4 Signs Your Roof Deck Needs Repair

The system of plywood that supports the shingles on your roof is called the roof decking. When shingles and gutters are properly maintained, your roof decking may last through a couple cycles of shingles without needing to be replaced or repaired. However, when left without proper maintenance, water may penetrate through the shingles and down to the decking below. Here are four signs that this might have happened to your roof.

Sagging Roofline

The most obvious sign that something is amiss on your roof is a sagging roofline. That's an indication that water has reached the decking below and it has begun to rot. If the roofline is already sagging, that means water has been penetrating to the roof deck for some time. There may be other subtle indicators in the interior of the house already before the decking becomes rotted enough to sag so it's important to pay attention to them.  

Water Stains Near Gutters

Roofers generally recommend cleaning out your gutters at least twice a year if not a few times a year. The reason for this is to ensure that water can properly flow off the roof and through the gutter system to the ground below. When a gutter is clogged badly enough, water can flow back onto the roof rather than off of it. When left to pool long enough, standing water on your roof can penetrate through the shingles and down into the decking below. This may show up as water stains on the roof near the clogged gutter.  

Attic Mold

Another glaring sign of compromised roof decking is mold in your attic. When all the systems on your roof are working properly, including proper ventilation, there's no reason that enough moisture would build up in your attic to cause the growth of dangerous molds. So when you see mold growing up there, you know something is wrong and one of the problems is likely that water has penetrated through your roof decking.  

Curling Shingles

On a roof that's been properly maintained with a gutter system that works and flashings that are securely in place, your shingles should never curl. A curled shingle typically has a center that has become more concave than straight, with edges that are beginning to turn upwards. This is a sign of water penetration. And if it's been able to do that much damage to the shingle above, the decking underneath has likely been affected as well.

To learn more, contact a company like Deckote Waterproofing.

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