Best Roof Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Roof in Perfect Shape
Whether your roof is brand new or old, here are some roof maintenance tips to keep in the best possible shape for a long time.
Roof maintenance for your home is an essential thing, and everyone knows how crucial it is to have an excellent roof overhead. Your roof secures your whole residence from the damage. And no matter what kind of roof type your home has, you need to ensure it lasts the expected service life. Roofs get designed to weather all sorts of storms. There is always going to be some wear and tear. So, be sure your roof is ready for the next big storm by following these tips on roof maintenance.
Inspect Your Roof Twice A Year
The first step to maintain your roof in top condition is spending a little time inspecting the roof twice in a year. You will have to do these bi-yearly inspections within or beyond the roof. After the inspection is done outside after a tornado, you need to ensure that there are no damaged floor tiles or any cuts remains from the debris. You can make inspections with the help of a ladder or binoculars.
Clean or wash your roof
You may not notice, but the color of your roof has changed. You may think that the discoloration of the roof shingles is just a part of the aging process of the roof. And you will notice ugly black stains on your roof. The fungus gets treated with eco-friendly soft wash treatment that can be done by professional roofing repair contractors. The roofing professionals have proper tools to bring back the beauty of your roof and make sure the bacteria and fungus get eliminated. Having a clean roof helps you save 40% monthly on the electricity bill.
Examine and unclog gutters
Most of us know the problems associated with clogged gutters, which includes bubbling wall paint and rotten wood. And clogged gutters can overflow with bugs, debris, and leaves that rain washes up instead of down. The water damages the roof over time & the support beams that hold it afloat. It will cause expensive problems. The solution is to regularly have your gutters cleaned and inspected to help guard your roof against any future damage.
Prune any overhanging tree branches
While doing roof assessments, look for the trees expanding near your home or on your roof. If you see any branches hanging over the roof, it means it needs trimming. Falling leaves can get accumulated up in the valleys of the roof where they hold in wetness and can rot the floor tiles & make them weak. It allows the rainwater to soak through and do further damage. Keep a look at the falling branches that can gouge the roof system and damages roof floor tiles.
Monitor and clean moss
Moss adds an element of color to your roof but the damage it causes. Moss will damage roofs of all kinds – asphalt, concrete, and wood. The moss grows between shingles & lifts the shingles away from the ceiling that means water can get inside. Leaks and wood rot will usually follow with the moss issue. You will need to scrub the moss away to prevent any damage. Keep a close eye for a moss. You need to use zinc sulfate granules to be sprinkled on the roof seasonally.
Prevent ice dams
Roofs are susceptible to ice dams after a snowfall. Warm air present in the attic causes the room to warm itself, melting the snow. These get refrozen again when they reach the colder portions of the roof, and ice dams get formed. Now, the additional melt water gets trapped and begins to seep, peeling paint and staining ceilings. Prevent the ice ceilings by rechecking the insulation and ventilation to ensure your attic remains cool to keep ice dams from forming.
Caulk the flashings
Flashings are strips of metal that run along roof edges. Flashing is necessary to divert water out of the areas shingles can not cover.
Depending on how they get installed, flashings can crack, rust, lift, or separate, and a vital piece of roof protection is not working aptly.
Sealing the flashing with caulk at places is a solution. To ensure flashings can protect against the water leaks, you should inspect and replace the caulk on an annual basis.
Conclusion
You can use the above roof maintenance tips to keep the roof of your home in better shape. There are things you can manage on your own like checking physical damage, cleaning gutters, keeping debris off the roof. And if you want to have professional roof maintenance, you can hire a roofing contractor because it is better to leave it to the professionals. A professional roof inspector like G&A Certified Roofing North is certified enough for the examinations of the roof. Hiring them gives you peace of mind regardless of the type of roof your home has.
