There’s no denying that roofs are crucial yet the most overlooked aspect of a home. Despite being a true protector of you and your loved ones, its maintenance is not given much consideration. If you are among such homeowners, you are inviting many risks for your house and your family.
Preventive care of your roof is as vital as it’s for your car. To ensure your vehicle functions properly and stays in its best form, you must maintain it in various ways. The same applies to the roof as well. Since the roof holds other parts of a home’s structure, including the ceilings, walls, and foundation, you must ensure its strength and integrity. Through the right maintenance, you can extend your roof’s life while ensuring its optimal performance.
Before we learn about the most practical and effective roof maintenance tips, here’s why you should seriously consider roof maintenance.
Importance Of Roof Maintenance
1. Improves The Longevity
Roofs tend to last long. However, with regular maintenance, they can last even longer. Ignoring even the slightest of an issue can lead you to replace them in just a few years. Many reputed roof repairs Melbourne experts suggest getting your roof inspected by professionals twice a year. Doing this will allow you to determine your roof’s existing condition.
Also, you will be able to detect any potential issues and resolve them before they turn into something major.
2. Keeps Your Family & Home Safe
Your roof acts as a layer of protection between the external and the internal elements. It saves your loved ones and other structural components of your house from heat, wind, rain and snow. Further, with benefits like insulation, the roof keeps your family and home warm while saving you money on electricity bills.
Not only this, roof issues like mould growth can actually impact the health of your family. Living in moist areas can cause breathing problems, skin rashes and headaches.
But all this is possible only if you maintain your roof well. A leaky, flaking or weak roof cannot withstand extreme weather conditions and can cause havoc at any time. This may put your family and your entire property at a huge risk. That is why regular roof maintenance is essential.
3. Retains Home Value
Would you consider buying a property with damaged windows or roofing issues? If you can’t, how can you expect others to put their hard-earned money into such a property?
Allowing to roof damages to grow for months can cause structural damage to your property. Such issues can further escalate with time, leading to severe concerns like mould and pest infestation. And as you know, such issues can detriment the value of any property.
Hence, you must regularly maintain your roof to keep it in top-notch condition. You never know when you may need to sell it.
4. Saves You Money
As told, ignoring roof maintenance for a long can cause serious issues with your roof. For example, a tiny leak in the roof, if not treated on time, can lead to moisture build-up in the walls of your house. With time, this can further cause mould growth and weakened walls. Treating such roof issues is more expensive than repairing a tiny roof leak. The idea here is that you can save money on huge roof repairs or replacements with regular maintenance.
5. Enhances The Curb-Appeal Of Your Home
A well-maintained roof with evenly painted tiles, all in place, can increase your home’s curb appeal. On the other hand, missing tiles or patchy paint can put off the passerby quickly. This is another reason that makes roof maintenance important.
Roof Care Tips Every Homeowner Must Consider
Considering all the above reasons, here is a roof maintenance checklist every homeowner must always have in place.
1. Ensure Regular Cleaning
Whether its extreme hot climate or stormy weather, Australia is on the top list. As such, your roof is exposed to moist and humid air, which promotes algae and mould growth. Over time, these microbes degrade the roof by creating spaces where rainwater collects.
With regular roof cleaning, you can prevent mould growth. Include soft power washing the roof, which removes dirt and plant debris from the roof surface. This will leave your roof clean and mould free.
2. Annual Roof Inspections
Minor issues are usually not visible to the eyes. Hence, professional roof restoration Melbourne contractors can help you inspect your roof. They will perform a detailed inspection of your roof to detect any potential issues with it. Further, they will also suggest the ideal solutions against those issues, if any. Typically, you must get your roof inspected once or twice a year, depending on your roof’s age and factors like climate.
3. Prevent or Eliminate Standing Water
Standing water can damage the structural integrity of your roof. To ensure your roof’s health and longevity, you must eliminate puddled water. Also, identify what caused standing water on your roof. Is it because of the sagging roof or tree limbs shading the roof? Find out the potential cause and take necessary measures to resolve it.
4. Trim Nearby Trees and Bushes
Plant vegetation enhances the beauty of your home while protecting it from heat. However, failing to keep an eye on them can cause damage to your roof.
Branches of the trees, if close enough to your roof, may scrape across rooftops. They move the granules that protect the roof tiles. Further, heavy winds or storms can knock off the limbs and branches, and they may land on your roof. This can cause physical damage to the roof, enabling easy access for small animals to enter your home.
In such cases, ensure trees and bushes close to your roof are pruned and regularly maintained. This will lower the possibility of them ruining your roofing system.
5. Regularly Clean Your Gutter System
Over time, your gutters can collect rain, snow, and debris, which can add weight and strain your roof. This can compromise your home’s structural integrity, leading to premature wear and tear. In extreme cases, overflowing gutters can cause the roof to collapse. Additionally, aging gutters can become a breeding ground for mould, which can further spread to other roof areas.
To prevent these issues, it’s important to clean your gutters regularly and install gutter protectors to keep leaves and debris out. You may also want to consider hiring roofing contractors to maintain your gutters and ensure they are in good condition.
6. Do Not Ignore Minor Issues
Homeowners often avoid inspecting their rooftops thoroughly. However, with caution, they can detect minor flaws before they turn into major issues.
Inspect for broken, cracked or missing roof tiles, warped or splitting lead flashing, crumbling masonry, or any signs of decay and weakness. Neglecting them can lead to significant and expensive problems.
If you’re unable to perform spot repairs or resealing, it’s advisable to reach out to roofing contractors to prevent long-term issues.
7. Inspect Your Roof For Leaks
Regularly inspecting the surface of your roof for holes or broken tiles may not be feasible. However, you can still detect a potential roof leak by examining your roof for certain signs. Look for water stains on the ceiling or walls, mildew odour, and water drippings or pools.
Since roof leaks are a common issue, it is crucial to stay ahead of the problem by regularly checking your attic for any indications of a leak. This can help extend the life of your roof and ensure timely maintenance.
Conclusion
Continuous exposure to external elements can cause your roof to wear out and damage. However, with regular maintenance and professional assistance, you can ensure the optimal condition of your roofing system. Do not overlook the importance of your roof. Use the above-mentioned roof maintenance checklist and keep your roof intact for years to come.