leak analysis, looking at everything from the attic to the flashing, shingles, skylights and chimney to see if it can be repaired if possible before it’s replaced,” says Joel. “People often jump to the conclusion that the shingles are defective, when it’s commonly something else, like a nail pop or the way the shingles or flashings were installed.”

When to Get an Inspection
Joel and Dan liken a roof inspection to going to your primary care physician for regular physicals to prevent health conditions down the road.

“It’s much easier to nip problems in the bud before dealing with the symptoms,” says Dan. “Once apparent microbial growth has been found in a poorly ventilated attic, which is the ideal place for it to bloom, it can be costly to remediate. And for however long it’s been present, it can cause a host of health problems, such as asthma.”

The gentlemen recommend you get an inspection following a wind or hailstorm, if you notice missing shingles, see water spots, or after your roof reaches the age of 10, then every third year or so after that.

“After a thorough inspection, our roof specialists will take photos of everything and then explain it to the homeowner,” says Joel. “In the wake of a storm, timing is imperative to a claim. In many instances, insurance companies will only cover damage if it’s reported within six to 12 months.”

Dan says he sees customers as falling into two camps: reactive and proactive.

“For reactive homeowners, ignorance is bliss,” he adds. “They figure if the roof looks fine, why bother with it. The proactive person understands inspections are best left to a professional, especially when it comes to working with insurance adjusters. For instance, if a homeowner sees a water spot and doesn’t address it immediately, an insurance company can deny any claim for mold remediation since it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to mitigate further damage.”

Armed with product innovation and trusted craftsmanship from highly trained crews, Spartan StormShield lives up to its reputation for installing “the roof system to last your lifetime.” The company is headquartered at 309 Silver Street in Akron. It installs and repairs roofs for homes and businesses all over Northeast Ohio. Call 330-SPARTAN (330-772-7826) or visit SpartanStormShield.com.