By Budget Roofing Service, Inc. Roofing Team ·
Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11. To every veteran, active-duty service member and military family in Winter Haven and across Polk County: thank you.
If you would like to do one practical thing for your home before the holiday weeks fill up, look at your roof. A ten-minute walk around the house, done from the ground and from inside, will tell you whether anything needs a closer look, and a roofer can take care of the rest. Below is how to do that walk, what to write down, and what a free roof inspection from Budget Roofing covers. Our Veterans Day page has a short request form.
Why check the roof before the holidays
Guests, decorations and string lights all land on the house at once this time of year, and a slow leak is much easier to deal with before that than in the middle of it. A roof can also look fine from the driveway while a small problem grows underneath. Our roof inspection page puts it plainly: an annual inspection catches cracked pipe boots, lifted shingle edges, loose flashings and early wood decay before they become leaks. And after any storm, a quick look matters, because damage that seems minor often gets worse before the next rain.
A ten-minute roof check from the ground
Stay on the ground. Roofs are steep, slick and easy to damage, and nothing on this list needs you to climb. A pair of binoculars or the zoom on your phone is enough.
Step 1: Walk the whole house and look at the roof surface
Go all the way around in daylight. Look for missing, lifted, cracked or curling shingles, slipped or broken tile, and loose metal panels. Anything that looks different from the rest of the roof is worth a photo.
Checkpoint: you have walked every side and photographed anything that looks out of place.
Step 2: Check the gutters and the roof edge
Look for clogged or sagging gutters and for peeling, stained or soft-looking fascia and soffit. When a gutter is full, the water has to go somewhere, and it can end up seeping under the edge of the roof and starting a leak. If your gutters are overdue, our gutters and chimneys page explains what we do there.
Checkpoint: water has a clear path from the roof, through the gutter, to the downspout.
Step 3: Look at chimneys, vents, skylights and wall edges
These are the spots where the roof meets something else, and leaks often start there. Look for gaps, cracked sealant and flashing that has lifted. Most problems turn out to be flashing, pipe boots or underlayment. Our guide to roof flashing problems in Florida shows what to look for.
Checkpoint: every chimney, vent and skylight has flashing that sits flat and sealant that is intact.
Step 4: Check the valleys and the leaves
If you have trees, leaves tend to collect in roof valleys and gutters. Leaves that sit in a valley can start to rot and break the shingles down, and that can lead to a leak. Keeping valleys and gutters clear is simple maintenance. If you cannot reach them safely from the ground, that is a good reason to ask a roofer rather than climb.
Checkpoint: valleys and gutters are free of leaves and debris, or you have noted which ones are not.
Step 5: Look inside
Check ceilings and the tops of walls for stains, and look in the attic if you can get to it safely. Staining and damp insulation are early signs of hidden moisture. If you see a stain, take a dated photo, and look at it again after the next rain to see whether it has grown.
Checkpoint: no new stains, or a dated photo showing where one is.
What to do with what you find
Write down what you saw and where, keep the photos, and have a roofer look at anything you are unsure about. Many problems turn out to be a repair rather than a replacement. When a roof really is at the end of its life, we will tell you so and explain your options, and when it is not, we will say that too. If a repair is what you need, see our page on roof repair in Winter Haven.
What a free roof inspection covers
A Budget Roofing inspection goes further than a walk around the yard. We check:
- The roof surface. Shingles, tiles, metal panels, membranes and edges, for damage, wear and missing parts.
- Flashing and penetrations. Chimneys, vents, skylights and wall transitions, for gaps, cracked sealant and lifted flashing.
- Drainage. Valleys, low spots, gutters and drains, so water moves off the roof the way it should.
- The attic and interior, when accessible. Staining, damp insulation and other early signs of hidden moisture.
- A written report with photos. Practical recommendations for repairs or for planning a future replacement.
The inspection is free and there is no obligation to proceed. For a longer list of what professionals look at, see our roof inspection checklist for Florida homeowners, and for routine upkeep between visits, our roof maintenance page.
Questions homeowners ask
Do I need to get on my roof to check it? No. Everything in the ground-level check above can be done from the yard and from inside the house.
What should I take photos of? Anything that looks different from the rest of the roof, any stain inside, and any clogged gutter or full valley. Date the photos so you can compare them later.
How do I ask for a free roof inspection? Call us at (863) 967-6675, Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm, or use the short form on our Veterans Day page.
Thank you
Budget Roofing Service, Inc. is a family-owned roofing company that has been based in Winter Haven since 1952. This Veterans Day, thank you to the veterans and military families we share this community with. If you would like a roofer to take a look before the holidays, you can reach us at (863) 967-6675, Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm.
Talk to a local roofer
Budget Roofing Service, Inc. has served Winter Haven and Polk County since 1952. Free inspections and written estimates.
