Best Roof Maintenance Tips for Increased Longevity

Do you know that your actions or inactions can increase or reduce the longevity of your roof? Routine roof inspection and maintenance are the key ways to ensure that your roof lasts longer and you save the cost of repairs. As experts, we advise that you carry out yearly routine maintenance, or even bi-annually to identify issues with the roof, carry out quick repairs, and prevent damage.

Here are some yearly roof maintenance tips for your roof

1. Remove Trees from Above/Around the Roof

Trees are bad news for your roof. On one hand, when leaves pile up on your roof, they gat moist and can lead to rot on your roof. On the other hand, heavy tree branches can fall on your roof and cause damage to it.

If you find any tree limb growing over your roof, cut it off to avoid accidents later on, especially if you reside in a location that is prone to winds and storms.

2. Remove Debris and Leaves from Gutters and Valleys 

Don’t allow debris and leaves to sit on your roof thinking they don’t matter because they do. These items can get into your roof’s valleys or get into the gutters and block them.

When leaves stay for long in valleys, they end up retaining water and can make your shingles rot.

3. Clean Gutters and Downspouts Twice Yearly

It is the duty of the downspouts and gutters to lead water off your roof, but when they are clogged, the water will go back into the roof and sit there, which will weaken your roof over time.

Our expert opinion is that you clean your gutters twice every year, especially in Spring and Fall. Always check your gutters four times every year to avoid debris build-up.

If you find any loose areas or misalignments on your gutters, fix them immediately and ensure that they are in proper shape to continue serving your entire roof.

4. Ensure that Vents, Protrusions, and Walls are sealed

One way through which water finds its way to destroy the structure of your roof is through openings in your walls, vents, and protrusions when they aren’t sealed. What starts as a small leak will often lead to great damage that you’ll have to spend a lot of funds for.

Seal all open spots on your roof once in two or three years to avoid problems and save you the stress of dealing with leaks in your roof, as well as water damage on the building.

5. Wash Your Roof

As the year progresses, debris and algae will most likely make their home on your rooftop, and over the years your shingles could begin to rot due to long-term exposure to algae.

If you want to wash your roof, there are two ways to go about it:

You can make a solution using equal amounts of bleach and water, as well as a biodegradable alternative. You can also place strips of zinc or copper on your roof to avoid the growth of algae.

When you see stains, it is normal, so don’t be worried. But, take note of moist or warped spots and investigate them.

Sometimes, your roof’s warranty might specify how often you should clean your roof for the warranty to remain valid. Always ensure that you do that.

6. Carry out a Professional Roof Inspection 

You’ll need to employ the help of a professional to inspect your roof at least once yearly to investigate some important spots on your roof that might need repairs, such as the shingles, attic, and nails. If you notice any signs of damage in these areas, they should be handled immediately.

Here’s what to look for:

1. Shingles

Your shingles should be inspected from time to time, and especially after storms to search for bent, peeling, cracking, damaged or missing shingles and replace them immediately. It is important that you get roofing professionals to fix any damages on the shingles early to avoid worse damage over time.

2. Attics and Ceilings

Your attic and ceilings often show the most obvious signs of leaks which show up as cracks on the roof or water stains.

You should also look out for mildew, mold, cracked beams or rotting, as well as peeling paint.

3. Check for Hail or Wind Damage

It is important to look for signs of wind or hail damage on your roof. These signs can include dented gutters and pots where shingles and granules have been removed.

As for wind damage, you would find shingles that are lifted, curled, or even torn away, leaving your roof prone to potential water damage.

4. Track Roof Records

When carrying out roof maintenance, it is important to keep track of your roof health and take records to be sure of how your roof is faring, what needs to be changed, and what needs to be repaired or replaced. Take note of whenever you replace shingles and gutters, or carry out roof cleaning and restoration.

5. Look for Popped or Loose Nails at Vents

As temperature changes occur, your roof will contact and expand following the changes, and this often causes the nails to loosen or pop out of place. You could also find that the shingles have even been raised following the nail pop because there is nothing to hold them down.

You can seal your roof at 2 or 3 years intervals to avoid nail pops and loosening, as well as raised shingles.

What is the best time to inspect your roof?

We advise that you inspect your roof twice a year, or at least once. But, some circumstances might also require you to inspect your roof more often, such as storms to prevent problems and damages that can be costly.

1. After Storms

Following a storm, it is necessary to check your roof because some serious storms can make major damages to your roof. Look out for the signs on time to avoid serious damage and get a professional to carry out a damage assessment.

2. Signs of a Leak

A warped or damp spot on your roof is a sign of leakage, and when you see this, you must handle the situation immediately to prevent things from getting worse.

A local roofing company will carry out an assessment of the leakage to find out what has caused it, and then they will fix the problem.

3. Standard Maintenance 

Spring or Fall are the best seasons to carry out your standard roofing maintenance because the extreme weather situations must have just passed and you can see signs of any damage that has occurred during the previous seasons.