Roof Maintenance Tips Every Homeowner Needs to Know

A residential roof is designed to last anywhere from 30 to 100 years, depending on the material. That said, it can only reach its true potential if it receives regular maintenance. Let’s explore the roof maintenance tips every homeowner needs to know!

The question is: what kind of maintenance do you need to provide to your Michigan roof? We’re going to cover that topic in detail below, helping you establish an ideal roof maintenance routine.

Replace Missing Shingles

When you have an asphalt shingle roof, it’s inevitable that some of those singles will go missing from time to time. The important thing is that you replace them in a timely manner.

Why? Because even a single missing shingle could allow water to flow down into your home, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage in the process.

So, every week or so, take a trip around your home and gaze up at your roof looking for missing shingles. If you spot one, call up your local roofing company and have them make the replacement.

Clean Your Roof

It doesn’t matter whether it consists of asphalt shingles, cedar shakes, metal panels, or otherwise; your roof will get dirtier and dirtier over time. As such, in order to keep it looking nice, you need to, of course, clean it.

Generally speaking, a once-yearly cleaning will suffice. The specifics of this cleaning will depend on the condition of your roof.

If your roof is just a little dirt-covered, you can simply wash it with a pressure washer. If it’s covered in algae, however, you’ll need to apply a specialized algae removal solution.

Don’t want to get up on your roof to complete the task? Your local Michigan roofers will do it for you instead.

Remove Leaves

The last thing you want is for water to get trapped on top of your roof. If water makes constant contact with your roofing material, it will shorten its lifespan substantially, regardless of what the material is.

What often traps water in place on top of a roof? Leaves! Therefore, if you want to keep water from making constant contact with your roof, you have to remove any leaves that might exist.

The removal of leaves can generally be facilitated with a leaf blower. You might even be able to use a long rake. At worst, you’ll need to go up on your roof and push the leaves off the side of it.

Trim Up Your Tree Branches

Another thing you should add to your roof maintenance routine is trimming up your tree branches. What does this have to do with your roof?

By trimming up branches, you strengthen them and reduce the risk of them snapping and falling onto your roof. This, of course, reduces the risk of roof damage.

You don’t need to trim all of your tree branches. Just be sure to get the ones that hang over your home.

Clear Your Gutters

One of the most important aspects of roof maintenance is clearing your gutters. If you leave leaves and other debris inside of your gutters, they are going to prevent water from flowing freely to your downspouts. As a result, during bad rain and snow storms, water will accumulate and make contact with the bottom portions of your roof.

Not only could this result in water making its way into the structural components of your home but it could also cause your roofing materials to warp prematurely.

Therefore, you need to make sure to clean your gutters regularly, especially before the winter season arrives.

Caulk the Flashing Regularly

The flashing of your roof is the metal component that connects different planes of your roof. Its purpose is to keep water from making its way between those two planes. Unfortunately, over time, the caulk that seals it deteriorates, thus allowing room through which water can flow.

This is why, every year or so, you need to caulk the flashing on your roof. You can do this by simply scraping off the old caulk and applying a new coat. If you need assistance with this, don’t be afraid to call up your local roof maintenance service.

Check the Insulation in Your Attic

Another key to preventing roof damage is to ensure that the insulation in your attic is still optimally functional. Why is this important? Because it prevents the heat of your attic from rising up and melting the snow above.

If the heat from your attic melts the snow on your roof, it could result in an ice dam. Ice dams can do substantial damage to a roof’s exterior as well as to the internal structural components of a home. So, you need to make sure that every portion of your attic is properly insulated.

Inspect Your Roof Weekly

You likely tend to take your roof for granted. You know it’s there and can’t see much of a reason to give it a closer look. But this could be resulting in your roof incurring undue damage.

This is why, every week or so, you need to walk around your home and inspect your roof visually. The sooner that you tend to existing problems, the less damage your roof will incur and the longer it will last.

Need Help Maintaining Your Michigan Roof?

As you can see, regular roof maintenance is of great importance. That said, you might not be confident in your ability to maintain your Michigan roof on your own. If not, and if you’re looking for a roof maintenance service in Michigan, look no further than 180 Contractors.

We’re well-versed in the maintenance of residential roofs, having maintained countless roofs throughout the Mitten State. We’ll have your roof looking and performing like new in no time.

Contact us today for a free estimate!