Residential Roof Maintenance Tips

Published on Thursday August 22, 2024

A well-built and well-maintained roof should last you at least 20 years. But how do you take care of your roof when you can’t always see the things that matter most?

8 Residential Roof Maintenance Tips

These roof maintenance tips will help you make sure your roof is in peak condition year-round.

1. Keep Your Gutters Clean

If water can’t flow freely down your gutters and away from your home, it can cause a whole lot of trouble, from your basement to your ceiling. Each season brings debris that can end up clogging your gutters, so make sure that your gutters are clean and free of blockages all year.

Roof decking rot caused by gutter backup can be prevented by simply cleaning out your gutters every once in a while. Do it yourself, or call a professional gutter cleaning service.

2. Trim Back Trees and Landscaping

One of the best tips for how to maintain a roof is to clear away any threatening branches.

While tree limbs close to your home can make for a picturesque landscape and offer cooling shade in the summer, they can also cause some unpleasant problems. Storms can knock loose limbs and branches, causing immediate damage to your roof and providing easy access for squirrels and other critters to invade your home.

As tree branches and other landscaping start growing a little too close to your home or roof, trim them back a few feet to make sure they won’t cause any issues during a sudden bout of bad weather. Make sure shrubs and other ground landscaping allow enough space for your gutters to properly drain water away from your home to prevent foundational damage.

3. Remove Snow From Your Roof

If you have an older, shabbier roof, the weight of accumulated snow can lead to roof collapse.

To remove snow from your roof, carefully scrape away whatever snow you can reach with a snow rake. This helps relieve the weight of the snow on your roof and minimizes the chance of roof collapse.

4. Check for Cracked or Missing Shingles

Summer weather can really take its toll on your roof. Excessive temperatures can sometimes cause the shingles on your roof to shrink or crack. Severe summer weather, like hurricanes and tropical storms, can cause damage to even the strongest roofing systems.

Take a few minutes to inspect your roof from the ground so you can identify any areas where shingles may be missing or damaged.

Additionally, call in a professional to inspect your roof before storm season so you can get ahead of possible damage down the line.

5. Remove Moss and Mold

Both moss and mold thrive in areas of moisture, so if you spot these on your roof, then you may have a leak or an area where moisture is collecting.

Moss can lead to curling asphalt shingles, increasing the likelihood of losing shingles in bad weather and allowing moisture to penetrate other layers of the roofing system. Mold can decay the structure of your roof and cause severe, expensive damage.

It’s important to get rid of any moss and mold as soon as possible. Try spraying any mossy, moldy areas of your roof with a liquid chlorine bleach and water mixture, allow it to sit for 15 minutes to a half hour, and then power wash it off. Take precautions to properly direct the run-off to protect any landscaping on the ground below.

6. Look for Leaks in the Attic and Ceiling

While a visual inspection of the exterior of your roof will tell you a lot about your roof’s health, you might not be able to spot leaks or infiltrations from the outside.

When going through your regular residential roof maintenance, be sure to take an extra few minutes to inspect your ceilings, especially in the attic. Look for any moisture or signs of water damage.

If you see signs of water damage, call a professional roofer to inspect and resolve the issue before any severe damage is done.

7. Ensure Strong Insulation

Poorly insulated roofs can cause a home to lose up to a quarter of its heat. Fitting your attic, loft, or roof space with proper insulation will help you save on energy costs while keeping your home at a comfortable temperature year-round.

When installed properly, roofing insulation can last more than 40 years, meaning it will more than pay for itself in energy bill savings while also reducing your carbon footprint.

8. Get a Roof Inspection

One of the best ways to maintain your roof is to call a professional for a thorough roof inspection. As a homeowner, there are plenty of roof maintenance chores you can do yourself to protect your roof and increase its lifespan, but you may miss signs of damage or decay that a professional will spot right away.

If you want your roof to last as long as possible and stay in good-looking shape, consider scheduling a roof inspection once or twice per year or after severe storms.

Maintain Your Roof With Long Roofing

Is it time to replace your roof? Call Long today! We offer up to 50-year warranties and complimentary service calls on every roof we install to give you the peace of mind you deserve.