The maximum lifespan of your roof depends on the material of its roofing. Cheaper home roofing options like asphalt shingles tend to last around 20 years. More expensive roofing types like copper can last for more than 50 years.
Yet, it is never guaranteed that your roof will last for the maximum lifespan. Some reasons for this, like fires or tornadoes, are out of your control. Other factors, like proper roof maintenance, are within your control.
Hiring a roofing company ensures that you get the highest quality roofing maintenance. However, there are still many roof care practices that the average homeowner can perform. If you’re interested in learning more about some of these, read the seven roof maintenance tips in the list below.
1. Clean Off Your Roof
Over time, you’ll find that weather debris such as hail, snow, trash, and branches will pile up on your roof. These can pose a danger to your roof’s integrity.
The weight of all this debris can weaken your roof and increase the likelihood of its collapse. The snow and hail can melt and seep into your roof, which may cause rot and other damage. The plant debris can carry mold spores, which can spread to your roof, grow, and cause problems.
For all these reasons, it’s best to clean off your roof from time to time. Don’t climb into your roof to do this, however, as you can injure yourself or damage the roof. Instead, place a ladder against the side of your home, climb it, and use a roof broom to pull off all your roof debris.
2. Clear Out Your Gutters and Downspouts
While you’re cleaning your roof, be sure to clean your gutters and spouts as well. These will fill up with the same debris as what can land on your roof. If too much debris fills these up, they’ll drain slowly or clog.
Clogged gutters and spouts are very bad for your roof. Water that can’t drain will stay on your roof. This will cause damage such as rot, mold growth, and collapse.
You can use a gutter scoop, a plastic toy shovel, or a spatula to dig out the debris from your gutter. Make sure that you dress in clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and put a plastic tarp below you to catch the debris. Once you’ve finished clearing the debris, spray a garden hose down your spout to clear it out.
3. Trim Branches Around Your Roof
The best way to prevent debris from landing on your roof is to cut back any overhanging branches. This will also prevent branches from falling and cracking/denting your home roofing.
Get a saw or another tree-cutting tool that you can carry in one hand. Put your ladder up so that you can reach any branches that seem dangerous. Use one hand to hold the branch and the other hand to cut the branch off.
Drop the branch on the ground away from the roof to prevent any falling branch damage.
4. Check Gutter and Spout Connections
Most gutters and spouts have elbows or joints. These need to stay connected to divert water away from your roof. If they come loose, the water will leak out of the pipe, or parts of the gutter system can fall off.
Use your ladder to check the screws, nuts, and/or bolts on your gutter system’s joints. If they seem loose, be sure to tighten them with a screwdriver or wrench. You should also replace any components that seem too rusty and/or damaged.
5. Inspect Caulking and Replace if Necessary
There are minor gaps where your roof meets your skylights, chimney, or other home features. If these are left open, water can seep through and cause damage to your home. Luckily, these spaces are usually covered with flashing.
To make sure that your roof stays waterproof, check the flashing that you can from time to time and replace them if they’re missing or cracked. You probably want to avoid the ones that you can’t reach from your ladder so that you don’t injure yourself or cause damage to your roof.
However, caulking near the edge of your roof should be easy to check and maintain.
6. Notice Minor Damage to Your Roof
While you’re performing roof maintenance, be sure to perform a roof inspection as well. That is, you need to look out onto your roof and see if anything looks amiss. For example, you may find that there are missing or damaged shingles on your roof.
If you notice issues such as these, don’t try to fix them yourself. Hire a roofing company to fix these minor issues before they become larger issues. If you don’t, you may find yourself having to shell out a lot more money to fix these more extensive damages.
7. Look Under Your Roof
If you can get into your attic, do so and look at the area directly under your roof. Make sure you don’t see any leaks and that the scaffolding seems secure.
You should also check the insulation. If there’s a lot of missing insulation, this can make it difficult for your roof to maintain a warm temperature. This can lead to the formation of ice dams in the winter, which can cause extensive damage to your roof.
Get High-Quality Roof Maintenance and Repair in the Delafield Area From Us
As you can see, keeping your roof in shape can require a lot of hard work. However, performing all these roof maintenance tasks should be worth it in the end. You’ll pay a lot less for roof repair and your roof will last for a long time.
Also, if you need roof repairs and/or maintenance in the Delafield area, consider contacting us. Our award-winning and certified services are sure to satisfy you. Contact us today for a free price estimate.
