The roof is the most important exterior part of your house. Roofs are important because they protect you from heat and other elements like rain which can leak into your house. The roof faces varying weather conditions and fluctuating temperatures that can damaged it over time necessitating roof repair. Sometimes roof repairs are expensive therefore it is more economical to maintain your roof and add more years to its life. Though roofs last for decades, maintaining it in the right way can increase its efficiency. Here are 5 tips that you can do to maintain your roof properly.
- Inspection:
The first thing you need to do is to inspect your roof for signs of warping, damage or discoloration. In doing so, you can spray the roof with a hose in order to find trouble spots by considering where water collects itself. Don’t forget to give attention to the damaged or missing shingles immediately or the places where the roofing material is missing or the spots that have noticeable bubbling. This is also important if you are purchasing a new house to remember to watch for these issues.
- Clean mold and moss:
Molds and moss can lead to significant damage to the roof, therefore you must remove it as soon as you see it. Do not use a power washer when cleaning the moss and molds, because the pressure of power washer can blast the protective layers of shingles, damaging them. Instead of that, you can buy a mold removal solution that is sprayed on the roof in order to clean the debris with a broom.
- Keep the trees away:
Trees are one of the major reasons causing problems for the roof. The branches that lean from the tree can cause scratches to the roof, it also gouges the roofing materials when the wind blows. Branches that fall from overhanging trees puncture as well as damage shingles. Other than that the gutters can get clogged by the falling leaves, which lead to blocking of water and redirecting it into the house’s living spaces or attic. If there are trees near your home, make sure to trim them before they cause damage to your roof.
- Clean downspouts and gutters:
The gutters must be cleaned once every 6 months, ideally. Also, remember to clear the exit and entrance of the downspout. Keep flushing the gutters and downspouts with a lot of water so that you know that they are properly draining away from the foundation of your house.
- Proper insulation:
There must be proper insulation so that your house gets good ventilation as well as air flow. In order to protect your house from heat loss or gain, it’s better to include a gap-free layer of insulation on the floor of the attic and also a vapour retarder beneath the insulation and besides the ceiling so that the moisture is stopped from rising towards the attic. There should be a distance of one inch between the roof sheathing and insulation so that the air passes freely along the vented and open spaces.
If you want your roof to live a long and happy life then you should take these 5 steps to maintain it. However, if you don’t have time or the inclination to do it yourself, then another alternative would be to contact Gary Fox Roofing who can maintain your roof for you in a hassle free manner.