Preventing Roof Damage: A Quick Homeowner’s Guide – Part 2: Scheduling Roof Maintenance

It cannot be stressed enough how important maintaining your roof is. Though it may be easy to contact a roofer once problems arise, prevention is still always better than cure. After all, roof repairs and replacement can be costly and inconvenient. If you want to spare yourself then from these, you’d do well to consider the following:

1. Perform regular visual inspections – The first preventive maintenance action you can take is to perform a regular visual inspection from the ground. Check for any missing shingles and other obvious damage to the roofing materials, and check the ground as well for roofing material that may have been torn off by high winds.
2. Schedule professional inspections semi-annually – Roofing contractors know what to look for exactly so it’s critical to have them take a look at your roof at twice a year. Inspections are best scheduled in spring to address issues that may have arisen because of the harsh winter and in the fall to prepare for the upcoming cold months.
3. Call your roofer directly after severe weather hits – On top of scheduling semi-annual roof checks, you should call your roofer for an inspection each time severe weather hits your area to identify potential issues right away.
4. Keep your roof clear of debris –  The best way to ensure that roof is well-maintained is to clear any debris, such as twigs, branches or leaves from your roof and the gutters. Bad weather can do a number on your roof, but debris can exacerbate problems, leaving you with a bigger issue than usual.

If you have a tree located right beside your home, for instance, and its branches and leaves are touching the roof or are directly over it, it would be best to remove the tree. Not only would you be protecting the roof, but you’ll also be protecting the home in the event of a major storm. Storms can uproot your tree and cause it to crash onto the home causing major damage. But if the tree is of extreme value, consult a professional arborist for a viable solution that will not require cutting the tree down.

In the next post, you’ll learn about the important aspects of a roof and what each can do to secure your investment. Stay tuned!