It can be quite annoying when a roof that was advertised as having a long lifespan, say 30 years, needing major repair in less than half that time. Plus, the cost of replacing or repairing your roof is usually a huge expense. Luckily, with some scheduled periodic maintenance, you can catch and remedy roof problems before it becomes a major issue.
How often should you perform an inspection?
Your roof should be inspected on a regular basis, but how often is often enough? Experts say that you should inspect before and after winter. This is because winter generally has high winds, snow, hail and heavy rain, and these are the most likely factors to cause damage to your roof. Inspecting before should help you detect faults that could get worse during winter and the inspection after helps to detect and fix faults caused by the winter elements. So, Ideally, you should inspect your roof twice a year at a minimum.
Below are some tips that you pay attention to and perform regularly to get the best out of your roof.
Shingle Inspection and Replacement
You should inspect your roof for shingles that are damaged or missing. Also, simply cleaning the shingles of your roof reduces the risk of mold or algae growing on the roof. If you feel you can, replace worn out or missing shingles, otherwise contact a professional roofing contractor. This is important because shingle damage is part of normal roof wear and is cheap and easy to fix, preventing further damage that may more expensive to repair
Remove overhanging branches
If there are trees growing about your home, when going about your inspection, make sure to trim off branches hanging close to or over your roof. This is because falling leaves from these trees could fall on your roof, retain moisture and begin to rot, extending that rot to your roofing material, especially if your roof is made of tiles or wood, weakening them and causing rapid deterioration to the roofing structure.
Check for Rusting
If your roofing style makes use of metal parts, you should check periodically to ensure no rust or corrosion on those parts. If you detect rust, clean it off with wire-brush, prime and paint that are to prevent the rust from spreading and causing further damage
Sealant Replacement
Replace the roof sealant as often as is necessary, identify areas of weakness where sealant has been applied, these are areas with cracks or wear and tear.
Maintain Chimney
If your home features a chimney, then you need to pay close attention to it, as the wide variation in temperature may have adverse effects on the properties of the material around the chimney. You should especially check for cracked or chipped mortar on the chimney. This is because the mortar is what holds the chimney bricks in place, and falling bricks could damage your roof.
The above tips should help you maintain your roof and keep it in good condition, ensuring that you save money and enjoy the promised lifespan on your roof.