Essential Guide to Roof Maintenance for DIYers

The Importance Of Roof Maintenance & How To Find Professional Help

Your roof has the job of protecting your whole home from the elements and helping to direct water and snow away from the walls. However, the roof being able to perform this duty is dependent on several other factors. To ensure that the roof can continue to provide this protection, all of the components need to be in good condition.

This is where the need for roof service and maintenance is introduced. Routinely checking the condition of your roof, cleaning it, and making a list of concerns to bring up to your roof company will help to improve the chance's of your roof's lifespan. Routine maintenance can be what saves your roof, and will define the need for a repair vs a replacement.

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Roof Maintenance Checklist

In this roof maintenance checklist, we're going to talk about:

• How often your roof should be inspected and cleaned
• Tips for how to perform a DIY roof maintenance on your home
• Taking care of small issues as soon as possible to prevent larger issues

How Often Should You Inspect & Clean Your Roof?

There are several tasks that need to be completed during periodic roof maintenance. Depending on the type and size of the roof in question, maintenance may be required either quarterly, twice a year, or even as little as once a year.

When this maintenance is performed, there are many things that need to be checked or inspected, some are relatively easy to determine, while some others may need a more trained eye.

Whether you are doing your own maintenance, or trusting a licensed and insured professional to take care of it for you, here are some of the things that you should make sure are included in your roof maintenance routine:

1. Clearing & Cleaning Your Roof, Gutters, and Downspouts

Clearing items and debris from the roof, eaves, valleys, and gutters. Anything that is left on the roof can present a potential moisture trap or dam for flowing water. From the frisbee that the neighbor kid tossed up there in the early spring, to some of the bigger sticks and twigs that came down in that late summer storm.

Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clean and clear as well, to minimize the risk of water in the basement or crawl space.

2. Check the Condition of The Shingles or Tiles

During your roof maintenance inspection, you should assess the condition of the shingles or tiles on your roof, especially if your area has experienced heavy rain or high winds from inclement weather. For example, asphalt shingles can show signs of wear through granule loss, curling, or buckling. This suggest aging or heat damage, which, left unchecked, can cause water damage. Wooden shingles are prone to rotting, warping, and insect infestation, so be sure to check for signs of wood shingle wear and tear and contact a roofing professional with any concerns.

Clay or concrete tiles can be vulnerable to cracking, such as when they sustain impact from a fallen tree and/or storm damage. If you have slate tiles, you should periodically check for chipping or flaking. One of the most durable roof types is metal, however, you should occasionally check for damage with this roofing material also.

3. Check for Any Signs of Animal Activity

Your attic or crawl space can be the ideal environment for many different small animals. Infiltration of your home by animals through the roof area is the first step to other potentially damaging outcomes such as leaks caused by burrowing, digging, or chewing, electrical issues, and even possible fires caused by animal interference with wiring, and the hazardous pathogens or infectious agents in their waste products that build up in your home.

If you suspect animals have damaged the integrity of your roof, or even your home's interior, please reach out to the roofing experts at LOA Construction today!

4. Inspect all Pipe Boots and Gaskets for Signs of Wear

One of the most common reasons behind leaking roofs is the boots that are installed to seal around plumbing vent pipes. Even when they are installed properly, they are subjected to the elements and UV damage daily, so they are prone to eventual drying and cracking.

Since they are intended as a barrier against water, cracking allows water to back up underneath the shingles, eventually intruding. If you are concerned about a breakdown of your pipe boots and gaskets, please contact our roof maintenance contractors today!

5. Inspect all Ventilation Components to Ensure Obstruction-Free Operation

Condensation from your home is vented through the roof, via your attic or crawl space, and if this ventilation fails, it can cause extremely high humidity levels. This moisture can lead to the failure of many building materials, including the plywood that makes up the roof decking.

Left unchecked, this can lead to the loss of shingles and the need to replace both the shingles and the decking.

6. Check All Flashing & Ensure All Caulk is Sealed

Your flashing, which is typically found at the intersections of walls and roofs, functions by directing water away and helps keep your brickwork watertight. When inspecting, look for signs of rust, loose attachments, or compromised joints between flashing pieces.

Check the condition of caulk that is sealing the flashing and holding it in place. Lastly, check the caulk that is also being used to seal the nail holes in the roof penetration flanges.

7. Have Your Chimney Inspected Yearly By a Professional

If you have a fireplace that burns wood, it is crucial that you have your chimney inspected by a CSIA Certified chimney sweep. Burning wood can result in the build-up of residue called creosote, and if that residue catches fire, it can present a danger to your roof, as well as your entire home.

There are many more maintenance items that can be included in your maintenance program, this list is just made from the most common items, the ones that should be on every basic roof maintenance list. Once you take a look at your particular situation, you will begin to determine what maintenance components are required in your case.

Related: Signs Your Roof Needs a Repair

Why Is Roof Maintenance Essential For Roof Upkeep?

Your roof might seem like it has a pretty straightforward job, to keep the elements from falling out of the sky and into your home. While this is important, there are also countless other reasons why roof maintenance is so vital to a structurally sound home.

Primarily, the reason roof maintenance is so important is because the preventative measures incorporated into the maintenance help prevent future problems from developing. Problems that may be far more expensive. For example, a small roof leak or gutter blockage now, can grow into a full-blown foundation repair later. That initial repair of a few bucks and a modicum of time have now swelled to $25k expensive repairs that you need a construction crew for.

This applies to just about any way that the roof helps protect the home. Animals making their home in your home can lead to not only property damage, but potential infection and unwanted animal encounters as well. Even if you never see it, a single unwanted pest can cause roofing damage. To prevent the need for a roof replacement, or major repair, give LOA a call today or contact us online!

How To Find a Roof Maintenance Professional

Finding a quality professional roofer can be a bit more challenging than asking around for recommendations, since many homeowners may not even have to contact one until there’s an issue. When choosing a roofing professional to perform a fix for your roof, you should make sure that they are licensed, insured, and have a reputation that can speak for itself.

One way to make sure you find a roofing company that will best serve your needs is to check online reviews and make sure other customers that have been serviced by that particular company are happy with the company’s level of service and commitment to their roofing needs.

Contact LOA for Roof Maintenance Services

If you need a professional roofer to perform your roof maintenance service, please reach out today for a FREE estimate of your maintenance needs. Besides roofing maintenance, we also are skilled in other roof services such as brand new roof installation, roof replacement, repair, roofing coatings, and hail damage repair for asphalt, metal, clay, slate, flat, TPO, Built-Up/Mod-Bit, EPDM, and other types of roofing materials.

Need a roof inspection or an emergency roof repair? LOA Construction has decades of combined experience, and hundreds of 5-Star Google Reviews that back up the quality of our work. We serve the communities of Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and the surrounding towns of Temple, Killeen & Belton, TX, serving residential, commercial, and industrial clients alike.