How to Properly Take Care of Your Roof Before the End of Summer
With summer coming to an end, there are several things that need to be done, the main one being taking care of your roof. It may seem like a daunting task if you’ve never done it before and don’t know where to start. To help you get an idea of how to take care of your roof and keep your family safe throughout the cold season, here are five tips to help you.
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Obtain an Inspection
Getting a professional inspection of your roof done is a good idea, as it helps identify any issues that may not be obvious to the untrained eye. Up to 23% of homeowners say that they never have their roof inspected, nor do they inspect it themselves unless a problem occurs. This is not a good idea because the heat of summer causes swelling, cracking, and shifting of roofing materials. The real issue occurs when colder weather arrives, making everything shrink. This leaves damage that needs a thorough inspection in order to be fixed properly. An inspection as summer draws to a close will show any damage, which will be fixed easily with plenty of time and good weather.
Clean the Gutters
The gutters invariably end up with a lot of debris thanks to falling leaves and collecting dust. They play an important role in directing rainwater away from the foundation of your home, and to do this effectively, they need to be kept clean. The accumulation of all this debris creates the possibility of rainwater pooling on your roof where it can start seeping under the different components, which will lead to more serious issues. To avoid all of this, make sure that your gutters are clean and clear of dirt and leaves. Alternatively, get gutter guards which cover your gutters and keep large things like leaves out. They allow water in because they have small holes on top of them, so you are left with less cleanup to do.
Repair the Roof When Necessary
Making the necessary repairs as often as needed saves you from an extensive repair job, which will cost you more time and money. Make it a point, therefore, to repair your roof at the first sign of trouble. Unless it is necessary to replace the entire roof, you should be able to get many more years out of it. It is important to note, however, that stone-coated steel roofing is fully recyclable, has Class Four hail impact resistance, a Class A fire rating, and is lightweight, weighing in at 1.4 lbs per sq ft. If you do end up replacing the roof, you may go for stone coated steel roofing if it’s not what you currently have.
Trim Trees Near the Roof
As mentioned before, leaves are part of the debris that can fill up your gutters and weigh down your roof. If there are trees overhanging the roof though, you don’t have to cut them down. Simply trimming the branches closest to your roof will make sure that any leaves that fall off won’t end up on your roof where they will collect all season. Your family will remain safe and have trees to provide shade when the sun comes back out.
Winterize Your Roof
While preparing for the end of summer, you should also prepare your roof for winter, which will come immediately after fall, leaving you no time to do further repairs. This should involve the prevention of ice dams and measures to counter the freeze-thaw cycle. The roofing industry expects over 4% growth yearly to reach $19.9 billion by 2021, showing that many people are seeing the importance of working on their roofs each season.
Make sure that your family is safe from the harsh cold that is common after summer by following the tips above. It’s less work to prevent than to fix roof issues in the long run!
