Your roof withstands a lot over the years, and if you don’t want to find yourself in constant need of roof repairs (or even a roof replacement too soon), then you need to be proactive about taking care of it.
For a longer-lasting roof, follow these 3 tips.
Tip #1: Trim and clear.
If you want a nice surrounding landscape, make sure it doesn’t affect your roof. When you have tree branches hanging over your roof, you’re going to run into problems. Twigs and leaves may be annoying, but they won’t cause significant damage to your roof. However, falling branches during a particularly windy day or bad storm can put your roof, your home, and your family at risk.
Besides that, branches that are close to your home provide easy access for wildlife like squirrels, mice, and raccoons to cause all sorts of damage to your home. To prevent all of this from happening, be sure to trim and clear out trees whenever it’s needed (and clean out your gutters while you’re at it!). If the job is too much for you to handle on your own, don’t let it sit and assume you’ll take care of it “later.” By then, it might be too late. As soon as you see excess growth, take care of it, whether that means doing it yourself or calling in a professional.
Tip #2: Clean it up.
Your roof stays busy protecting you from the elements, which means you’re probably not thinking about what it’s up against day in and day out. The elements can leave a literal mark on your roof, and you’ll eventually notice that it has dirt, moss, algae, and fungus on it. Not only does it look pretty gross, but if it gets too bad, it can potentially lead to roof damage, structural issues, and health concerns for your family.
To avoid this altogether, clean your roof! It’s actually easier than many people think. An annual cleaning will keep your roof looking its best, and if you can’t seem to find the time or motivation to do it yourself, hire a professional. Whichever route you choose, know that you’ll be saving yourself a great deal of time and money in the future.
Tip #3: Keep an eye out.
Some things, like ceilings, walls, windows, and doors, you see every day. So if something looks off with them, you’ll be able to recognize it quickly and take care of the problem before anything major occurs. Your roof is a little different. It’s there, but you’re not looking at it, and you’re not going to know something is wrong until the roof starts leaking, or worse. So what can you do?
Be mindful of your roof! Really. Pay attention to it, especially after a big storm (hurricane season is coming up, after all). Keep an eye out for anything, both inside and outside, that could be wrong with your roof.
Look for these signs:
- Active drips and leaks
- Loose materials
- Moisture spots
- Sagging
- Dampness
- Ceiling stains
- Ponding water
If you see any of these signs, or even suspect something is going on with your roof, call in a roofing company as soon as possible. You can’t put a price on proactivity, and we can’t emphasize this enough. Your roof is an investment; it’s also expensive to replace, so if you can fix or repair it before a replacement is needed, you will save hundreds — probably even thousands — of dollars.
While it may seem like a lot of work upfront to keep up with routine roof maintenance, you’ll be happy you took the time to do it later when your roof lasts for years and years to come.
Get a Free Roof Inspection from Our Roofing Company in St. Augustine
If you’re in need of a new roof or roof repair, our team is here for you. For more than a decade, we’ve been providing honest, friendly roofing services to those in our community. When you need someone you can trust to give you an opinion on your roof, look no further than HW Roofing.
For a free, honest roof inspection, contact our team today! We proudly provide commercial and residential roofing services to those in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, Jacksonville, Nocatee, and the surrounding communities in Northeast FL.