No one ever thinks about their roof until there’s a problem but by then, it’s often too late. The best way to maintain your roof and avoid costly repairs is to proactively take care of it throughout the year.
When you do that, you’ll extend the lifespan of your roof and keep your home safe and dry.
Top 4 Benefits of Year-Round Roof Maintenance
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of seasonal roof maintenance, let’s talk about why maintaining your roof is so crucial.
There are several benefits to keeping up with your roof maintenance, including the following.
1. Prolongs Your Roof’s Lifespan
Your roof is one of the most critical parts of your home. It’s what protects you and your family from the elements so it makes sense that you would want it to last as long as possible.
One of the best ways to prolong the lifespan of your roof is to take care of it throughout the year. By keeping up with regular roof maintenance, you can spot and fix problems in the roofing materials early on.
That way, they don’t have a chance to progress into more significant, expensive issues you won’t want to deal with.
2. Save Money in the Long Run
Another benefit of year-round roof maintenance is that it can save you money.
As we mentioned, catching problems early can help you avoid costly repairs. But that’s not the only way roof maintenance can save you money.
Regular roof maintenance can also help you avoid frequent roof replacement. For example, religiously maintaining your roof will make it last longer, and you won’t have to replace it often. That’s not much different from maintaining a car, appliance, or other equipment.
Additionally, it can be good news for your wallet and the environment. Replacing a roof is a big job that generates a lot of waste. So it’s always better not to have to do it in the first place.
3. Keep Your Home Safe and Dry
Your roof is what protects your home from the elements. So, it’s essential to keep it in good condition.
The roof is a key structural component of your home and maintaining it well incidentally benefits the health of your family or the house’s occupants.
Leaky roofs can lead to mold and mildew growth. These undesirable growths can cause respiratory problems, skin irritation, and other health issues. So, keeping your roof in good condition is crucial to protect your home and your family.
It’s so essential in fact, that the US government provides grants to qualified households..
4. Have Less Work to Do
Another benefit of regularly taking care of your roof is that it just makes life easier.
If you keep up with regular roof maintenance, you won’t have to do as much work when it comes time to do a deep cleaning or repair.
That’s because you’ll already have taken care of the small things.
To save yourself time and energy, make sure you’re maintaining your roof regularly.
Year-Round Roof Maintenance Schedule
Now that we’ve gone over the benefits of year-round roof maintenance let’s talk about what you need to do to take care of your roof during each season.
Winter Roof Maintenance
During the winter, you should focus on preventing ice dams. Ice dams form when melting snow refreezes at the edge of your roof. As the ice accumulates, it creates a barrier that prevents water from draining off your roof. Instead, that water can back up and leak into your home, causing water damage.
To prevent ice dams, start by keeping your gutters clean. Remove any leaves, twigs, and other debris that could prevent water from flowing freely. You should also ensure your gutters are appropriately pitched so that water can drain off easily.
In addition to keeping your gutters clean, you should also insulate your attic. That increases heat retention in your home, preventing snow from refreezing on your roof.
Finally, if you do get an ice dam, don’t try to remove it yourself. You risk damaging your roof permanently. Instead, call a professional to take care of it for you.
Spring Roof Maintenance
When the weather starts to warm up, it’s time to start thinking about cleaning your roof. Moss, lichen, and other growth can accumulate on your roof during the winter. And if left unchecked, that growth can cause problems.
Moss and lichen can hold moisture against your roof, leading to rot and other damage. So, it’s crucial to remove them as soon as you can.
You can remove moss and lichen with a stiff brush. Just be careful not to damage your roof from over-abrasion. If you’re not comfortable cleaning your roof yourself, you can always hire a professional to do it for you.
Summer Roof Maintenance
Since the sun is out and the skies are clear, this is the best time to do a thorough inspection of your roof. Leave no shingle uninspected. Scrutinize every warped piece to ensure that all the shingles are still in good condition.
Cracked or curling shingles deteriorate fast due to sun damage, so replacing them soonest will nip most roof leak problems in the bud.
You can also take advantage of the bright days to apply a cool roof coating. Cool roof coatings reflect sunlight, keeping your roof cooler and reduces the amount of UV damage it sustains.
Summer is also an ideal time to trim back any rogue branches that may make their way into your gutters, shingles, and facia.
Fall Roof Maintenance
As the weather starts to cool down, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your roof for the winter. Start by having your chimney inspected and cleaned. It’s a good way to prevent any fires and other damage. Proactively doing a chimney inspection will address any problems and ensure a warm winter for your family.
It’s best to have your gutters cleaned out one more time. Remove any leaves, twigs, and other debris that could obstruct water flow. You can also do another pitch inspection to ensure that the gutters are oriented properly.
Finally, you can do a final trim of any vegetation or trees close by.
Throughout the Year
While there are specific things you should do during each season, there are also some things you should do throughout the year. For example, you should habitually inspect your roof for any damage. And if you do notice any, have them repaired as soon as possible.
Get in the attic twice a year or often and inspect the ceiling for any signs of black mold.
Walk around the perimeter of your home and do an inspection of your downspouts and gutters to spot any sagging or water damage.
Every Spring and Fall, climb up on a ladder and survey your roof. This will let you spot any green growths indicating that algae has taken over the shingles on your roof.
Following these tips can help keep your roof in good condition and prevent any serious problems.
4 Tips For Year-Round Roof Maintenance
While maintaining your roof sounds easy, it can be challenging to remember to do it all year round. Here are a few tips to help you out so that you can keep your roof in tip-top shape:
1. Set Reminders
One way to never forget to maintain your roof is to set reminders. You can do this by putting a monthly or quarterly reminder on your calendar. A more straightforward method is to use your phone’s reminders feature.
That way, you’ll get a notification on your phone to remind you to inspect or clean your roof. And you can even set the reminder to recur so that you don’t have to keep setting it each time.
2. Inspect Your Roof Regularly and Repair Damage Quickly
It’s also essential to inspect your roof regularly for any damage. If you do notice any problems, have them repaired as soon as possible. The longer you wait to repair the damage, the worse it will become. And that can lead to expensive repairs down the road.
Some things to look for during your regular roof inspections include:
- Missing, cracked, or curling shingles
- Leaks
- Moss or lichen growth
- Damage to your gutters or downspouts
3. Keep Trees Trimmed
If you have trees near your house, ensure they’re trimmed back. Overhanging branches can damage your roof if they fall, or repeatedly scratch against your shingles and cause a break.
And if the branches are big enough, they could even puncture your roof and cause a leak. This can lead to severe water damage inside your home as well as costly repairs.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Call a Professional
If you’re uncomfortable inspecting or repairing your roof, don’t hesitate to call a professional. It’s better to be safe than sorry regarding such a crucial element of your home. Additionally, a professional will usually spot problems that you might miss.
Therefore, regularly consulting a professional roofing company like 123 Roofing can provide you with regular maintenance to help prolong the life of your roof.
Conclusion
By following these tips, you can ensure that your roof is well-maintained all year-round. By taking care of your roof, you can prevent serious problems and extend the life of your roof.
So don’t wait–contact a professional roof service company today.
