When it comes to any structure, it’s undeniable that the roof is significant. It protects you from debris, weather, and extreme temperatures. But it’s also a part of your home that adds charm and curb appeal to your home. The better roofing you have, the higher your property value can be.

Because of this, it’s essential to have a proper roof installation. But it doesn’t end there because you’ll need to make sure that the upkeep and care for your roof are done regularly and correctly. Just like most parts of your home, any structure won’t last forever, especially if you don’t take care of it. If you want your roof to last a long time, there are different strategies you can take. Some tasks are more manageable than others, but the essential part isn’t to forget. If you forget that repairs need to be done, you could run into a bigger problem later on, especially during the winter!

So, to make things easier for you, here’s a checklist that you can follow to make your roof last longer.

1. Pick A High-Quality Roof

The most important part of making sure that the roof of your home will last a long time is to choose wisely. There are different roofing materials in the market, and each of them has its pros and cons. Whether you’re picking a roof for a residential or commercial building, it’s essential to do your research and to consult experts like smithroofingpros.com. This is because they know what kind of roof is the most long-lasting and which would be appropriate for your home.

Clay and concrete roofing are the most long-lasting roof materials because they can last for over 100 years. Next is slate which can last 60 to 150 years. But just because these two are the longest-lasting roof materials doesn’t mean it’s always the best choice for your home. There are some limitations to what kind of roof you can have installed. It may be limited by your budget, structural integrity of the building, weather conditions in your area, and availability of these materials.

2. Getting It Serviced

In terms of maintenance, getting your roof professionally serviced will be necessary. If you’re not too experienced with being a handyman or just don’t have the time to do it, hiring help would be a huge help. They can give you all the services you need, from simple inspections, minor repairs, to even bigger projects like reroofing. Either way, this is the easiest and most thorough way to maintain your roof and to make sure it’ll last for a long time.

3. Clean The Roof and Gutters

Just like most things, the best way to make sure it lasts is to keep it clean. Roof gutters are notorious for needing to be cleaned up regularly. It can collect a lot of leaves, water, moss, and all kinds of debris. When this happens, it can cause water damage, leaks, and rot in your roof.

While you’re at it, you should also clean the rest of your roof. But there are dos and don’ts that you should keep in mind when you do this:

• Don’t use pressure washers for shingles.
• Use a garden hose with a sprayer instead.
• Clean it with a solution of equal parts of water and chlorine bleach.
• Let the solution sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Rinse it thoroughly.
• Wash your roof during sunny days.
• Please don’t wait for moss and algae to grow uncontrollably before washing it.

4. Properly Install Insulation

During winter, ice dams, leaks, and icicles are incredibly problematic for many homeowners. Moisture is hugely damaging to a home because it can cause wood to rot. Aside from this, it can lead to health hazards such as mold growth.

For your roof, wood rot can affect structural integrity. Eventually, the roof could cave in, and it’s going to be a bigger problem to deal with. To avoid this, it’s crucial to have proper insulation to ensure that condensation can be avoided.

5. Fortify Your Roof

Fortifying your roof is a great way to make it last longer, but it can cost you. Still, it’s one of the best investments you can make for your home. If you live in an area that gets a lot of windstorms, roof fortification won’t only be a good idea but it will be necessary.

This isn’t something you can do on your own, as only professionals will do this correctly. They’ll first have to inspect the roof to see if there are any other issues that need to be addressed. It’s also necessary to find out if the roof has been fortified before, as a roof can only be fortified once. The process of fortification also includes replacing damaged parts.

They’ll also be securing the roof deck with the right shank nails in the proper spacing, which will be highly effective in keeping water from seeping through. For the same purpose, sealing is also part of the process to get rid of any gaps or seams where water can get through.

6. Inspect Regularly

Inspecting your roof regularly will be needed to make sure you can spot any issues. There are things you can do on your own, like looking for water stains, leaky spots, missing shingles, and even cracks on your roof. But some issues are tricky to spot to untrained eyes.

It’s advised to have your roof professionally inspected twice per year. Ideally, you’ll want to schedule it once during fall and once during spring. But remember that you should also do your inspections in between, too.

7. Do Repairs ASAP

Once you see any issues that need to be dealt with, don’t delay! You’ll need to do repairs and cleanups as soon as possible to keep it from getting worse. You might think that a few missing shingles isn’t a severe problem. However, it’ll cause leaks and eventually affect the structural integrity of the roof.

Moreover, seasons quickly change, and weather can be unpredictable. You’ll need to deal with the problems immediately so that it can handle any rainy or bad weather. Any issues that aren’t solved before wintertime will cost you more money for repairs later on, so make sure to act quickly!

8. Find Professionals

There are so many roofing professionals all over the world. But sticking to a trusted roofer is crucial because they can get to know your roofing structure better. They’ll have documentation about all the repairs and all the usual issues you encounter.

If you constantly switch from one roofing company to another, it will be more tiring because they’ll have to get to know the structure and the history all over again. On the other hand, sticking to one trusted company will help you avoid these delays and get to the needed work asap.

But make sure that you go to a trusted professional roofing company. Research on the companies you want to hire and ask around. You can even look into different websites to see what services they have, and you can even look at previous projects they’ve had.

9. Know Your Maintenance Routine

As mentioned, roof maintenance is essential to do regularly. But rarely do people know what the maintenance should include. Here’s a checklist that will be extremely helpful to make sure you don’t forget anything.

• Check the interior for problems, such as water stains
• Clean up moss, algae, debris
• Inspect and repair the roof surface
• Repair cuts, tears, and gaps on expansion joints
• Fix gapping and problems with flashings
• Look for mold in and around the flashings
• Clean clogged drains and inspect for damage
• Reseal any holes that can cause leaks
• Inspect and repair skylights, vents, chimneys, and pipes
• Always check on old repairs

10. Cut Down Overhanging Branches

As mentioned, fallen leaves and debris can be seriously damaging to any roof. If you have branches overhanging your roof, you should have them professionally cut to avoid clogged gutters. It can be a dangerous job for you, and it might even damage your property if you do it on your own. So, make sure that you call an experienced professional to remove any branches or trees for you. Also, make sure to schedule it on a day where there aren’t many people around. This way, you can avoid accidents, especially if you live in a busy neighborhood. It would be best to hire a company that will also provide cleaning services to remove all the fallen debris and take them to be disposed of properly.

Conclusion

It doesn’t take a genius to know that the roof is probably one of the most critical parts of your home. It protects people, but also the structure of the building to help it last forever. But remember that it can’t do its job correctly if you don’t care for it. By protecting and maintaining your roof, you’re helping your home withstand terrible weather conditions and other external problems that can cause it to age and deteriorate. Even if you pick the best roofing material in the world, you’ll still need to put in the effort to make sure that no problems worsen and go unseen.