When it comes to protecting your home from the elements, your roof does a lot of the hard work. Without a functioning roof, your home will be exposed to the elements, pests, and more. 

If you want to avoid costly roof repairs or damage to your home, you need to understand the importance of roof maintenance. 

Here is everything you need to know about roof maintenance and how to go about it.

What is Roof Maintenance?

There are many elements involved in roof maintenance, but in general, it is the inspection of the roof, especially the areas vulnerable to damage. 

In general, roof maintenance will include actions like debris removal, gutter cleaning, and shingle inspection. 

When you hire a professional roofing contractor to perform roof maintenance, they will typically perform the following tasks: 

• Check pipe boots for cracks and wear
• Check for animal infestation and damage
• Remove debris from roofs and valleys
• Look for loose or missing caulking
• Inspect flashing

This list may be longer or shorter depending on who you hire. 

But at the very least, a roofing professional will look for damage and potential for future damage.

Why is Roof Maintenance Important?

Roof maintenance is important because it can extend the life of your roof and protects your home. An annual roof maintenance inspection is critical in catching issues before they become a problem. 

Often, roof maintenance can catch small problems that are inexpensive fixes. But if these problems are not identified and addressed immediately, they can grow into costly repairs or a complete roof replacement. 

Essential Roof Maintenance Checklist

This is a list of tasks essential to your roof maintenance routine. 

Check Shingles Regularly

One way to maintain your roof is to give it a regular visual inspection. Performing an inspection can tell you a lot about the health of your roof. It is especially important to perform this type of inspection following extreme weather like heavy storms and strong winds. 

You should be looking for: 

• Missing shingles
• Loose shingles
• Curling shingles
• Cracked shingles
• Peeling flashing
• Missing granules

If you spot any of these issues, call your roofing professional to address the damage as soon as possible. 

Look for Leaks on the Ceiling and Attic

Water stains or signs of water damage on the inside of your home are a clear indication of roof troubles. 

Check your ceilings and attic spaces often to avoid catastrophic damage. Warning signs include: 

• Water stains on the ceiling
• Water spots on exterior walls
• Musty odours in certain rooms
• Bulging patches on internal walls

If you notice any of these warning signs, try to identify where the leak is coming from and call your roofing professional to patch the leak right away. Failure to fix this problem can result in structural damage, property loss, as well as mould and mildew growth.

Get Professional Roof Inspection

While this roof maintenance checklist will help you identify a host of potential problems, it is likely that you do not have the expertise to catch every bit of damage and every possible warning sign. 

A roofing professional can perform a thorough inspection, identifying issues of concern. They can even give you an idea of how many years you have before a potential replacement. 

Some homeowners are reluctant to pay for a professional inspection but it is important to remember that the money spent on an inspection is significantly less than the cost of a roof replacement. 

Remove Roof Debris

Removing debris from your roof can go a long way to maintaining its health and longevity. 

This means eliminating fallen leaves, twigs and branches, pine needles, and even large deposits of snow. 

Debris, like fallen leaves, can make a perfect home for insects and other pests. These creatures can do damage to your roof and even work their way into the home. 

Debris can also collect moisture which, over time, can cause your roof to rot. 

While you can remove debris by hand or with a leaf blower, it is best to have a professional handle it for you. They are better equipped to move around at dangerous angles and have a better understanding of how much weight your roof can support. 

If removing snow on your own, you should avoid getting onto the roof and instead use a roof rake.

Trim Overhanging Branches

Overhanging branches pose a significant risk to your home. These branches are more likely to fall onto the roof during severe weather and can do significant damage. To protect your home, carefully trim any branches that reach over the top of the house. 

Even if you aren’t worried about fallen branches, you need to think about leaves and pine needles. Again, this debris can collect on the roof, hold moisture, and do damage to the roofing materials. 

Clean Gutters & Downspouts

Cleaning your gutters is not always a pleasant job but it is a necessary one. When your gutters and downspouts are clogged, water can easily seep underneath the roofing materials and both on the roof and in your home.

This is not a job that requires professional assistance. You can address any debris in your gutters by checking them yourself with a ladder. 

Roofing professionals recommend cleaning your gutters twice a year. Once in the late spring, to clear debris that has collected over the winter and again in late fall to clear anything that has fallen from nearby trees. 

Inspect Chimney, Vents, and Skylights

Chimneys, vents, and skylights play an unexpected role in the health of your roof.

If the flashing around these locations is peeling or otherwise damaged, it means they are no longer watertight. Water will then seep into your home and cause significant damage.

Examine your chimney for cracks and loose or missing bricks and mortar. A crumbling chimney can drop debris onto your roof and cause damage to the roofing materials. If you notice your roof has shifted or is leaning, it could be a sign of foundational problems in your home. This is a threat to both the structural integrity of the building as well as the soundness of the roof. 

A professional inspection or professional roof maintenance will cover these aspects for you, and, again, is much safer than climbing on the roof yourself, especially if you aren’t quite sure what you are looking for. 

Conclusion 

Roof maintenance is critical to maintaining the longevity and performance of your roof. It allows you to nip potential problems in the bud, saving you money on expensive repairs and early replacement.

The Kingston roofing professionals at Energy Kingston Exteriors have the knowledge and experience to perform professional roof maintenance on your home. Contact us to learn more or get started with a quote.