Is your roof ready for fall? It's easy to neglect roof maintenance, but it's an important part of your home that needs attention now and then. If your roof has leaks, sagging gutters, or other problems, taking care of these issues now will save you from paying premium prices for emergency service. Get your roof ready for cooler temperatures with this checklist.
Inspect for Visible Damage
Dust off the ladder in your garage and put it to use to climb on top of your roof. Once you're on the roof, look for problems like damaged shingles, missing or warped flashing, and other problems that cause leaks. A leaky roof not only causes water damage. It also contributes to mold and rot.
Not everyone is comfortable with heights, so if this sounds like you, hire roofers to do a visual inspection for you. Even if you're fine with heights, it's highly recommended to call professionals when your home is higher than one story.
Clean Your Gutters
You might not realize it, but your home's gutters are an important part of the roof system. If the gutters are filled with leaves and other debris, you can have bigger problems than backed-up gutters. A clogged gutter can get so heavy that they pull away from the house and cause damage to the roof. Spending a few hours cleaning twigs and leaves from your gutters protects your roofing system all year, not just in the fall.
Have Your Chimney Checked
If your home has a chimney, have it checked by a professional chimney sweep to make sure all its parts are clean and in good condition. You can also schedule an appointment with a roofer to check the flashing around the chimney's base to double-check nothing has come loose. A wobbly chimney isn't structurally sound and can crumble, damaging your roof.
Replace Missing Shingles
Your roof's shingles serve as protection against the weather elements. Even two missing shingles can affect how well your roof responds to heavy rains, ice, and snow. Fortunately, replacing a few shingles is a lot cheaper than replacing an entire roof or repairing water damage in your home.
Clean Your Roof
Do you have large trees on your property taller than your home? If so, you might not give a second thought to the pine needles, leaves, and trees on your roof, but you should. When these natural elements sit on the roof for long periods, they can cause damp spots to form that eventually cause roofing materials to rot. This means you could face roof repair or replacement sooner than necessary. Consider trimming trees back so that fewer twigs and leaves make their way onto the roof. Trimming is also a good idea to prevent accidental damage if a branch snaps and falls on the roof.
Inspecting the roof might not seem like your idea of fun, but it's a part of home maintenance you don't want to neglect. You deserve a safe and comfortable home that doesn't have a leaky roof. To make sure your home's roof is ready for fall, contact your Findlay Roofing at (770) 516-5806 to schedule a professional roof inspection.
