Keeping up with the maintenance of your roof is crucial for the long-term protection of your home. Here are a few tips to help you keep your roof like new!
The roof is the hero of your home, providing shelter during harsh storms and protecting you from extreme temperatures and pesky critters. Ensuring your home's roof is healthy is important, much like an annual trip to the doctor. A roof inspection is the best way to do so, ideally inspecting one to two times a year. You should be looking for signs of damage such as sagging areas, debris backup, and cracked or missing shingles. Although looking at the outside of your roof is important, checking all available areas inside the home is as well. Signs of damage on the interior include water stains, mold, wood rot, holes in the ceiling and walls, or beams of light coming into the attic from the ceiling.
Another important aspect of keeping your roof healthy is cleaning the gutters. Clogged gutters can cause water backups to occur, which then cause damage to the roof. Proper drainage ensures better durability. Letting debris sit on your home can cause moisture to become trapped, accelerating the deterioration of your home. Trimming overhanging branches prevents scratches on the surface of the roof, as well as pests from entering.
As mentioned before, inspecting the inside of your home ensures a safe roof just as much as the outside. Proper insulation in the attic of your home is crucial, allowing for fluctuation in temperature which reduces the risk of ice dams in the winter and heat buildup in the summer. Proper ventilation is also essential to prevent condensation buildup, which leads to mold growth and deterioration. Monitoring the appearance of your roof is also recommended; signs of aging include curled shingles, cracked or missing shingles, dark streaks, and moss. While monitoring the roof, be sure to look for leaks and address the problem as soon as possible. Avoiding traffic is also important, as excessive foot traffic can damage shingles and other roofing materials. Ignoring leaks can cause extensive damage to the roof and the interior of your home. Addressing needed repairs promptly will prevent further damage.
While monitoring your roof can be tricky depending on the type, shape, and height of your home, as well as other factors, having a professional come take a look is also an option. Our company offers free estimates. If any of these issues have occurred in your home, give us a call at (419) 989-4480 to set up an appointment.