Your roof is the protector of your home. It helps to keep your family safe and your home dry, free from critter intrusion, and energy efficient. You should be taking care of it too, as a well-maintained roof will help to ensure it protects your home for its entire lifespan. A Roof can be very expensive to replace, but with a keen eye and a few hours every so often, you can keep it in great shape for many years.

The Occasional Clean

If you have shingles, keeping them clean can help to greatly extend their life and reduce the chances of algae or fungi viewing your roof as a good place to start a new home, to the detriment of your roof’s lifespan. When you have time (once a year is fine), you can go up and brush dirt off your roof’s crevices in a similar way to how you brush your own teeth. It’s also a good idea to clean your gutters as, when they clog, the rainwater can get underneath your roofing, rotting it from the inside. This can cause expensive damage that can be difficult to fix.

Instant Replacement

You should regularly inspect your roof and keep an eye out for any shingles or areas that are especially damaged or even missing. These can lead to big problems very quickly. As a result, you should instantly replace anything that seems damaged. With some shingles it’s possible to do this yourself, but it’s a good idea to get professional residential roof repair help for most roofs. The price of repair will be far cheaper than the alternative.

Replace Your Sealant

Your roof will have sealant that will need to be replaced eventually as it will get old and eventually lose its integrity. When you inspect your roof, make a note of the areas that are sealed and check for cracking. Applying new sealant isn’t difficult but you will have to remove the old, cracked sealant first.

Look for Rust

If you have any metal in your roof (including nails), rust can be a big problem as it can break down the metal and increase the chance that your roofing will become damaged beyond repair. Luckily, it’s easy to fix – simply use a wire or nylon brush to remove the rust. You might want to consider replacing any rusted metals with non-ferrous or rust-protected alternatives if your budget allows. If not, you can prime and paint any areas that have been impacted by rust.

Give Intruding Trees a Trim

Always look out for trees that might slowly intrude onto your roof. When branches get too close, they will cause falling leaves and debris to gather on your roof. Leaves and tree debris can get very moist, which in turn can facilitate conditions that start to rot your roofing. If this remains unchecked, it can lead to permanent damage to your roof. You could regularly clean your roof of debris, but this is unnecessary work. Simply give any intruding trees a trim so they don’t drop their leaves and branches.