You will soon discover that what you deem as insignificant when it comes to taking good care of your roof are actually key determinants of how long your roof will last.
A number of them are easy DIY tasks that can be fixed without calling on professional roofers and guess what, doing these things right would help you keep your roof in great condition for a long time without spending exorbitant fees on roofers.
- Clean the roof gutters: Roof gutters are passages through which water and other debris like leaves are transported away from the roof. However, this debris may clog the gutters and as such entrap waters thereby resulting in rotten roofs. Regularly clean out the gutters to keep the water flowing. By the way, get the best metal roofing contractor right now.
- Check for cracked shingles: roofing materials like asphalt shingles may get damaged quicker than expected if they are exposed to extreme weather conditions. You may have to call on a professional roofer to help you carry out a detailed inspection.
- Pay close attention to the chimney: chimneys are extensions through which obnoxious gases are removed from the house, especially for houses with fireplaces. But they are prone to cracking, so look out for any signs of crack to this structure before the bricks fall off and cause bigger damage to the roof.
- Trim off trees near your house: If you have trees near your home, you should pay careful attention to trimming off their overhanging branches as debris like leaves, tree branches can fall on the roof and cause damage. Doing this also keeps animals like squirrels away from turning your roof into their nest.
- Look out for rusts: If your roofing material or a part thereof is made of metals, you have to regularly inspect the roof for signs of rust. Whenever you notice that rust is forming on the roof. Wire-brush the spot to remove the rust, prime and apply roof coating to the roof. Doing this helps to preserve the roof in a good condition.
- Get rid of organisms like mosses: It is not unusual to notice growths of organisms on the roof. While research shows that algae do not pose threats to the roof, mosses on the other hand are deadlier because they entrap water which may cause the roof to deteriorate or rust, depending on the roofing material. You can use soaps made of potassium salts to wash these organisms away from the roof.
- Get rid of ice dams: If you’re living in a location where it snows, you’ll constantly battle this problem. You can use a snow rake to dislodge the snow by climbing a ladder. However, once the ice has formed on the roof, it is highly recommended that you don’t forcefully dislodge it because you may unknowingly damage the roof.
- If you don’t have the time to do any of the above yourself, you should enter into a contract with professional roofers who will visit your home at specific intervals to carry out detailed inspections and repairs on your roof.