Roofing Maintenance & Tips

Your roof is undoubtedly the most important feature of your home. After all, it’s your first line of defense against the elements and keeps you and your family safe. It’s no wonder the roof of your home is one of its costliest features. Even so, most people rarely give their roof a second thought, until it’s leaking after years of neglect and needs to be replaced.

Most roofs can last up to 25 years or more with proper maintenance. Because of that, we’ve compiled a short list of some of the best roofing maintenance tips and things you can do to protect your investment and extend your roof’s lifetime.

1. Keep Your Eyes Pealed

We recommend visually checking your roof at minimum twice a year, preferably in the spring and fall. You’ll want to check for the following things:

• Lifted, missing shingles
• Granules piled up (these are the protective part of your roof’s shingles)
• Damaged, buckling, or missing flashing 
• Exposed and/or missing fasteners
• Sagging, tilting, or broken gutters
• The roof’s drip edge is damaged

2. Keep Your Gutters Clean

Gutters are known for getting backed up with debris, leaves, and other material. Make sure to check them every so often and have them professionally cleaned a few times per year – especially before a storm. If you don’t keep them properly cleaned, heavy rain may cause water damage and rot the fascia. You can always clean your gutters yourself, but we recommend hiring a professional roofing contractor to ensure they are taken care of properly.

3. Keep Surrounding Trees Trimmed

People often forget the importance of continual tree trimming and pruning. Not only do these techniques keep your trees looking beautiful, but they preserve the health of your trees as well. If not properly maintained, your trees may become overgrown and interfere with surrounding structures (cough, cough – your roof), and passersby. During a strong storm or heavy winds, a weak branch could break off and fall onto your roof. In a severe thunder storm, and entire tree could fall onto your roof, creating an emergency. By keeping your trees strong and healthy with tree trimming and pruning, you can avoid these threats and won’t need to worry about a roof repair.

4. Look For Moss & Algae

Although less common in North Texas, moss and algae buildup may still create an issue for your roof. In cold, moist climates, algae can form and weigh down your roof. In order to prevent moss and algae growth, make sure to always:

• Keep your attic properly ventilated
• Remove debris on your roof and gutters
• Trim any overhanging tree branches

5. Check Your Roof’s Insulation

Proper insulation and ventilation in your home’s attic will go a long way in keeping your roof in optimal condition. Insulation and ventilation reduce moisture on the roof and prevent ice dams from forming on the eaves of your roof. If you see any ice dams (accumulations of ices at the end of your roof), then it’s possible you may need to upgrade your insulation.

6. Re-caulk Your Roof’s Flashing

Another important element of your roof is it’s flashing. Flashing helps prevent leaking and water damage to your roof and ceiling. When low-quality is used during a roof installation, it’s likely the flashing won’t hold up and the seal will break. Have a roofing contractor check the flashing around the base of your home’s dormers, chimney, valleys, pipe vents, and drip edge. Due to normal wear and tear, it might be necessary to reseal the flashing.