The decking under any roof installation is literally the backbone of that structure.

When residential roof services find the decking deteriorating, significant repairs become necessary.

Roof contractors frequently find that upon locating damage to the roof deck, there can be additional structural damage as well.

A deteriorating deck is a severe problem that requires substantial repairs by an experienced residential roof company to restore the structural integrity of the whole roof.

Deteriorating Roof Decks - How Does It Happen?

Roof deck deterioration detected by a residential roof service can surprise homeowners many times if they are unaware that there are problems with their roofs.

Deck rot is a condition that residential roof contractors frequently find during roofing inspections, especially if the installation is older, has not been inspected in a while, or has not been properly maintained.

The slow deterioration of wood happens when the deck gets wet and then stays wet for long periods as the wood fibers absorb water, expand, and then start to decompose.

Unfortunately, once the deck starts rotting in one area, the deterioration will only spread out over time.

What Causes Deck Deterioration?

The main cause of roof deck deterioration is moisture, usually due to leaks.

The places where roof companies typically find deck rot starting are around roof protrusions and valleys that have been exposed to rain due to poor sealing or damaged flashing.

It is also commonly found at roof edges when there are no drip guards installed or the gutters get frequently clogged, causing the edge of the shingles and decking to be submerged.

Roof services find that rot can also start due to poor attic ventilation, causing the decking to absorb moisture from the roof overheating.

It might also occur anywhere that a leak starts due to some kind of damage to the external materials.

Regardless of how it happens, whenever the wooden decking gets wet and stays that way, deterioration due to rot can be the eventual result.

How Will A Roof Service Repair A Deteriorating Roof Deck?

When a roofing contractor finds evidence of deck rot under the external roofing materials, it is usually due to an existing, ongoing leak or some other problem causing that area to stay wet.

The first task is to diagnose why the damage occurred in the first place so that problem can be corrected once the damage is repaired.

Next, roof companies must pull up the external materials around the whole area of damage as well as the deteriorating decking and replace it all.

Custom pieces of decking that replace the rotted parts must be carefully cut and fit, then protected with new underlayment and roofing materials.

If the deterioration has spread considerably over a large part of the roof, roofers may even suggest simply tearing off the whole roof and reinstalling it all as a more cost-effective option.

In either case, the repairs required to correct this problem are extensive and costly.

Regular Inspections Can Prevent Serious Roof Damage

A deteriorating roof deck is a red flag that a homeowner needs their residential roof service to handle significant repairs to protect their house.

Fortunately, problems like this one that require extensive repairs can be easily avoided by hiring a roofing contractor to do periodic inspections of the roof and help with required maintenance.

By detecting the issues that lead to deck rot before it can happen, residential roof companies help their homeowner customers stop the progression of water damage caused by leaks.

The sooner leaks and other moisture problems are corrected by a qualified roofer, the smaller the chance they will progress to the point of roof deck deterioration.