The roof is an important aspect of your home because it protects the entire household from extreme weather conditions and provides insulation indoors, as well as affects the value of your property.
The appearance and functionality of your home depend heavily on the condition of your roof.
Your home won’t be complete without a roof, which is why you should make sure that yours remain in good condition.
You won’t be able to enjoy your investment if you have a damaged roof, as this can only cause accidents inside the house and decrease the value of your property.
Here are six roof maintenance tips you can follow as a homeowner:
1. Walk Through Your Attic
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t always have to be a few feet off the ground before you can tell the overall condition of your roof. Merely spending time in your attic can help you determine whether your roof needs servicing.
If you want to maintain your roof, regularly walk through your attic and call Murfreesboro roofing or similar contractors from your area the moment you notice any lights coming through.
Seeing sunlight shining from your attic roof is a sign that there’s a crack, which can cause dampness when the problem is left unaddressed for long periods.
2. Trim Back Tree Branches
Any type of tree can add beauty and charm to your property, but do you know that letting them grow unmaintained for years can eventually affect your roof?
Tree branches can grow in different directions and fall on your roof when left unmaintained.
To ensure that the condition of your roof isn’t compromised simply because you have trees on the property, regularly trim back your greeneries and pay attention to the direction of its branches.
Ideally, the trees should be a few feet away from your home to prevent its branches from damaging your roof, especially during strong winds and heavy rains.
3. Clean Your Gutters
Your gutter plays a vital role in the condition of your roof and the structural integrity of your home. This pipe is attached along the edge of your roof that works by diverting water away from your home.
With a clogged or damaged gutter, your home will be prone to roof leaks because moisture can eventually weaken your roof.
As a homeowner, cleaning your gutters regularly should be part of your home maintenance checklist. You can tick this task off your list by using a ladder, gutter scoop, bucket, and work gloves.
These tools will allow you to scoop and collect gutters from your roof. Another option is to use a durable leaf blower to blow out all the leaves present in your gutter.
Regardless of how you plan on cleaning your gutter, make sure you’re doing it when your roof is dry, and the sun is still high.
It’ll be easier for you to climb your roof and use equipment in cleaning your gutters if your roof isn’t wet or slippery.
4. Remove Moss
A roof is large because it covers the entire home, but this doesn’t mean that roofing problems are always visible when inspecting from the ground.
More often than not, you need to regularly climb your roof to check its overall condition and assess if moss is starting to grow on it.
Although small and almost invisible to the naked eye, allowing moss to thrive on your roof can cause a lot of problems in the future.
For one, moss traps moisture, and moisture can weaken your roof and cause leaks.
Additionally, the roots of the moss can grow over time and lift the shingles from your roof. Moss can also attract insects that can create holes on your roof.
If you want to enjoy a good roof for the longest time possible, exert time to check for and remove moss from your roof.
You can use environmentally friendly pesticides to remove the moss from your roof or place some zinc strips on your roof to prevent moss from growing again.
Zinc strips act as a barrier to protect your roof from moss, as well as fungus and algae.
5. Examine Your Roof After Storms
One of the most obvious reasons why your roof is important is because it’s built to protect you and your family from extreme weather conditions, such as ice storms, wind storms, and downpours.
However, when your roof is always exposed to these conditions, it can eventually become weak and cause danger when left unfixed.
As part of your maintenance checklist, always examine your roof after storms. This is vital to determine whether your roof is still in good condition or requires urgent repairs.
If it’s the latter, it’s best if you call a residential roofing contractor right away, especially when storms are always expected in your area.
Some of the most common things to check on your roof after storms are leaks, ice dams, moisture, and mold. You should also pay attention to the condition of the shingles, chimney, and gutter of your roof.
6. Never Power Wash Your Roof
Your roof can accumulate debris over time. Aside from the formation of moss, your roof can also collect dried leaves, small twigs, and other types of waste.
And while it can be very tempting to climb up your roof and clean it using a pressure washer, you should never do it.
This equipment can do wonders in cleaning some areas of your home’s exteriors, but it can only do more harm than good when used on your roof.
Using power washers on your roof can cause a lot of damage, namely breaking the adhesive or bonding agent used to connect shingles and damaging the underlying fabric of the roofing materials.
Pressure washing your roof can also strip away the ceramic granules from your shingles, causing your roof to weaken and be prone to damage.
If you want to properly clean your roof, look for products that are meant to be used on roofs.
Today, you can easily find cleaning products that can effectively remove stains, moss, and mildew from your roof without damaging its components.
Call Professionals When Needed
Aside from following the tips in this article, regularly working with professional roofing companies will also make it easier for you to enjoy a good roof for decades.
You should call these contractors the moment you notice anything unusual about your roof so they can identify the problem and fix it right away.
