Exteriors

11 Roof Maintenance Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

roofersThere are a lot of things that a homeowner needs to maintain for different reasons. Some of these are simply because you’re a homeowner and take pride in a well maintained home and want to make sure that it lasts or you’re maintaining it to resell it and make a profit. Regardless of the reason, it’s wise to make sure that your investment is taken care of. While all aspects of your home are indeed important and need to be maintained, one of the biggest investments in your home is the roof that covers your head.

Below, we’ve gathered 11 Roof Maintenance tips that all homeowners should know!

  1. Ensure vents are properly installed: Exhaust vents allow air to escape your attic and ventilation space and should be installed near your roofs peak, assembly ridge or high point, while intake vents should be located at the lowest point of the roof assembly or near soffits or eaves.
  1. Protruding, but necessary items such as chimneys, skylights, cable or satellite devices or wiring as well as ventilation pipes. Ensure that they’re all flashed properly and their seals in good repair. Are these items themselves functioning as intended or are they damaged and need to be replaced? These are also some of the most common sources of leaks, so make sure you take the time necessary to inspect them.
  1. Is your drip edge installed? Was it installed properly? The Drip Edge keeps water away from your fascia and helps move it off the roof.The Drip Edge should run ¾ of an inch off the edge of the roof so that water makes it to the gutters and eavestroughs where it can safely flow.
  1. Check other areas for proper flashing, such as dormers, roof to wall transitions and wherever low quality sealants or mastic has been used.
  1. Know what’s in your attic. If you know what to look for, you’re halfway to helping fix the problem. When it comes to attics, there can be several, such as algae stains, mold, pools of water or wet insulation when it hasn’t rained recently, lack of ventilation that is causing the attic to overheat?
  1. Clean the gutters! Many homeowners don’t realize that their gutters need to be slightly sloped in order to make sure that water that runs off the roof is allowed to flow downwards. The gutters also need to be kept debris free and should be maintained often.
  1. Avoid condensation with the right type of insulation. The use of Polyiso ensures that your energy costs stay in check as once the house is heated or cooled, Polyiso ensures that that air remains inside where it belongs while making sure the outside air stays outside. It also acts as a barrier and will decrease the likelihood of condensation in walls.
  2. Get up on the roof once in awhile and look for loose or missing shingles. Finding areas where shingles are missing or are becoming loose will allow you to fix them or help anticipate leaks until you can get a roofer there to redo the roof itself.
  1. Look for ponding water. If water doesn’t evaporate within 48 hours, it’s considered ponding. The added weight from this water can contribute to the overall weight load on the roof and can also hold debris and dirt that could accelerate erosion on the roof itself. Proper sloping should be installed in order to make sure the water is flowing off the roof.
  1. Exposed nail heads can be sealed to help lower the likelihood that they will allow leaks over time. While some may argue that the entire shingle should be replaced and the nail properly positioned, if this isn’t an option it’s recommended that the exposed nail head be sealed with caulking. As the nails rust, they may allow water through. The expansion and contraction with the weather could also cause the area around the nailhead to allow water through as well. Caulking can (at least temporarily) help stop that from happening.
  1. Remember that a leak may not be originating directly from where the water falls. Water can sometimes travel downwards along the rafters before it finally makes its way into your home, so finding the source of the leak may be the more difficult task than actually repairing it. Look for protruding pipes or vents nearby and inspect their flashing and seals as a possible source of any leak first.

Proper maintenance of your roof can be a lot of work. If you know what to look for can be a little easier and lower the frustration you may experience when taking care of your roof.

If you have any questions, please ask below!