Top 6 Tips to Maintain the Life of Your Roof
Your roof is your home’s initial line of protection, making it the most crucial part of its structure. Rooftops are constantly battered by outside elements, such as snow, hail, and rain, as well as debris and branches. And, regardless of the style of roof you have, it will need to be replaced at some point.
The good news is that if you devote enough time and effort towards its maintenance, you can save the trip to the rafters. Rooftops, after all, can endure for up to 20 years. While replacements will eventually occur, you can delay the onset of problems by taking extra precautions.
By following these six maintenance tips, you can keep your roof in top shape and extend its lifespan.
Or, if you’re around Massachusetts and can’t take time out of your busy schedule, you can always reach out to a professional cleaning service like HomePlus.
1. Trim Your Trees
While tree limbs near your home can create beautiful scenery, they can also cause some unsightly issues. Branches and limbs that are knocked loose during a wind, heavy snow or any other natural phenomena can cause instant roof damage and allow easy access for squirrels and other rodents to enter your home. Clearing away any dangerous branches is one of the best roof maintenance ideas.
If the branches grow too close to your home or roof, make sure to cut it back a few feet so that it won’t create any problems during a sudden storm. To avoid foundation damage, make sure bushes and other ground landscaping leave adequate space for your gutters to effectively drain water away from your property.
2. Unclog Gutters
Your gutter is likely to become clogged with debris and leaves, even if your rooftops are clean. If water can’t freely flow down your gutters and away from your property because of the overflow of debris, leaves, and bugs, this can harm the roof and the support beams that keep it in place over time.
Roof decking decay caused by gutter backlog can be avoided by getting up on the ladder and clearing out the obstruction at least every six months. You can also go for a professional gutter cleaning service if you don’t know how to do it yourself.
3. Ensure Proper Insulation and Ventilation
Roofs that aren’t well insulated might lose up to a fifth of a home’s heat. The excess moisture and heat can wreak havoc on your roofing system. Hot air rises and escapes from the room, colliding with the cool, inner plywood of the roof, resulting in mold growth and decaying plywood. Warm air fleeing through the shingles can also melt snow and develop ice dams on your roof, causing it to deteriorate over time.
Properly Insulating your loft, attic, or roof space will help you save money on energy while maintaining a pleasant temperature in your house. Also, make sure to check if the vents are allowing enough air to circulate.
4. Check and Repair Broken Shingles
Summer weather can be extremely devastating to your roof. Excessive heat can cause your roof’s shingles to shrink or fracture, and violent summer storms can completely pull them off your roof. While long roofs are designed to endure for many years, harsh summer weather can cause damage to even the most durable roofing systems-just like hurricanes and storms.
Therefore, a yearly examination of your roof shingles from down the ground will help you spot any missing or damaged shingles. Regular checks are important as these cracks can become bigger over time, weakening the shingles
5. Monitor Moss, Mold, and Algae
These spores are carried by the wind and easily spread between rooftops. Algae can be less damaging to asphalt roofing, while moss and mold can cause problems regardless of the kind. Moss and mold flourish in damp environments, so if you see them on your roof, it can either be a leak or a moisture-collecting region.
Moss can also cause curling asphalt shingles, which increases the risk of shingles falling off in heavy weather and allows moisture to permeate other layers of the roofing system. Mold can eat away at the structure of your roof, causing serious and costly damage. Therefore, you should get rid of them as soon as possible.
You can scrub them away or hire a professional cleaning service that is equipped with the right preventative products to prevent these spores from appearing on your roof.
6. Regularly Have Your Roof Inspected
The best rooftop recommendation you can get is to call in a professional roofer to inspect your roof thoroughly. A good professional will tell you what type of care your roof needs and how much time it has left before it starts leaking and breaking down altogether.
Consider arranging a roof check once or twice a year, especially after major storms, if you want your roof to survive as long as possible and look great.
Hire a Professional Cleaning Service
It’s easier to overlook this crucial part of your house when you have various other important issues to be concerned about, be it paying the bills or keeping up with your family. In addition to following these tips, you also have the option of choosing a professional cleaning service that can take care of your roof. Could HomePlus be the one you are looking for?
Our professional cleaners in Massachusetts only use approved roof cleaning solutions and equipment to ensure that your rooftop remains protected from damage.
For booking, press here.