What Are Dead Valleys?

By Guardian Home Services. 

Avoid pooling water and keep the drainage systems flowing on your roof with these tips. 

When it comes to roofing, dead valleys aren’t necessarily a bad thing – as long as they are designed and maintained properly. Ridges and valleys are two main components of a roof and a valley is formed when two or more planes on the roof intersect. Because leaves and debris easily collect in valleys, it’s crucial that valleys are designed carefully and constructed with the correct roofing materials to ensure efficient drainage into the gutters and away from the home. 

Sometimes beautiful roof designs can lead to a big headache! An example of this is a roof that allows water from multiple roof sections to drain into a small area, which is called a dead valley. Commonly it’s an area where the roof meets a wall and the water only has a very narrow channel to drain away. Or it might be where two valleys meet, resulting in the pooling of water and debris. This can be an expensive repair as the debris and ponding water can cause damage to the shingles, often resulting in rotten wood underneath. 

However, a good, experienced roofer, like Guardian, can solve these issues. If the issue is a simple one, our professional roofer will remove damaged shingles and other materials. Then they will repair any damaged plywood and substructures. After the repairs are complete, they will apply a sticky membrane to the plywood, which prevents water from contacting the wood and getting into the attic. Then the new roofing underlayment and shingles are installed. More severe valley repairs may require metal flashing or different types of membranes, such as TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) or other roofing materials to prevent water backing up and causing damage. 

Sometimes, you might not know you have a leaking dead valley situation until your ceiling is stained or your wall sheetrock is cracking. And, repairing a dead valley isn’t really a DIY project for homeowners. It is best to have a professional roofing company, like Guardian, examine your roof and recommend the proper repairs and materials to safeguard your home. In fact, Guardian roofing recommends every homeowner have their roof inspected annually to address damage from storms, sun and wind. Preventative maintenance and repairing minor damage are much easier and less expensive than replacing neglected sections of your roof.  

At Guardian Roofing, we inspect your roof with our 17 Point Roof Inspection – our roofing specialists are thoroughly trained to find all of the issues associated with repairing or replacing your roof. This helps to keep from covering up a problem or leading to costly un-expected roof issues. 

When you hire Guardian Roofing you get a roof partner. Should anything go wrong day or night, we have live reception that can assist your needs. Our 24-hour service repair assures that even on the rainiest nights we will be there to protect you. 

If you are looking for a roof repair contractor, please call Guardian Roofing today at 877-926-99666 or complete our online service request form. 

Have a question? AskARoofer! 

Find your local roofing contractor in the RoofersCoffeeShop® Contractor Directory.  

Original article source: Guardian Home Services