| By: Chaya Goodman |
The golden rule of roof maintenance is do it twice a year - once in autumn to prepare the roof for winter, and once in spring to survey the damage that harsh winter conditions rendered. Your shingles, gutters and flashing all need to be checked for damage once the spring thaw has occurred. It’s advisable to hire a roofing contractor for the inspection, but it is also something you can do yourself. Here’s a DIY guide to spring roof maintenance:
1. Survey your shingles carefully: This involves getting up on a ladder and actually scanning your shingles. You should look for shingles that are missing, peeling, or losing their grain. The grain on asphalt shingles serves as its UV protection. Without it, sun exposure can cause asphalt shingles to become brittle and to crack. If you notice peeling, missing or grainless shingles, replace or repair them.
2. Clean moss and mold from your roof’s shingles: If you notice moss or mold growing on or in between your shingles, remove it. Do not power wash moss or mold off of your shingles. Power washing can remove the protective top layer from your shingles, which will render them powerless against the sun. Buy a roof moss remover solution and spray your roof with it, and then remove the moss with a long-handled broom.
3. Tighten metal roof bolts: If you have a metal roof, tighten the bolts of the metal roof in the spring. This is great preparation for summer and autumn storm seasons.
4. Clean your gutters and downspouts: Gutter cleaning is an annoying job, but you can definitely do it yourself. Get out your ladder and a garden trowel. Scoop all of the leaves and debris out of your gutter, and be sure to clean out the entrance and exit of the downspout. Secure your gutter if it is loose.
5. Repair chimney and skylight flashing: Flashing is the metal strips that seal the juncture between your chimney or skylight and your roof. Strong winds and snow can cause the flashing to come loose. Tack down the flashing in order to prevent leaks from summer and spring rain storms.
6. Clean out soffits and fascias: Small animals love to nest in soffit and fascia vents. Their warmth is an attractive option for cold animals during the winter months. Inspect and clean soffits and fascias to prevent unwanted pests from nesting there. As with any DIY roof maintenance work, be mindful of safety. If your roof is in serious disrepair or is simply too high or steep for you to maintain yourself, call a professional roofer.
Did you find what you were looking for? Check out these other articles for more roofing information:
Maintaining a healthy roof means maintaining a healthy home. Take the time to keep the roof in prime condition using three simple steps that yield big roof maintenance results.
Your flat roof will experience the temperature changes right along with you come this fall and now is the time to do some preventive maintenance to ensure that it is ready for the fall.
There are a number of roof cleaning issues that if left unchecked, can wreak havoc on shingles, shakes, and tiles, eventually leading to deterioration of the roof structure itself.
Roofing requires proper care in order to last. No matter how strong or durable a roof is, roofing requires proper maintenance in order to last and to protect your structure throughout its lifetime.
Immediate Response!
