Simple Maintenance Tips for Roofs

Posted on: 22 May 2020

When you own your own home, it is your responsibility to ensure your home and its exterior are in good condition to keep up a well-maintained structure. Your home is always under constant wear and tear from the sun, wind, and precipitation moisture and air humidity that can put it under stress. Here are some tips to help you take care of your home roof and its function to keep one of your home's most important areas protected and maintained.

Inspect Your Roof's Condition

At the very least you should look upward at your home's roof to make sure it looks to contain all its shingles and that none are missing, curling up, or cracked. Looking for exposed underlayers on your roof is an easy task to keep its condition protected. Anytime you see any visibly missing or damaged shingles, contact a roofing contractor to inspect and complete any repairs. 

You might find that just a few missing shingles can lead to a roofing leak and interior moisture damage down into your insulation, drywall, and home carpeting. A small discreet leak in your roof can cause you thousands of dollars in damage. But just taking a few seconds every few days will help prevent further damage.

Maintain Roof Drainage

In addition to making sure your roof's shingles remain intact, you also want to be sure the roof can drain properly from its surface. Overall, your roof should include a rain gutter and downspouts, which should not leak, sag, or become clogged from leaves and other vegetation debris. The drainage side of your roof is the second part of your roof keeping up its layer of protection, as any water that drains directly from your roof and onto the soil below will cause oversaturation and erosion. Oversaturation to the soil right next to your home foundation can end up leaking onto the foundation slab and into your basement and crawlspace. 

Be sure you add any downspout extension pipes and a splash block at the end of the drainage extension. This will take on the force of the rain gutter's water and prevent it from causing soil erosion. You may also want to direct your rain gutter's downspout drainage onto a paved surface or into a dry well within your yard. Some homeowners choose to collect their gutter runoff in a rain barrel at the side of their home, which they can use for irrigation in flower beds and other garden spots.

For more tips, reach out to a local roofing contractor.