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At Family Roofing, we take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality and customer service. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. Our reputation is based on service, safety and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.

 

Simple Roof Maintenance Tips to Ensure a Healthy Roof

The cost of replacing or repairing a roof is an expense most of us can ill afford. Luckily, by spending a few hours periodically to carry out scheduled maintenance, you can actually catch roof problems and solve them before they spiral out of control.

Below are simple roof maintenance tips to ensure a healthy roof for as long as possible:

1. Shingles

Keep a close eye to detect any missing or damaged shingles and/or roof sealant.  Simply cleaning shingles and keeping them free of dirt can also reduce the risk for algae, moss, fungal and lichen growth that can compromise your roof’s integrity.  If you notice that some shingles on the roof are worn, damaged or missing, you must act fast.  It’s best that you engage a professional contractor.  It is critical that you check, since shingle damage is part of normal roof wear, and shingles alone are simple and cheap to replace.

2. Replace Sealant for Roof Maintenance

Replace the roof sealant as needed.  Inspect every area of the roof where there is sealant and identify any signs of cracking or wear and tear.  If present, you will need to remove the old sealant completely and apply new sealant in each area.

3. Trim Overhanging Branches

As you go about routinely inspecting your roof, be on the lookout for trees that are growing near your home.  If there are branches hanging too closely to or directly above your roof, they need trimming.  The reason is that falling leaves will collect on the roof, retain moisture and then start to rot your tiles, making them much weaker.  If this remains unsolved for a long time, it may result in even more damage to the entire roofing structure.

4. Get Rid of Leaves and Debris on Your Roof

Why is this step so important?  Because by removing the debris, you are keeping your property protected from likely damage, and at the same time, preventing the appearance of moss.  This way, you will also preserve the integrity of your roof and prevent potential structural damage.

5. Inspect for Rust

If you constructed your roof using any metallic parts, then you need to check regularly that there is not corrosion/rust on the metal parts.  If you notice rust developing, it’s important to wire-brush to remove the rust, prime and finally paint the affected areas of the metal to retain keep them healthy longer.

6. Clean the Gutters

Gutters that clog up can cause a lot of damage to your roof.  The reason for this is that water accumulating on gutters can easily make its way underneath your roofing structure.  By keeping your gutters clean and in good repair, you ensure they can serve their intended purpose, alleviating any immediate dangers to your roof in the process.

7. Maintain Your Chimney

If you notice cracked or missing mortar on/in your chimney, ensure you replace this as soon as possible.  This is critical part of roof maintenance since the mortar holds the chimney bricks in place, and if any brick falls out, it could cause damage to your roof.

8. Proper Ventilation Makes All the Difference

Simply put – your roof needs to breathe.  If you don’t ensure proper ventilation, you can count on heat and moisture wreaking havoc on your roofing system and decreasing the effectiveness of your insulation.  The good thing is you can easily prevent this from happening by installing quality insulation that will keep your roof in fully functioning shape.

9. Have Your Attic Inspected After a Storm

We cannot stress the importance of attic inspection enough.  After each storm, we highly suggest that you carefully inspect your attic to ensure that there isn’t any damage.  This might not seem like that big of a deal, but we assure you that it is.  If left unchecked, water damage and weak shingles can lead to much bigger, costlier issues.

10. Regularly Treat for Moss and Algae

Did you know that having moss and algae growing on your roof can be seriously detrimental?  Not to mention the unsightly appearance that it will create.  Unfortunately, this is something you can expect mostly during the summer.  However, there’s a simple solution!  You can have your roof professionally cleaned and protected with preventative products, which will keep moss and algae from reappearing on your roof.

Conclusion

Roof maintenance doesn’t have to be that big of a hassle if you simply know what to pay the most attention to.  To help you keep your roofing system in top shape, it’s important to have a reliable team of roofers!