Roof repairs can be costly and time-consuming, so it’s important to learn these essential roof maintenance tips to minimize your chances of potential issues!
From the top of your home to the bottom, a sturdy, well-maintained roof can keep the elements out and protect your family and belongings. Roof maintenance is key to keeping a healthy home or building.
There are a few ways you can keep your roof well-maintained and out of harm’s way. These preventative measures and roofing tips can help keep repairs down as well.
Whether it’s replacing shingles or a full tear-off, when you do need to fix your roof, it will always be worth the investment. Here are a few tips to keeping your healthy roof in tip-top shape.
Look Before You Purchase
Before you purchase a new home or commercial building it can be the perfect time to inspect the roof. Roof inspections will usually cost you an additional fee on top of your home inspection but it will be money well spent.
Sometimes you may need to go to a separate company as well who specializes in roofing inspections. The money you spend here can save you a costly repair later.
If you don’t know the condition of your roof before moving in, you won’t know what repairs you’re in store for after you take possession. You may not be aware of a big roofing problem and after you move in when your ceiling starts leaking it will be too late.
Another perk of doing this is that if your roof does need a lot of work, you may be able to ask the seller for a credit at closing. The seller will have to help foot the bill for a big expense.
The same goes for a commercial building. Inspections are always a good idea here. Once you know what the roof needs you can build that into your offer price or your construction and build-out budget.
Trim Those Trees
While trees are a beautiful addition to any property, they can sometimes reap havoc on your roof. Trees can do a lot of damage during a storm for example if they aren’t maintained.
Trees with dead or low hanging branches are also a danger to your roof. Make sure you trim trees so they aren’t touching your roof. You may need a professional to help with this but it will be worth the cost.
Tree damage can be very expensive. Damage can be done over time as well. It’s not always a big storm that drops a tree onto a roof. Low hanging branches can scratch at the materials of your roof every day.
Clean Debris and Leaves off Your Roof and Gutters
Keeping up with regular gutter cleaning can greatly prolong the life of your roof. Branches, leaves, mud, and water can all pool on top of your roof and gutter system.
Water can actually build-up from the debris if it isn’t able to drain properly. This can cause water damage to your walls or ceilings if it isn’t kept up with.
To keep your drains, gutters, and roof clear, you should have them cleaned twice a year. Spring and fall are great times to do this. In the spring, you’ll clean out anything that piled on over the winter and fall. In the fall, you can remedy anything that has built up over the summer.
If you see a drain pipe or gutter that is broken, disconnected, or hanging down, make sure those are repaired or replaced. Prevention is the best way to stop the damage from water and debris building-up.
Make Sure You Have Proper Ventilation
When you don’t have ventilation to your roof, moisture and heat can build up. This can cause your roof to buckle or wood to rot.
If your roof isn’t properly ventilated, your insulation won’t be useful anymore and you’ll see a lot of buckling.
Install Insulation
Insulation greatly helps with ventilation. Airflow is the key here. You need to protect your home or commercial building from losing heat in the winter or retaining it in the summer.
You’ll want to make sure you have a gap-free layer on the floor of your attic to stop moisture from rising up to your attic. At the ceiling, you’ll want a vapor retarder under the insulation. When air can flow freely through vented spaces, your roof will thank you.
Protect Yourself From Streaking
You’ll always want to check the coloring of your roof. The color can tell us a lot about any potential dangers. The areas of your roof that are in the shade in the summer for example, when humidity is high will be streaked with algae, mold, and fungus.
These can all damage the materials of your roof if left untreated. Eventually, these parts of the roof will begin to deteriorate. This will greatly shorten the lifespan of your roof. Old roofs are very prone to leaks.
To try and prevent mold growth and damage, you can install zinc strips. These can protect your roof from fungus, mold, mildew, and algae.
Beware of Shingle Damage
Mother Nature and the elements can really mess with your shingles. During a bad storm, shingles could get blown off the roof. When you’re missing shingles, you’re more prone to leaks, water damage, and seepage.
You can check your roof yearly to stay on top of any shingles that may have gone missing. Replacing a couple of shingles is far less expensive than paying for rot and water damage later on.
Look out for Do-It-Yourselfers
During an inspection, someone may be able to tell if a roof has been recently repaired by a self-proclaimed, handyman. Maybe you are even that handyman.
DIY roofing should be left to the professionals. They will know proper roof care, how to install a roof, and how to best fix it. Remember that a roof is high up as well. A professional roofer will know how to safely work up there.
Roof Maintenance Is Worth Every Penny
Roof maintenance is always worth your time and money. You can expect to see a return on your investment of over 60% at resale time. Not only will it be safe and protective against the elements, but it will also look great too.
To get more information on your roofing project, fill out the form here to start speaking with a professional.