It's That Time of the Year AGAIN

The weather here in Raleigh has been wonderful the last week or so. Sometimes I wish it would stay like more often. In any event, with the beautiful fall weather comes the problem of clogged gutters from leaves and pine straw.

Since gutters serve such an important role in protecting your house and its foundation, it is critically important you keep your gutters free of debris.

How do you know if your gutters are free of debris, you might ask.
* Do a visual inspection on the ground looking at the entire gutter system.
* Sometimes you may have to look out from a window in order to get a better view.

Performing a visual inspection is both the easiest and safest way to check. However, if you still cannot see, you can run water from your garden hose onto the roof. If the water is flowing to and through the downspout near or at the same rate as you are running the water, chances are, the gutters are free flowing. If you do notice a lack of water from the downspout or the water is over-flowing from the top of the gutter, you know the gutter is clogged.

Did you notice I did not mention using a ladder to check your gutters until now. If you are very experienced using a ladder and are familiar with ladder safety, then use one to check the condition of the gutters.

If the above mentioned approaches prove unsuccessful, I suggest you can contact a professional. However, when you call, please make sure they are insured. You do not want to accept the risk of someone injuring them self on your property without proper insurance credentials.

Now once you are sure your gutters are in good condition, go outside and enjoy yourself in this weather.

Roof Leaks in Your Attic

The Good News here in the Triangle is we finally got our rain.
The Bad News is it has probably uncovered some roof leaks in our
homes.

This is an outstanding time to go into your attic and inspect the roof
sheathing for leaks. Take a flashlight with you so you can better see
into those dark nooks otherwise known as rafter bays.

Carefully scan the plywood or OSB sheathing with your flashlight. You
are looking for "dark" stains or even dripping water. The darker and
wetter the stain, the longer that area has been leaking. Check very
carefully around penetrations through the roof, such as, chimney, white
PVC vent pipes or bathroom or kitchen exhaust vents. Those are most
the likely areas to have problems.

Hopefully you do not find anything concerning in your roof. However,
if you do, you should contact a professional to evaluate the situation in
greater detail.

Welcome to Raleigh Roof Information

My name is Matt Maresh. I have worked in the roofing industry in Raleigh for nearly 12 years. In that time I have developed a solid understanding of both residential and commercial roofing.

It is my goal with RRI to be able to provide valuable insight to you from both my experiences as a contractor as well as a perspective from other experts for the purpose of saving you time and money.

By having access to addition information about your roof, you can be better equipped to deal with potential problems before they become serious. I will also be providing information how to work with roof contractors as a team, in order to get the best value for your repair or replacement.

Certainly, I welcome your comments and questions. Let me know what you think or how I may help.

Please visit: www.raleighroofcontractor.com