Roofs are built with long-lasting materials and last for decades, but there is work to do to ensure that your roof lasts up to its lifespan. This is why roof maintenance matters.
No matter the durability of your roof, negligence to its maintenance will result in the roof losing its integrity, ultimately reducing the value of your home.
If you have just invested in roof replacement or repair, you want to know the best ways to maintain and clean your roof to keep it in excellent shape. The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to pay for roof maintenance. There are a few things you can do on your own to maintain your roof in Florida.
This blog post looks at key DIY roof maintenance tips for your Florida home:
Why is Roof Maintenance Important?
Most homeowners assume their roofs are in good condition since they can’t notice any leaks or damage. Hence, the roof is the most neglected part of the home. Unfortunately, it is often late when the damages become visible. Properly maintaining your roof helps ensure that every part of the roof is clean and no damaged elements are hidden. To avoid any form of damage to your roof, you want to take your roof’s maintenance routine seriously.
Top Roof Maintenance Tips for Florida Homes
While you can hire a professional roofer for your roof maintenance, you can do a few inspections and fixes on your own. With these maintenance tips, you can prevent your roof from developing issues, ensuring it serves you for an extended time:
1. Clear Your Gutters Regularly
Your gutters are a crucial part of your roof, and cleaning them will go a long way in enhancing your roof’s health.
Clogged gutters are a result of accumulation of leaves and other debris and can cause rainwater to pool on the roof. Also, birds can build nests on them, worsening the situation. When this happens, the roof suffers by rusting and rotting. Cleaning gutters is one of the few DIY roof maintenance tips you don’t necessarily need to hire a professional for.
Start by placing a sturdy ladder with a stabilizer against your roof. Put on a long-sleeved shirt and rubber gloves to protect your skin. Once you climb the gutter, clean it with a scooper by scooping out the dirt and debris in the gutter channel. An old scoop or spatula can be handy here. Once you have gotten rid of the debris, flush out the remaining debris using a hose to run water through the gutter.
While you are cleaning the gutters, be sure to keep an eye out for any areas that may be sagging. If not addressed, this can cause water to go where it wasn’t intended, or worse, damage your gutters.
2. Trim Vegetation and Trees around Your Roof
Having trees around your house can add to the beauty and scenic value of your home. However, trees can be detrimental to your roof’s health when not taken care of properly. Tree branches are a potential cause of roof damage and should be trimmed regularly to avoid debris on the roof.
As a homeowner in Florida, it is your duty to keep an eye on trees and other potential sources of roof debris around your property. Trim the branches when you notice that the branches are extending towards your roof area. You can do this on your own if the branches are not too high and you have the right trimming tools. However, be careful not to kill the tree. You can kill your tree by pruning it in the wrong season. If you don’t know much about trimming tree branches, hire a professional to do it for you. This will save you time and ensure your tree is healthy after trimming.
Tree branches extending over your roof can adversely affect your roof in two ways: leaves sitting on your roof for an extended period of time, and branches breaking off and potentially causing major damage. Heavy storms are a common occurrence in Florida and are usually the main culprit roof damage caused by broken tree branches.
3. Address Damages Early
One mistake most Florida homeowners make is to wait for vivid signs of damage before repairing them. Avoid this mistake at all costs.
When you notice a small leak in an area, you’d do well to call a professional roofing contractor, like Mid-Coast Roofing, to address it. This also lets them check other issues with your roof and rectify them. If the shingles, for example, are damaged (such as missing shingles or water-damaged shingles), fixing or replacing just those shingles will be much less expensive.
4. Seal Roof Flashings
Sealing your roof flashing is another maintenance tip to let your roof serve you up to its lifespan. This is important if your house has skylights, chimneys, vents, or exhaust fans. These features are installed with flashing to prevent water from seeping into them.
The flashing is usually made of steel and can rust. Hence, it makes sense to have it inspected by a roofing professional and seal cracks, or replace the flashing if need be.
5. Prevent Moss and Algae Growth on Your Roof
Moss and algae on your roof are also detrimental to your roof’s health. These elements grow on your roof due to weather changes and excessive humidity. Regardless of your roofing materials, keeping moss and algae away from your roof is important, as they can cause discoloration and damage to your roof material over time.
Eliminate moss and algae from your roof by scrubbing them away and prevent future growth by applying preventive products containing zinc and copper. Mid-Coast Roofing recommends applying these products annually for best results.
6. Invest In Regular Inspection
Let’s face it: there is a limit to how far you can go regarding your roof inspection and maintenance. While you can trim tree branches and clean clogged gutters yourself, some issues require hiring a professional to check and fix them. This is why you must periodically schedule a roof inspection with a professional roofing contractor.
A professional roofer can inspect all aspects of your roof thoroughly, and fix the affected areas. Also, your roofer can call your attention to potential issues with your roof so you know what to repair before things get out of hand.
While this can cost you some money, spending a few hundred dollars on roof maintenance is better than spending thousands of dollars on roof repairs or a complete roof replacement.
Conclusion: Roof Maintenance Tips for Florida Homeowners
Properly maintaining your roof is crucial to keeping it healthy and enhancing its lifespan. When you inspect and maintain your roof, you can repair minor damages and prevent future ones. While this may be time-consuming, it helps preserve your roof and ensure you and your family are safe under your roof.
However, roof maintenance is incomplete until a professional inspects your roof. While you can identify and manage some issues independently, you will inevitably need a professional to conduct a thorough inspection and identify hidden issues with your roof. This is where Mid-Coast Roofing comes in.
At Mid-Coast Roofing, we offer residential roofing services to homeowners in Southwest Florida and will be glad to inspect your roof. You can contact us at (941) 780-8713.
