6 Roof Maintenance Mistakes to Avoid for New Homeowners

June 3, 2020

Part of making sure your new home has as few issues as possible is keeping your roof in shape. Here are roof maintenance mistakes that you should avoid.

Roofing doesn’t seem too intimidating on the surface, but installing a roof is actually harder than you’d think. However, installing the roof is just the first bit, and there’s more work ahead.

Roof maintenance is crucial because exposure to adverse weather damages the roof over time. Maintaining your roof properly is one way to mitigate weather damage, but only if you do it correctly.

Most homeowners, especially first-time homeowners, unknowingly make plenty of roof maintenance mistakes. These mistakes work to the detriment of your roof, the opposite of what roof maintenance is supposed to do.

When you make roof maintenance mistakes regularly, you’re actually doing more harm than good to your roof. You may be giving your roof the attention it deserves but not the love it deserves. If you still see chipped or cracked shingles, no matter how much you maintain your roof, then you’re doing something wrong.

In this piece, we’ll look at common roof maintenance mistakes new homeowners make. That way, you can avoid making these mistakes for a lovely and long-lasting roof.

Common Roof Maintenance Mistakes Most People Make

Being a first-time homeowner is rough; not only do you have to calculate your mortgage payments, but you also have a whole house to take care of. The interior and garden are easy to maintain, but it might be a bit challenging to maintain the roof.

Working up a sweat and spending money to maintain your roof is useless if you do it wrongly. That’s why it’s vital to know common maintenance mistakes to save you time and effort. Here are some of the common mistakes new homeowners make when maintaining their roofs.

  1. Hammering Nails on the Wrong Places

A nail and hammer are among the easiest tools you could use for roof maintenance. However, that doesn’t mean you should add nails everywhere you can.

You may have pure intentions, but nails on the wrong places can structurally damage the roof. In some cases, the damage may be severe enough to merit a revamp of the entire roof.

As a rule of thumb, you should hammer every nail underneath the upper layer of the shingles. In doing so, you make the nails less susceptible to corrosion that creates holes on your shingles. Do so for every single nail, and you’ll have a structurally stable roof without any holes on the shingles.

  1. Overlooking Leaks

Roof leaks may seem harmless. However, there are plenty of reasons for roof leaks, and the first step to solving the problem is finding the root cause. If it’s just after you install your roof, then it may be because of improper installation.

The longer you ignore the roof leak, the worse the situation gets.  Always be on the lookout for signs of a leaking roof. You don’t need an actual puddle on the floor for your roof to be leaking.

Look for decolorization or paint peeling from your ceiling. If you ignore a roof leak for too long, the damage may be very expensive. In cases of heavy rains, ceilings may collapse because of the weight of accumulated water on top of it.

To address roof leaks, schedule a roof inspection as soon as you can. A professional roofing company will know how to solve the problem once and for all.

  1. Covering Old Shingles

Most homeowners are guilty of covering old shingles instead of replacing them. Covering old shingles doesn’t do much for the shingles you cover. When you uncover them, you’ll find that they’re even more deteriorated and damaged than before.

Instead of covering worn out shingles, the best thing to do is to replace them. Sure it costs a lot more than just covering them, but it’s a permanent fix to the problem. So just shell out the extra cash and replace the shingles with new, strong, and more durable shingles.

  1. Having Incomplete Roof Elements

A complete roof isn’t enough for quality, long-lasting roofs. You should also ensure that all other elements of the roof are in tip-top shape and are actually there. You should ensure that your roof has proper drainage and a proper overhang for it to be actually complete.

Proper drainage prevents interior damage to your home when water backs up into the roof. The overhang, on the other hand, protects your home from wind damage.

Also, remember these roof elements also need proper maintenance to achieve their intended purpose. So remember to clean and unclog the gutters regularly. Also, make sure you

  1. Putting Off Repairs

Another irresponsible habit that most homeowners are guilty of is procrastinating repairs. Procrastinating the repairs only worsens the damage. Most people put off repairs because of the cost, but at the end of the day, you end up paying much more for the repairs.

If you procrastinate repairs till the problem gets out of hand, you may end up nullifying your roof warranty. So if you want to keep your roof warranty and save a bundle in repair costs, then never procrastinate roof repairs.

  1. Doing Roof Fixes Yourself

YouTube has brought with it a host of sub-par DIYers who think they can handle anything you throw at them. While making your own table is manageable, you best leave stuff like roof repairs and maintenance to the professionals.

Slapping flex-tape and duct-seal on your roof isn’t necessarily a fix. Instead, it’s more a waste of time because it simply doesn’t work. If it does, it is a very temporary fix for long-lasting problems.

You better shell out those few dollars for professional roof repairs and solve the problem permanently. That’s because, either way, you’ll need professional repairs eventually, after you realize the DIY solution doesn’t work.

Proper Maintenance Is Key to Your Roof’s Longevity

Hopefully, you’re now well-acquainted with the most common roof maintenance mistakes. It’s now up to you to ensure you steer clear of these mistakes. Plus, remember, the state of your roof is only as good as your efforts to take care of it.

For more insightful reads, make a point of looking at the other posts on the site.

I enjoy being part of Urban Splatter as it continues to create evolving opportunities within the digital realm of architecture.

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