Roof Maintenance And Care Recommendations For Your Home
Your home roof is an important structural system to your property, and when it begins to be affected by weather, algae, and ice formation, you can experience a large amount of damage and expenses related to fixing your roof and any interior damage that occurs. Here are some recommendations to help you take great care of your roof so it can last for many years.
Clean Your Roof
There are several different types of debris that can come into contact with your roof and potentially cause damage. One type of debris that is common for your roof to collect is leaves and twigs. Watch for collection of this type of debris collecting on your roof, especially in the valleys of your roof's structure. Organic debris traps in moisture and can start to rot your shingles, so it is a good idea to clean them from your roof.
Use a garden hose to spray off the debris or hire a professional roofer to clean its surface. Keep trees trimmed back away from your roof to prevent leaves from falling on your roof and also to stop the branches from scratching and damaging your shingles.
You should also look for signs of algae growth and stains that will form over time. These stains will appear as dark streaks down the slope of your roof, and can also appear as patches on areas of the shingles. Algae is a living organism and grows roots that penetrate into your shingles. This activity will cause the shingles to decompose and break apart, as the algae growth will break apart the surface of the shingle that is important for the moisture barrier.
A good way to clean algae and other growths from your roof is to spray a solution of equal parts water and bleach, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it from the roof. You can also use roof cleaning solutions that will remove algae, but you should always install a series of copper strips along the ridge of your roof. This copper element will prevent moss and algae growth as molecules from the copper strip flow down your roof during rainstorms.
Protect Your Roof From Damage
You can also take a proactive approach to keeping your roof free of damage that occurs from ice and poor maintenance practices. Ice dams can form at the edge of your roof in winter, and form around and below the shingles on your roof. Keep your roof and attic fully ventilated to prevent your roof from becoming too warm from below. Then, your roofer can install heating cables at the edge of your roof where ice can form, to prevent this problem.
Keep your gutters cleaned out bi-annually to remove leaves and debris that will clog them and prevent good roof drainage. Water backups onto your roof can occur from overflowing clogged gutters, so arrange for regular cleaning.
For more recommendations on keeping your roof damage free, contact your local roofers for up-to-date roofing advice.
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