Practical Roofing Maintenance Tips

The roof of a home will keep the elements from entering a home, as long as it is intact of course.

The roof will get a lot of wear and tear over the years, and eventually it will need to be repaired due to heavy winds, debris or simply age. It’s better to handle roof repairs while it’s still in the early stages, rather than letting things get worse.

The roofing tips below can help with keeping any roof at its best.

In order to find leaks in a roofing surface, use a garden hose to spray on to the roof. Moving the hose around to different parts and hard to reach areas will make it easy to test all sections. This should not be done in the wintertime for safety reasons. During the winter, the temperature can get low enough for water to freeze pretty quickly, and walking around on an icy roof is a recipe for disaster. Anyone could slip and fall off the rood and become severely injured.

Many people believe that gutters are only used to direct water flow and catch leaves, but according to a roofing contractor in Mobile AL they are actually very important, if not crucial to the stability and integrity of the roof! When gutters are functioning normally, they redirect water down and away from the home. Often debris such as leaves and branches will become trapped in the gutter, clogging it up. This will prevent water from properly draining, and in some cases it can even become backed up in the attic, fascia boards, and the living areas. A good cleaning should be given to the gutters two times a year and any sagging gutters should be realigned. Gutter guards can also be installed that will prevent debris from entering while still allowing the gutters to function normally.

Air must be able to flow through the roof since proper ventilation is needed to keep moisture and heat from causing rot and mildew in the rafting and sheathing. This rot will cause the materials to buckle over time and the insulation won’t be as effective as it was when it was first put in place. Adding insulation with no gaps to the attic floor and a vapor retarder right underneath the insulation that is closest to the ceiling will cut down on moisture in the attic. It’s also good to have areas that are vented with an inch of space between sheathing and insulation.

Streaking is a common problem that can be found on a roof, especially in the northern part of it. Streaking is easy to spot, as it will be a different color than that of the roof. It’s caused by the growth of fungus, mold, and algae due to humidity, and with enough time, the roof will deteriorate because of it. This increases the likelihood of leaks happening in the future. Zinc strips placed along the roof’s ridge will stop these organisms from growing on the roof. They’re environmentally friendly and last a long time.

Roof boots are often overlooked when people inspect the roof, and it’s a shame, as leaks can occur at these areas. These boots are made of rubber, and when they become dry, moisture will find it’s way under them and into the home. Boots can easily be removed and replaced with new ones that can be purchased at a hardware store. A few shingles might need to be removed, and some tar might be needed to secure it.

A roof that is properly maintained will last. Periodic roofing work is necessary for homeowners to keep the roof in great shape.