5 Reasons To Get a New Roofing Installation in Canton, Michigan

While roofs may seem trivial in warm places with mild climates like California or Florida, here in Michigan, we don’t mess around about good roofing. Between the ice, snow, hail, and wind storms, almost every kind of weather we get except the occasional beautiful day of sunshine can damage your roof and, worse, once the roof is damaged, rain and snowmelt can begin to leak into your home and cause further problems via water damage. This means that here in the Great Lake State, new roof installation isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity. Whether you’re building a new structure that will need a sturdy roof or repairing an old damaged roof, here are the top five reasons why people in Canton, Michigan might need a new roofing installation.

  1. Building a New House
    There’s nothing so invigorating as constructing a new home whether it’s for you, a relative, or a close friend. Anyone with the finances, time, and land to put up a new house gets to experience the excitement of seeing an incredibly large structure come to life based on the architect’s drawings and instructions. Whether you’re a carpenter and construction professional or simply enjoy sitting on the sidelines while the pros do their work, soon your slab of concrete and wooden frame will be a delightfully cozy home for you or someone you know. Of course, no matter how much fun it is to select the stone for your countertops or polish the banisters, no home is complete without a new, high-quality roof capable of withstanding the harsh Michigan winters. To ensure that the house you’re building is as comfortable and welcoming as possible, you’ll need a new roof installation just like you’ll also need external siding and gutters.
  2. Renovating an Old House
    There are a lot of ways to become the owner or caretaker of a home that has fallen into disrepair in the last few years. Some people inherit an ancient home that hasn’t been properly kept up and there is an entire career path known as ‘house-flipping’ for people who enjoy buying crummy houses and renovating them back into comfortable modern homes for a new family to buy and enjoy. In the vast majority of cases, the bones of these old houses are perfectly good, along with the foundation, grounds, and interior rooms. However, the exterior often takes the brunt of neglect damage and often needs to be replaced entirely. A sagging roof ripped up by years of storm damage without intervening repairs means that repairs may no longer be enough and you’ll need an entirely new roof installation. This kind of work is not uncommon when renovating big old houses and flippers are more than used to calculating the cost of a new roof installation when they buy a house to refurbish and flip.
  3. Repairing After a Bad Storm
    We don’t have to tell you that storms in Michigan can get really bad, and we don’t just mean ice and wind. Hail balls ranging between pistachio and grape-fruit sized can crack, shave, and fully knock shingles off of your roof and gale-force winds will blow them clean across the neighborhood. Most of the time, repairs between storms are sufficient to keep your roof in good working order but sometimes circumstances conspire to require a whole new roofing installation. One storm might be particularly bad and simply wreck your roof or perhaps you were away from home for a month and two or three storms ravaged your poor roof before you returned. Whatever the reason, it’s important to recognize when your roof damage is too extensive to simply repair. No matter how you may find yourself in this situation, be sure to have your roof reinstalled before the situation gets worse with the next storm.
  4. A New Out-Building In Your Yard
    Of course, your home isn’t the only building that requires a sturdy, well-maintained roof. Any structure in Michigan relies on its roofing to keep the interior safe from the harsh weather and leaks resulting from rain or snow melt. While your kit-shed may be fine with a simple aluminum sloping roof to keep the snow from building up, any real outbuildings like a workshop, smokehouse, or detached garage will need a real roof. The summer, spring, and even early autumn are great times to DIY build yourself something nice and new in your backyard but you should leave roofing to the professionals. If you’ve recently built a new out-building on your property or are planning to do so in the near future, don’t forget to call your roofers for a new roofing installation before the first snow.
  5. Repairing Extensive Wear-and-Tear
    Storms aren’t the only thing that take their toll on a roof. Time alone can cause its own collection of problems including minor damage that takes out one shingle at a time or even structural concerns with the roof itself. As a responsible homeowner, it’s important that you stay aware of the state of your roof and get repairs or replacement whenever necessary. The older your home is, the more likely it is that at least one section of roof is quite old and will need to be replaced soon. Here are some clear signs that you need repairs or a new roofing installation. These checks are a bit of an adventure so make sure to bring a flashlight and wear good shoes.

    1. Sunlight In the Attic
      Your first check, and one of the safest, is to climb into your attic during a bright and sunny day, turn off the lights, and see what you can see. Take a moment to let your eyes adjust and look around. If there are sunbeams or even just tiny line or pools of sunlight in your attic, consider that that light is coming through the roof itself. Sunlight in the attic that doesn’t originate in a purposefully placed and sealed window means that there is something very wrong with your roof as the boards, shingles, and other components should be layered to effectively block all sunlight (and wind, water, etc) from getting inside your house. A problem this extensive probably requires a new roof installation.
    2. Spongey Sections of Roof
      Now for the dangerous part. Take a very careful walk over your roof on a dry, sunny day and consider the sensation of the shingles under your feet. The roof should feel like a vaguely springy wood floor so soft, spongey, or even particularly bouncy sections are a bad sign. This may indicate water damage below the roof’s surface which could potentially begin to rot your support beams and get into the rest of your house. You can also find subtly damaged tiles by looking for discoloration or puddles of water on the room.
    3. Interior Water Leaks
      Water damage is incredibly dangerous to a home because houses are made of things that tend to rot or grow mold when exposed to overmuch moisture. While you may know how to take care of your pipes do they don’t leak in the summer or burst in the winter, the roof’s job is to keep out all the water that falls from the sky and if it’s not doing that, you could have some serious problems. Look for signs of water pooling in ceilings and over or behind walls. Track any and all mildew smells and keep an especially close eye out for signs of black mold which can be quite hazardous to your health. If you find a leak with an unexplainable source, the roof may be the culprit.
    4. Sagging Roof
      Your final check is to see if your roof is sagging. Roofs are supposed to stay straight and rigid so as to keep water and snow rolling off the sides and away from the less water-proof areas of the house. A sagging roof can result in and be the result of pooling, structural damage, and a subtly decaying roof. To check your roof for sagging, it may be hard to see up close but a quick walk across the street and comparison to other houses should give you a clear idea.

If you are experiencing any of these circumstances from building a new home to tracking down internal leaks, don’t try to DIY your own roof repairs as this is incredibly dangerous and it is difficult to complete large tasks on your own. Instead, call Rapid Roofingfor a fast, courteous, and high-quality new roofing installation in Canton, Michigan.