Roof Maintenance Checklist: 7 Chores To Help Maintain Your Roof

How much did you spend on your building’s roof in the last year? Did unexpected leaks and damage take a toll on your wallet? Regular roof maintenance can be an incredibly powerful method of reducing your roofing costs and getting more out of your roof. With this care, you could see years added to your roof’s lifespan, saving you even more money by pushing away new roof installation!

What is roof maintenance going to do to protect your roof? Regular maintenance keeps you ahead of slow-moving damage like moss growth, hairline fractures, and tears. We can help you stay ahead of common damages by providing you with a professional and capable eye – so if you have any questions or concerns about your roof, don’t hesitate to call!

Know Your Roof with Close Inspection

While there is no competition with a regular inspection from a roofing professional, you can do your own inspection work and note any concerns when you reach out to your roofer. You already know a lot about your roof’s unique design and structure, knowledge which is critical for appropriate roof maintenance.

Check your Shingles and Membranes

Shingles are the most common type of residential roofing. Keeping an eye out for frayed, loose, or missing shingles is important, as shingles are the first line of defense against punctures and scratches in your roofing membrane.

Inspect Flashing

Flashing protects your home from water creeping down the walls, which ensures a watertight seal where the walls and roof meet. After a time, roof flashing can be pulled at by wind, pushed away by ice and temperature changes, or flex due to rust and corrosion. Pass a close eye over your flashing to watch for potential leaks!

Check Your Gaskets

Most venting pipes are sealed with a rubber gasket around the base, where the pipe exits the roof. This prevents water penetration, but rubber can decay with exposure to sun and heat. You should take stock of all of your roof’s venting pipes and penetrations, from bathroom exhaust to attic ventilation. 

Spring and Fall Roof Maintenance

These steps are not a constant worry, but when a new season starts, you should be prepared for the work that comes with it! Knowing what is included in roof maintenance is the first step towards more completely protecting your roof.

Clear off Tree Debris

While seeds, flower petals, and leaves will typically gather in your gutters, take the time to regularly clear organic debris off of your roof. Using a broom or leaf blower with easy and safe access to your roof can help prevent debris from gathering in your gutters.

Clean Your Gutters

Hopefully, you have been keeping up with gutter cleaning already, but if not, you should start ASAP! Checking and cleaning your roof’s gutters of debris will ensure that water can flow freely through your drainage system. Blockages risk overflow and even damage to the gutters themselves!

Year Round Maintenance

If you don’t know how often to do roof maintenance, try to do a full check-up at least once a season – every three months or so. Every season brings its own problems, but some concerns should be monitored year-round.

Prevent Moss and Algae

Moss and algae growth can happen year-round, often depending on whether your building is well-shaded or in a very moist area. But the springtime is when these roof-damaging plants can grow the most, leaving ugly dark streaks or even damaging your shingles. Frequent application of moss and algae treatments will ensure you don’t see your roof cave in from a heavy mat of wet moss.

Check Roof and Attic Ventilation

Have you seen birds moving in and out of your attic space? Considering just blocking off all ventilation? Don’t! Proper roof ventilation keeps even airflow, which is critical to preventing damage from ice dams in the winter and mold or mildew at other times of the year. Ice dams can form if your attic is improperly insulated and vented. Rising heat can melt snow at the top of the roof and allow it to freeze at the edges, creating dangerous ice dams.

Trim Trees

Lastly, it’s important to trim trees wherever they are at risk of dropping branches or scraping along your roof’s surface. Tree damage is one of the most common causes of roof repairs across the nation, so preventative maintenance is a critical aspect of responsible homeownership and saving money.

Follow Through On Your Hard Work With Green Rhino!

You’re probably worn out after cleaning gutters, inspecting flashing, and trimming branches. We know how exhausting roof maintenance and inspections can be, which is why we are here to help! Call us up, and we can get started with a regular inspection and maintenance plan that will provide your roofing with the care it deserves!

We are based out of Dallas, PA, and have provided our high-quality services to homes throughout the Northeast Pennsylvania region. If you live within our service area, you know who to call!