Does Your Atlanta
Home Need A New
Roof?
Paul Erdos, like
many
mathematicians,
was an
eccentric. He
wasn't
interested in
money, and gave
what little he
made to beggars
and various
strangers. With
no family, job,
nor hobbies to
speak of, he
dedicated his
life to math.
Nor did he ever
have his own
address. Rather
than purchase a
home, he instead
moved around
within a network
of friends
worldwide with
which he stayed.
He would just
come by without
calling
beforehand and
announce, "My
brain is open!"
His motto?
"Another roof,
another proof!"
Of course, most
of us don't live
a transient,
mathematical
lifestyle like
old Paul's, and
as such must
deal with the
practicalities
of roofing, of
maintaining our
roof, of
protecting it,
of, basically,
keeping it from
falling down on
our heads. But
how do you keep
your roof in
good shape?
Easy—by paying
attention.
Inspecting your
roof for signs
of damage should
be done
annually, but
most people
don't.
Most roofs made
of asphalt are
designed to last
usefully for
about a decade
and a half, and
roofs made of
metal, slate, or
tile last even
longer, but you
should still
buck the trend
of ignoring the
roof and make
sure your roof
is properly
maintained—after
all, useful
service is a
bare minimum
that you should
endeavor to
surpass.
Take a stroll
outside and
look, really
look, at your
roof. Usually
you take it for
granted—it's
there, it has
shingles, it
keeps the rain
out. Now that
you're taking a
good look at it,
does anything
look out of
place? Are there
shingles that
are loose, maybe
damaged, or even
shingles which
have black
streaks on them?
Are trees
touching your
roof? If you
answered yes to
the above
questions, then
it's time for a
check up.
What's so bad
about those
things? After
all, what's a
little bit of
tree hugging on
the part of the
roof if it's not
leaking? There's
more to it than
appearances.
Trees can cause
a variety of
problems.
Branches can
scratch and
gouge roofing
material (in
other
words—leaks).
Trees falling
due to wind can
puncture
shingles and
cause other
damage to your
roofing. Leaves
clog gutter
systems and back
up water into
attics and other
spaces inside
your house.
What about those
black streaks?
Streaks on your
roof are
evidence of
mold—and as you
probably know,
mold is
hazardous to
your health if
inhaled. Mold
grows easily
during humid
periods,
especially on
roofs that face
north. If you
don't deal with
them as soon as
possible, they
will eat away at
the roofing
material, and
eventually eat
through it,
causing leaks.
You can kill two
birds with one
stone by
trimming back
nearby trees,
thus diminishing
the possibility
of damage due to
falling branches
and leaves while
also removing
from the mold
the damp, shady
climate in which
it thrives.
For permanent
prevention,
however, you
should install
zinc strips
along the ridges
of the roof.
This works on a
new roof, but if
your roof
already has a
mold problem,
clean the mold
off first and
then install the
strips—and use a
special roofing
cleaner, not
bleach, which is
corrosive.
In addition,
missing and torn
off shingles
make a home
susceptible to
rot and water
damage. To
prevent this,
replace any
loose or missing
shingles with
new shingles,
making sure they
are properly
installed. If
you maintain
your roof it
will more than
simply last 15
years—it will be
good to you.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fashun_Smith
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