Homeownership comes with many responsibilities, which can be important to the protection of your investment. However, your roof is an essential part of your home because if it becomes neglected, your entire home interior can be at risk of water damage and mold growth. Here are some recommendations to keep your home and roof well protected with maintenance and repair.
Clean Your Roof
Your roof covers a large surface area with hundreds to thousands of square feet, which all should be kept clean. Any time debris lands on your roof and you don't clean it from the roof, your shingles can become damaged from the moisture that the debris holds in on the roof and shingles. This can cause the shingles to degrade and rot right on your roof, especially if the debris is a layer of leaves a couple inches thick that has collected within a valley of your roof. This also promotes insect and pest damage within the debris and eventually to your roof.
When shingles are beginning to degrade from roof debris, repair the area of damage with new shingles. Your roofing professional can help you remove the damaged shingles and install new ones. Or, if you have experience with managing shingle repair, replace the damaged shingle. Completing this on a sunny day will help your shingles be more pliable.
To help with the cleaning of your roof and reduction of debris collecting on its surface, keep your yard trees trimmed back and away from your roof surface and edges. Tree branches that grow up next to your home or over your roof's surface can put your roof at risk of damage. If a tree branch touches your roof, it can scratch and damage your shingles and is also at risk of falling on your roof if it should break off in a storm.
Check Your Gutters
Your gutters are an essential element to your roof, especially in the winter when snowfall can build up on your roof and often freeze as ice on the roof edges. It should be your goal each fall to clean out your gutters so you can visually check their condition. Clean out any debris collected within them and look for cracks or holes on their structure. Inspect the edge caps of your gutters, as these can deteriorate over time and allow water to drip from your roof.
Keeping your gutters clean also protects them from build-up that can lead to backups onto your roof of moisture, snow, and slush, which can freeze as ice and ice dams on your roof's edge. Ice dam formations may look beautiful but they can be deadly to your roof's health. Ice will form around and under your shingles, essentially prying them slowly from your roof where moisture will seep in anytime the ice and snow melts. This will eventually lead to an interior leak through your roof.
To learn more, contact a company like Premier Roofing Co.
