How To Take Care of Your Roof: A Roof Maintenance Checklist

You might not think of your roof often, but it deserves your occasional attention. Taking care of your home’s roof will prolong its life and save you money in the long run. It doesn’t have to be stressful. Just follow this easy roof maintenance checklist to protect the health of your roof:

Routine Roof Inspections

Your roof needs routine inspections. This includes taking a look at the roof a few times a year to make sure that it’s doing its job and holding up to the elements.

• Inspect roofs that are composite, shingle and asphalt every three years
• Tile roofs should be looked at every five years
• After about 10 years, you should inspect the roof every two years no matter what type it is
• After 15 years, have the roof checked each year

Access Damage After Storms

Every time there is a powerful storm in your area, you’ll want to check your roof.

• Visually look at the shingles with binoculars and a ladder, identifying any broken, missing, curling or flapping shingles
• Check your gutters for debris that could be from roof degradation, like tile chips or granules
• Look for signs of seeping moisture, like discolored areas on the ceiling or water dripping from the ceiling
• Also check the flashing, which is the metal around joints in the roof. Does it appear flush and complete?
• Does your chimney look the same as always? Chimney cap still in place, and all masonry is complete?
• Call a professional if needed

Remove Any Debris

Make sure your roof stays clear of debris. Storms or season changes can mean woody branches and leaves are deposited on your roof. This can create ongoing moisture exposure if the leaves are holding water, or a fire hazard if dry tinder is near your chimney. Also, your roof wasn’t designed to hold up the weight of a heavy load.

• Look up at your roof every weekend and if you see debris, be sure to remove it.

Keep Good Records

It’s important that you keep all records about the health of your roof. Without records of age, maintenance and replacements, you won’t have a good idea of how the roof is performing and how much longer it’ll last.

• Start records as early as possible, ideally, you want records that start when the home was built
• Include any other large projects as they relate to the roof
• Track gutter replacements and roof cleanings
• Track chimney repair and maintenance

When looking to buy a home, ask if they have these records. When it come time to sell your home, letting prospective buyers know you have complete roof care records will say a lot about you & the care your home has received (all good things).

Whether you’re buying or selling a home, you should care about the state of the roof. Although often overlooked, it’s an extremely important system of your home.