4 Causes of a Sagging Roof Line

1.) Water Damage

Residential roofing deals with a lot of runoff over time, which is why it’s important to see how rainwater and snowmelt drains away from your home. Water has a way of finding the imperfections in your roof where it can seep in and cause water damage. Over time, the trapped moisture creates the perfect environment for mold and mildew to grow, further weakening your roof and causing it to sag.

The structural integrity of your roof depends on being impervious to water damage. For this reason, we recommend having one of our local roofers come out to your house every 3 years to inspect for water damage on your roof.

2.) Too Much Weight

Michigan is well-known for its long months of snow and ice. However, too much weight on residential roofing can cause structural damage. Most roofs are constructed to withstand the additional weight of winter precipitation. However, if you get a winter with a record amount of snow, you’ll want to weigh the pros and cons of removing some of the load.

While using a snow rake to remove some of the snow can help reduce the load, you also run the risk of breaking off frozen shingles that have become brittle. You could also get hurt by falling chunks of ice. Use your best judgment and ask one of our roofing contractors if snow and ice removal is necessary.

3.) Inadequate Roof Joints and Rafters

Think of your roof as a triangle. The base of the triangle forms the ceiling or roof joints while the rafters are the diagonal walls that slant toward the ridge line. When the roof joints and rafters are improperly constructed, this can lead to a sagging roof later on.

The weight of your roof pushes down on the ridge line before being distributed down through the rafters, roof joints, and walls of your home. This design is meant to safely carry the load on top of your house, which includes the roof, shingles, snow, and ice. However, when residential roofing isn’t built properly, it can cause the roof to sag over time and become structurally unstable.

4.) Old Age

Most roofs start deteriorating once they reach the end of their lifespan. When given proper roof maintenance, roofs can easily last for more than a decade. However, once you notice your roof is beginning to sag, you need to call our roofing contractors as soon as possible for roof replacement.