The best way for you to make sure your roof lasts as long as it should, possibly even longer, is to make sure you provide it with proper routine maintenance, do what you can to prevent issues from arising and have a roofer come out to make repairs at the first sign of trouble. Here are 6 roofing maintenance tips to help you keep your current roof in great shape:
1: Keep the gutters and downspouts properly maintained
Most home owners know to clean out their gutter systems and make sure the downspouts don't get clogged, but they don't pay much more attention to them than this. However, you also want to make sure they aren't damaged. If they get dented, bent or have areas where they are separating, then it's important to have them repaired right away so they continue to work properly with regards to steering the water away from the house.
2: Catch leaks early on
You're not going to get a stained ceiling out of nowhere if there isn't a leak. Therefore, if you start to see a spot developing on your ceiling then the best thing you can do is have a roofer come out as soon as possible to find and fix that leak.
3: Prevent ice dams from forming on the roof
Preventing ice dams is much easier than you may think. If you know where the trouble areas are on your roof, pay attention to the forecast so you know when the trouble may be coming. Be prepared with a large bag of rock salt and toss it onto the roof where these ice dams tend to form. The salt will prevent this from happening, just as it does with your walkways.
4: Watch the flashing
Flashing is the metal sheets that go along areas where there are bends or curves, such as along the chimney, vents and other areas. If you see the flashing is lifting or looks otherwise damaged, have it repaired right away to avoid roof damage.
5: Don't allow tree branches to drag on the roof
If you have trees with large branches that grow right above the roof, where they scrape the roof in the wind, then you should have these branches cut back so they are no longer a threat for the roof. This constant scraping can cause a lot of damage to the shingles or tiles.
6: Have repairs done as soon as you spot trouble
If you spot any type of trouble with your roof, such as missing shingles, broken tiles or anything else, it's going to be much better for you to have a roofer take care of the problem now when it will consist of less time, materials and costs than to wait until the issue spreads and requires a more extensive repair job.
