The roof, being a crucial component of a house, needs regular maintenance to prevent decay and damage. There’s a lot you can do to ensure that your roof is in tip-top shape but certain tips can help prevent the wear and tear of your roof and keep it in tiptop shape for many years to come. With proper care and maintenance, and a good roofing contractor, our roofs will be free from wear and tear and continue to serve us for many years to come.
Here are a few roof maintenance tips that you should know to reduce wear and tear.
Always inspect your roof
The key to damage prevention is catching it early before it requires costly repairs. The way to do is to check it constantly. A cursory look at your roof from the ground level using a pair of compact and useful binoculars can be enough. Check for signs of missing or loose shingles, of materials being removed from the tile. If your roof requires you to go up, make sure your ladder is securely in place with about 5 feet of it extending past the roof. Once up there, check gutters for debris and bird nests.
Remove debris from gutters
It is common for gutters to get clogged up with moss and debris such as leaves. But leaving it unattended can hold moisture which can eat away at the material leading to further damage. Take care to ensure you are cleaning it regularly by scooping out the dead leaves before hosing it down. Do this at least 3 times a year, around autumn and spring.
Remove moss
Moss can grow on virtually any environment as long as it is moist and with sun exposure. Roofs offer the idyllic environment for moss to grow. A small amount is fine but when it goes out of hand, the roots and subsequently the moisture it holds can do extensive damage on the roofing material which can lead to leaks. There are many ways to remove moss. An environmentally safe pesticide is recommended to remove the moss.
Do not power wash
It might be tempting to just power wash the roof. It’s fast and easy but doing so could actually cause further damage to the roofing material. The high water pressure can drive water under the tiles or shingles. A layer of asphalt is also applied on shingles to protect it from sun exposure which might be dislodged when power washed.
Trim surrounding trees
Trees and shrubberies might increase the curb appeal of your property but when left unchecked, especially those growing close to your house, the overhanging branches can cause damage to your roof. And during stormy weather, branches can be swept away and into the roof causing further damage. It helps to keep the trees surrounding the house trimmed.
Check your attic
After the roof, the attic is the next defense against the weather outside. So if you see any damage to your attic, it might mean damage to your roof as well. Check to see that there are no daylights peeking through the boards. Also, check to see if there are water stains that would signify leaking from the roof.
The roof is the crowning glory of our house. Not only does it protect us and all the valuable things inside, but it also has significant aesthetic value to the overall look of the property. Therefore keeping it beautiful and damage-free will only benefit the people living inside but also the curb appeal of the house.
