Preventive maintenance is the key to saving money. By maintaining your roof, you can save yourself the cost of expensive repairs. While many roofs require repairs every year, there are all sorts of problems you prevent with a little roof maintenance.
Here are the top 7 roofing maintenance tips you should know:
Clean Your Roof
Most roofing materials need to be washed regularly in order for them to work as they were designed to do. Sand, dirt, and mold all get on your roof over time. In some cases, you can wash your roof with a garden hose and cleaning products sold locally. In cases where your roof is too large for this method, use a roof cleaning service.
Maintain Drainage
Roofs often have drainage channels designed to keep water from leaking into your roof. These channels can become blocked over time, causing damage to the roof and even parts of your roof’s ceiling. Inspect your rain gutters for blockage and signs of water puddling. This is most common in the fall, clearing the roof of any debris before winter is a great way to prevent roof damage.
Examine Roof Vents
It’s easy for roof vents to get clogged with leaves and other debris. These vents are critical to allowing your roof to breathe, letting excess moisture escape the roof. If these vents become blocked or clogged, the roof doesn’t have a way to release extra moisture. If that happens, the roof can rot and in severe cases can cause the roof’s cells can collapse.
Protect Roof From Ice Dams
Ice dams are another roof problem that can be caused by poor roof maintenance. Ice dams are patches of ice that form along rooflines and trickle down the roof. The problem with ice dams isn’t the weight of the ice, but what happens to your roof when the roof gets wet. The roof can warp, buckle, and in extreme cases even collapse. The best way to prevent ice dams is to clean roof gutters and roof vents, maintain the roof’s drainage, and make sure the roof is properly insulated.
Repair Roof Cracks
Even minor roof damage can lead to major problems, like roof leaks. Many roofing experts recommend roof repairs as a preventative maintenance measure. Small roof cracks that aren’t repaired can lead to roof leaks and even total roof repair. Repair roof cracks as soon as you see them or contract roof repair professionals to repair roof damage before it gets worse.
When in doubt of your roof condition the best preventive maintenance is to have your roof inspected by a professional roofing contractor. He or she can advise on any issue before it becomes serious and recommend roof repair you might require to keep your roof in proper shape for years to come.