Taking care of your roof is the best way to ensure that you don’t end up with a much bigger problem that will cost quite a lot to repair. While roof repairs are often necessary, you can drastically minimise how bad they get by doing regular maintenance and small repairs long before you have a huge leak.
1. Inspect the Roof
You should take a good look at your roof, or have an expert roofer do so, at least once a year. This will help you note troublesome points before they turn into actual problems. You can then take the necessary measures to prevent a larger problem. For example, if the shingles are lifting in one area, you can replace just those shingles, rather than wait until there’s a leak and water damage in addition to the lifting shingles.
2. Clean Regularly
A good cleaning will help your roof last longer and will minimise problems. You’ll find that power washing is almost always the best option. It cleans fairly gently, yet is a quick way to eliminate moss and algae from the shingles or other roofing materials. It’s also easier to clean large sections of the roof in a short amount of time.
It’s important to eliminate moss and debris, which could cause structural damage to the roof. These can even lead to leaks.
3. Fix Small Problems Immediately
It doesn’t matter if it’s just a tiny leak, you should fix it as soon as you notice. This is because you’ll end up with far more leaks if you let one alone for a while. The water damage caused by a leak will also expand and cause even more problems and sections of your home that you need to repair. You’ll save a lot of money by repairing that leak quickly.
4. Clean and Replace Your Gutters
You may not think of this as roof maintenance, but when your gutters don’t work properly, then you end up with a backup of debris on the roof. This can trap water, grow mould, and generally wreak havoc on your roof. It’s best to avoid this scenario altogether and improve the longevity of your roofing surface.
5. Trim Trees
This may not have to do directly with your roof maintenance, but you’ll be glad of it when there’s a windstorm and you don’t need to worry about a branch falling on the roof. Any trees that are growing too close to your home should be trimmed back so there are no major overhanging branches. These can crack your roof and cause ongoing issues, not to mention, leaves can clog things up and cause issues, as well.
Proper roof maintenance can be a load of work, so you may prefer to hire a professional to take care of it. At AJ Donald Slaters, we have roof experts ready to help.