Several factors, including weather and other environmental factors, can accelerate the depreciation and damage of your roof. Your roof protects you from the elements, such as wind, rain, snow, hail, and heat. A roof that hasn’t been maintained regularly is a surefire recipe for disaster. Your roof is one of your home’s most critical aspects and must be periodically checked, maintained, and repaired. A roof is the most susceptible portion of a house, and its lifespan can be drastically reduced if proper care is not taken. Depending on the quality of care, a roof’s lifespan can range from 15 to 30 years. Keeping up with roofing maintenance extends the life of your roof.
Maintenance And Repair Of The Roof
Ensure the roof is in good shape by having the shingles checked and replaced. Problems specific to a given season are rooted in the climatic norms of that time of year. Because of this, it is crucial to thoroughly check your shingles and other roofing components at the beginning of each new season. Examine the shingles closely for any apparent signs of damage or excessive wear, and be on the lookout for any that may be missing or need professional replacement services such as the ones seen at EAS roofing. It is crucial to get your shingles repaired or changed at the first indication of wear and tear or damage, as this can prevent water damage to your property.
Clean the gutters.
Maintaining a clean roof is as important as maintaining a clean interior. The gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year, if not more often. Regular gutter cleaning will keep them in good working order to extend the life of your roof. Wetness is produced when tree leaves and other debris accumulate in the gutters. In extreme cases, it can draw the water into the roof sheathing and rafters, which can do much more harm. This shouldn’t take too much time, but you should have someone on the ground with you as you navigate the system.
Scrub Away Mold And Moss.
Despite its seemingly benign appearance, you shouldn’t underestimate the moss’s destructive potential. Since moss acts as a sponge for water, it can compromise the strength of a building’s framework over time. Furthermore, mold, mildew, or fungus can cause discolored streaks on your roof. These factors hasten the aging of roofing materials and may even lead to leaks. Mold on shingles can be removed by hand, but a pressure washer would loosen the granules and cause permanent damage. It would help if you went to a store selling products specifically made to eliminate mildew and algae off rooftops.
Check The Flashing
Roof flashing is a mechanism to seal off the roof at the chimney and vent pipes to prevent water leaks. Caulk surrounding flashing should be inspected and replaced once a year to guarantee the flashing on your roof can effectively prevent water leaks. While looking around, see if you can spot any spots where the caulk is missing or has begun to lift. Also, check for rust and new gaps to ensure the metal is in good condition. Any flaws in your flashing should be fixed immediately to prevent water seepage and structural damage.
Do A Roof Inspection After The Storm
Intense winds frequently lead to roof damage. While it’s common practice to check your roof after a severe thunderstorm, wind storms are often ignored. It’s not common, but when it does happen, it may be devastating. If you live in an area prone to wind damage, you should consider using wind-resistant materials and regularly inspecting the state of your roof, even after a storm has passed. Hail storms may do even more harm than this, and it’s often overlooked. This is because hail is frequently mixed with severe rain or snowstorms and goes unnoticed.
Prune The Branches
The tree over your house may be beautiful in the spring and provide welcome shade in the summer, but it poses a severe risk throughout the winter and during high winds. Branches close enough to the roof to touch could scrape against the shingles and remove the protecting granules. Another issue arises if the tree is late in shedding its leaves. When the branches become heavy with snow and ice, they can break off and crash through your roof, potentially inflicting significant structural damage to your home. If you want to avoid any hassle this winter, it’s best to have a professional tree service remove any surrounding branches.
If a roof problem is ignored for a year or two or even six months, it might balloon into a much bigger one. Putting money into roof care is an excellent investment for the roof’s longevity. A roof installed correctly still has to be inspected at least once a year for maintenance. A yearly roof inspection can save costly repairs, extend the life of your roof, and give you peace of mind. Since your roof is continuously subjected to different environmental factors, you must maintain it in good condition by doing routine maintenance.
