Roof shingles don’t always need professional attention. Sometimes, a few DIY tricks can also help you maintain your roof. Maintaining your roof regularly will help you save the baggage of roof replacement as long as possible. The roof will stay perfect for longer and support your home and family better. Here are some tips and practices that can help you maintain your roof shingles and identify any trouble in advance.
Check Your Shingles Regularly
The first and foremost step to maintain the roof is to identify the issues visible to the eyes. Regularly take a look at the shingles; especially after a storm, high winds, or heavy rain. You don’t need to climb up the roof. It is always recommended to hire professionals to climb up the roof to avoid accidents. Instead, get yourself a good pair of binoculars and spy on them to identify any potential problem. Watch out for,
- Missing shingles
- Curling shingles
- Cracked shingles
- Peeling flashing
- Missing granules
If any of these issues come up, contact a professional to help you out. All these signs mean that your roof isn’t safe and probably is harboring a bigger problem.
Look for Water Marks in Your Attic & Ceilings
The exterior looks perfect and that’s great. But, often the signs of trouble can be seen from inside as well. Watch out for water stains inside your home. Ceilings and attics are the first places you can notice the stains if there are any leaks in your roof. So check regularly to avoid any serious issues. If you can identify successfully any such issues in its nascent stage, it will save you a ton of trouble later on. The most common warning signs you should look for are:
- Musty odors in any room. If there is a leak, the air in that certain room will change abruptly.
- Water stains on your ceiling.
- Spots on your exterior walls. Look for stains from outside as well.
- Bulging patches on your interior walls. This is a sign you would never ignore. It can be a roof issue or a plumbing problem as well.
Wash Dirt and Algae of Your Roof
Your roof goes through a lot regularly. It accumulates dirt and due to the atmosphere, algae starts growing on them more often than you would want them. If you wash the roof shingles regularly, or whenever they start to look dirty, or dark, it will help you spot any issue easily. A little patch of algae won’t immediately harm the roof shingles but leave it long enough and the shingles will start to rot.
The best DIY tip is to spray your roof with a 50 percent mix of water and bleach. Another effective tip is to install copper strips just beneath your roof’s peak. Copper molecules reacting with the rain will kill the algae fixation.
Trim Any Overhanging Branches
Overhanging branches have the risk of falling on your roof during a storm or high wind and damage to the roof. You never know when a storm comes. So be vigilant and cut off any large branches that are directly over your roof. This will help reduce storm damage and also prevent the fallen leaves from piling up.
Look for Cracks on the Chimney
It’s not only Santa Claus and his elves that come down the chimney. It is a direct way that your home communicates with the atmosphere. Moreover, the chimney is directly connected with the shingles. If a roof shingle around the chimney has gone bad, it would create damage to the chimney and vice versa. Check out your chimney for cracks or missing mortar. Structural damage of any size can cause bricks to start falling out, which can damage your roof.
These are a few tips that you can do on your own to identify any roof damage right at its beginning. However, if the damage looks even a slight bit beyond general concerns, don’t shy away from contacting a professional roof repair company. Whether you have an urgent need for a new roof or your roof is too worn to properly protect your home— Valor Home is here to help you.