While it might look simple, your roof is a complex structure that requires regular repair and maintenance. Below we have provided some of the best roof repair and maintenance techniques to ensure that issues are caught early and small faults don’t have the opportunity to grow into larger problems. This will help avoid costly replacements and prolong the life of your existing roof.
Follow the steps below for a long-lasting roof:
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Perform regular roof cleaning
Perhaps one of the most important tips on this list is to regularly clean your roof. This might include cleaning the gutter, cleaning off any build-up like moss and sweeping away any debris. Regularly performing this kind of cleaning has a number of benefits. It minimises the damage that natural build-up can have on the structure and allows you to review your roof every once in a while to ensure that it is still in tip-top condition.
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Schedule regular roof inspections
Alongside your cleaning, you should regularly inspect your roof to catch issues before they become serious problems. It is particularly important to perform inspections after weather conditions such as heavy storms and hail, allowing you to repair the damage before it spreads. Some important elements to look at are bruised or cracked shingles (the overlapping rectangles that make up most roofs), loose ridge caps, damaged metal features and moisture in the roof’s interior. Schedule an inspection at least twice a year to stay on top of any changes happening up above and significantly prolong the life of your roof.
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Cut away vegetation that has grown too close to your roof
A common form of damage that is easy to avoid are branches rubbing or falling on the roof. Cutting away these branches and leaving a healthy space between the roof and your vegetation will help avoid damage from the impact caused by trees moved by the wind and minimise the leaves and debris that might find their way into the gutter.
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Look for and repair loose flashing
Flashing is a thin piece of metal that runs along the edges of a roof, including where two planes of the roof meet each other, where a roof meets a wall and around roof features such as chimneys and skylights. Flashing has an important role to play in directing water away from the roof, but it is also one of the most fragile components of the structure, which means that it needs special attention every time you perform an inspection. Repairing loose flashing promptly is vital to keeping the moisture away from the interior of your home and prolonging the life of your roof.
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Seal any roof penetrations
Roof penetrations are features that protrude from the surface of the structure. These might include pipes, air conditioning units, chimneys, skylights and vents. These penetrations often present a weak spot in the roof and can begin to leak if they are not properly sealed. It is important to check along the border of the penetration and where it meets to roof to ensure that the sealant is applied well and hasn’t degraded over time. This can be performed by a professional roofer.