Safe Building 101: Creating a Climate-Controlled Space In Your Home

Experts recommend that you have your roof inspected at least once or twice a year, but many homeowners don't make an appointment for an inspection until they have a reason to suspect a problem. However, by the time you know or suspect that the roof needs to be repaired, chances are good that the problem has existed for quite awhile. Regular roofing inspections are about more than just keeping your property looking nice and preserving your home's resale value – they are actually important to protect your health and safety. Check out three health and safety risks that can be prevented or minimized by regular roof inspection.

Respiratory Illnesses and Allergies

Yes, having your roof inspected regularly can help prevent respiratory illnesses and allergies – mainly those caused by mold exposure. Mold problems in a house can start on the roof shingles and slowly eat through the shingles to the wooden decking, causing it to rot. Not only does this allow water to leak into the home, it means that the water leaking into the home will contain mold spores, causing mold growth to spring up inside the home, as well as outside.

How serious are the problems caused by mold growth? Black mold can cause anything from a runny nose and watery eyes to a full-blown case of pneumonia or bronchitis. No house, however nice it may be, is immune to mold growth, and even young and healthy people can be affected. It's suspected that the unexpected sudden death of actress Brittany Murphy, as well as the later death of her husband, was linked to mold growth inside of their mansion.

Having the mold cleaned off the shingles on the outside of the roof before it's had a chance to eat its way through can help prevent mold growth inside the house. A roof inspection can let you know that you need a cleaning before it's too late.

Slips and Falls

You don't need anyone to tell you that water on the floor from a leaky roof increases the chances of a slip and fall accident in your home. However, many people underestimate the seriousness of this kind of accident. What you may not realize is that falls cause close to 9 million emergency room visits each year, and they were the cause of over 25,000 fatalities in 2009 alone. Falls are, in fact, the second leading cause of accidental death in homes.

Keep in mind, too, that it's not just your safety that you have to worry about. If a guest slips and falls in your home because of a leak that you allowed to form, you'll not only feel badly about it, you may also be held legally responsible for their medical bills. Getting your roof inspected in time to repair a weak spot before a leak starts can not only save you from a broken bone or a concussion, it may also save you from a lawsuit.

Fires

A fire is definitely hazardous to your health and safety. Allowing fire hazards in your home means that you're risking smoke inhalation, serious injury, and possible death. While you may not realize it, a roof in disrepair is a serious fire hazard.

Why? Because if the roof begins to leak, it's probably not just your floor that will be getting wet. Many leaks are hidden, and sometimes water ends up dripping into places where you really don't want water, like onto the electric wiring in the walls. The result could be a serious electrical fire. A roof inspection can spot the beginnings of leaks in places where you might not see the leak until it caused a disaster.

An experienced professional roofing contractor is the best person to inspect your roof. If it's been too long since you've had your roof inspected, make an appointment right away, for your own health and safety. Continue here for more about this topic.