Add Years to Your Roof with Maintenance

Unless there is a problem with it, you probably do not give much thought to your roof. Well, that will certainly change if you run into a situation where a repair is needed and the cost is high.

A roof is an incredibly hardy piece of construction. Think about it for a minute. It bakes in the sun all day, gets dumped on with rain, whipped by wind and occasionally pounded by debris. Through all this, it manages to stay together and keep the elements out.

A roof is able to hold up under these stresses because it is well thought out. It is not just a bunch of shingles. It is a multilayered system. Each system is different, but all have a few common elements.

The roofing on your home performs the same function as the hull on a sailboat. It keeps the water out. With a roof, this is accomplished by layering an outer material over waterproofing. The outer layer is usually some form of shingles.

Perhaps the most critical component of our upside down boat are edges and penetration points. To seal these areas, roofers use metal flashing and waterproof sealants. These essentially act like caps on a bottle of soda.

We all love to do projects around the home. How else do Lowes and Home Depot exist? When it comes to the roof on your home, however, you should resist the urge. The repairs can be complex, so you do not want to cause more problems than you solve.

The bigger concern is the fact a roof is a collection of systems. Repairing it is rarely a case of dealing with one small point. You may have to track migrating work and such. In fact, most roof leak cases require just that.

So, what is the magic thing that will help you avoid roof problems in the first place? Well, there really is not much to it. The simple answer is to do a bit of maintenance each year and you should avoid expensive fixes.

The initial maintenance step is easy. Walk a lap around your home looking at the roofing. If you see anything on it or tree limbs rubbing against it, get rid of them. Also, have anything that looks askew fixed. Broken shingles are the most common problem.

Cleaning your roof is the next bit of maintenance. Roofs collect dirt, dust, mold and other organic material. These can penetrate the roof material and cause problems or block natural flow lines. A good cleaning gets rid of them.

I hate cleaning gutters. You probably hate cleaning gutters. Nonetheless, gutters need to be cleaned before big storms. Stuffed up gutters result in water pooling back under the edge of roofs. This can cause severe damage to roofs and walls.

If you follow these three basic steps, your roof should stand the test of time. In this case, that means thirty years or so depending on the type of roof it is. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth it for such a long life of protection from the elements.
Article Provided By: My Articles Directory
About the Author: Lido Island professional roofing services can be found at 866FixMyRoof.com.

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