Protecting your roof at all costs is of huge significance, especially now that winter is coming and leaks, as well as mold and other similar problems, are a huge issue. Every home has a roof, and some people don’t even know that there needs to be maintenance done every now and then to keep it in pristine shape. Thankfully, this is what we’re going to talk about in today’s article.
About thirty percent of all homes in the United States are not maintained properly, and the owners often have to spend a lot more money to fix the damage afterward because they were way too late with the scheduled maintenance. That’s not the right way to do things.
If you are recently experiencing some sorts of roof damage, then this is the right place to be at. We’re going to do a quick guide that will teach you the basics of roof maintenance. But, that’s not all. We’ll list the most common causes of roof damage and we’ll help you learn how to avoid them completely. If you are curious to learn more, now’s the right time to do it. Let’s take a look.
Contents
1. Not performing regular maintenance
Every year when the weather gets better you should perform regular maintenance on your roof. This is because problems that don’t seem like much at first can become a huge issue later on when left untreated. A small hole can turn to a large hole, one splintered shingle can be the cause of a huge water leak when it starts pouring outside, and so on. Checking the shape of your roof is advised at least once in three months, and doing regular maintenance should be at least once a year. You can do it in the spring or in summer when the weather is not problematic.
2. Extremely high heat in the summertime
Roofs are pretty durable. After all, they’re what keeps water and other unwanted things such as wildlife coming into your home uninvited. But, they have their limitations as well, meaning that they cannot stay in pristine shape at all times, every season.
Although most of us love summer, especially if we think how much easier it is to deal with roof-related problems when the temperatures are high, there’s a factor that causes a lot of damage to the shingles and the roof in general, and yeah, you’ve guessed it right, it’s the sun. You see, when it’s forty-plus degrees outside, your roof has to endure hours and hours of brutal heat. Year after year, this can cause damage. The shingles can start getting in a worse shape and a lot more. This is why most roof-repairing professionals advise you to add some sort of a radiation shield or coat your entire roof in a heat resistant mixture. For more information on this, visit Cavalry Roofing, a professional roofing company that can answer some of your questions better than we can.
3. Improper first-time installation
If the team of roof contractors didn’t do such a good job when they first installed the roof on your home, this can lead to a lot of problems in the future. And, to avoid such problems, it’s crucial to find professionals that can complete the task without any flaws. But, if that’s not possible, or if the job is already done, you can do some inspecting on your own or find someone else for a second opinion. If another team of professionals agrees that the job is not properly done, you should perform maintenance before things start getting out of control.
4. Putting unnecessary weight on it
Walking on your roof is something that you often have to do, especially if you need to repair your antenna or a hole that’s located somewhere' on top of your home. But, this is not the most roof-friendly thing that you can do. After all, the shingles are not meant to hold hundreds of kilograms. If you and one more person get to the roof, that’s already enough stress for them.
Shingles can easily break and then you have a huge issue. Leaks suddenly become a lot more dangerous and not to mention that your house will simply look awful when someone looks at it from afar. Avoid using your roof as a storage space as well. Don’t place heavy objects on it unless it’s really necessary, and if you end up doing it, don’t do it for a long time.
5. Aggressive hailing
Out of all-natural things that we can experience when it comes to roof safety, hailing is the worse. Water can be equally as bad when it rains, but aggressive hailing causes direct damage to both the shingles and your drains. If you recently went through a day or even an entire week filled with aggressive hailing, it is advisable that you get on top of the roof and check it yourself. If you see even light damage done to it, it’s time to start fixing things before it’s too late.
6. Damaged shingles
When purchasing shingles, it’s really important to go for the ones that are of high quality. But, this obviously is not the option for a lot of people, because higher quality means more money spent. And, some people are often on a budget when purchasing such things. Needless to say, it happens a lot for shingles to become damaged, and this is when you need to start taking things into your own matter because one damaged shingle can lead to multiple being damaged over time. You can partly replace them or you can completely replace them throughout the entire roof.
It’s also common for shingles to become missing after a huge storm takes place. Strong wind can easily rip them apart and throw them away somewhere' you cannot find them. It’s quite tricky to live in an area with such natural conditions, but if you do, we advise proper maintenance and a lot of fixing of smaller things in order to prevent the larger issues from happening.