The Importance of Regular Roof Maintenance: Tips & Advice
You maintain so many aspects of your home on a routine basis, like your landscaping, kitchen, and bathrooms. But what about making sure you’re routinely maintaining your roof?
Your roof is a big investment in the value of your home, and an important part of increasing your roof’s lifespan is conducting routine maintenance on it. To learn why roof maintenance is so important, including some roof maintenance tips, continue reading below.
Top 4 Roof Maintenance Tips
Here are a few roof maintenance tips that you can start implementing to increase your roof’s lifespan. From easy and inexpensive to more labor-intense and costly, you can choose the options that fit your budget from our list below.
1. Replace Damaged Shingles
A necessary part of maintaining and extending the longevity of your roof is replacing damaged shingles. These shingles undergo significant weather changes throughout the year. From prolonged sun exposure to snow and ice, they’re experiencing temperature fluctuations that can cause the material to warp, crack, and become damaged. Routinely checking for damaged shingles will help you protect your roof from leaks and further damage.
If you notice a few cracked or warped shingles, you will be able to replace them before they cause a leak in your home. You can either do this yourself or trust a professional to inspect your roof, inform you of any damages, and replace the damaged shingles.
2. Remove Moss, Mold, and Algae
Moss and mold can cause detrimental damage to your roof over time. If your roof has a leak or is in a particularly shady area, it will start to retain moisture. Areas that remain damp provide a prime environment for mold to grow. Mold can cause shingles to curl and your roof to deteriorate. Having damaged shingles means that your roof will overall be in a more weakened state and more prone to damage from severe storms and other wear and tear. This is why removing moss, mold, and algae is one of the most important roof maintenance tips you can follow.
Areas of your roof with moss and mold can be cleaned with a bleach and water mixture. After letting the solution sit on your roof for approximately 30 minutes, you can power wash the mixture off. Be aware of items and plants that are sitting underneath your roof line and will be prone to runoff from this bleach mixture. While working with bleach does warrant extra care, making this additional effort to remove existing mold and moss will help protect your roof for many years to come.
3. Routinely Check for Leaks
In addition to checking for damaged shingles on the exterior of your roof, checking for leaks in your attic or top floor of your house will also help you evaluate the condition of your roof. Catching a small leak before it has a chance to cause significant damage and grow even further is an important part of routine roof maintenance.
As part of your regular roof maintenance, take a few extra minutes to inspect the ceiling in your attic for any signs of water damage. This could indicate a leak, which would alert you to any discrepancies in your roof that might not have been noticeable from the outside.
4. Trim Overgrown Trees
An important but often overlooked part of roof maintenance involves trimming and maintaining your trees. Trees can start growing over the roof and dropping additional debris. These branches can be a hazard during storms and potentially cause damage to your roof. Cutting back large branches that hang over your roof is an inexpensive way to protect your roof instead of waiting for something bad to happen.
In addition to preventing damage from broken branches during storms, trimming back your trees can also help prevent moss and algae from growing. Overgrown trees also provide more shade, which causes moisture to linger on your roof, which is a prime environment for moss and mold. Taking the time each year to trim back branches and prepare your roof for winter can save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
How to Know It’s Time for a Roof Replacement
How do you know when it’s past the time for regular roof maintenance and time for a roof replacement? If you’re feeling like your roof is past the point of maintenance, here are a few signs it might be time to consider a replacement:
- Shingles are cracked, curled, or cupped.
- Your roof is more than 25 years old. This means that if you notice your neighbors are having their roofs done and you know that yours is the same age, it’s probably time to replace your roof too.
- Shingles are missing from your roof, and roofing materials are blown throughout your yard.
- Your roof is sagging or leaking.
When you’re ready to consider a roof replacement, trust Standard Supply & Lumber to provide you with the roofing materials you need. We proudly partner with industry-leading roof shingle manufacturers like GAF Roofing. GAF Roofing is known in the industry for manufacturing shingles with exceptional performance and durability, offering a variety of design styles, and providing comprehensive warranties. Additionally, GAF Natural Shadow Shingles offer Stainguard Algae Protection, which helps maintain the beauty of your roof by protecting against damaging blue-green algae.
Roof Maintenance and Replacement Needs with Standard
If you’ve conducted your regular roof maintenance and noticed that it might be time for a replacement, turn to Standard Supply & Lumber for your roofing material needs. To learn more about the expansive range of industry-leading roofing materials we offer, visit our Standard Zeeland Roofing & Siding page or contact us online.