The roof of your house is much more than a key element of the structure holding it together. It’s a shield, a crucial barrier protecting your home from moisture. Moisture is the enemy of clean, healthy living. While a roof should be inspected at least once or twice a year, there are reasons why you may want to have it checked out even more frequently, and most of them have to do with moisture.

Moisture Brings Mold

There are two primary ways moisture can get into your home through your roof. The most well known is probably your standard roof leak. Leaking roof repairs are handled easily enough by residential roofing companies. They can handle more complex things such as roof installation, but because they know the insides and out of a roof, it is best to give them a call when you suspect a leaking roof. Stopping the leak, however, is only part of the problem.

After the leak has been located, the entire area around it needs to be inspected for mold. Some companies that handle roof repairs can do basic mold inspection for you as well. If that is not in their wheelhouse, they would be happy to recommend a good inspector or mold remediation specialist. The primary reason why it is important to address mold issues right away is because mold is one of the most vibrant organisms on the planet. It can spread and reproduce with ease. All it needs is a little moisture—either in the air or on a surface. Once mold is able to access moisture, it only is a matter of time before it begins to release spores that help more mold to grow. If you see signs of a leak in your roof, you will want to address it right away because if it goes untreated, mold may start to get out of control.

The Dangers of Mold

A roofing company can make the difference between a clean, healthy home and one that can harm you and your family. Mold can affect the respiratory system of nearly anyone. If you are allergic to mold, or if someone in your household is allergic, special care needs to be taken to eradicate it from your house. Double checking the water tightness of your roof can be step one. There are also certain types of mold that pose a particularly potent danger. The most dangerous type of mold is known as black mold.

If your roof has a leak, the water that comes through can soak into the plywood or other materials underneath the top layers of the roof. So even if you can’t see the water with your naked eye, it could be inside the structure of your home, and black mold can start to grow there. Black mold causes many serious health issues, including respiratory failure and even the inhibition of proper brain function. If you have even the smallest leak in your roof, call a roofing company, and then get the area checked for mold.

Ice Dams

Ice dams are another common way moisture gets into a home. Water flows downward with gravity, right? Yes. However, when the edge of your roof gets frozen over, it can get ice in between the roof or siding elements and this can cause water to come into your home even though the entry point is technically above the edge of the roof. For this reason, you need to take precautions to ensure that ice dams do not form. The easiest way to prevent this danger is to call up a roofing company and have them inspect your home in order to assess the potential for the formation of ice dams. They will be able to tell you how likely you are to get ice dams as well as how to prevent them. Be especially careful after either a big snow storm or when a few smaller storms have filled up the gutters around your house. Seamless gutters are great for making sure water goes where it’s supposed to, but they still cannot guarantee freedom from ice dams.

It is wise to ensure a solid, water-resistant roof by calling a roofing company. It will pay in the form of better health and safety for your family.