Roof Maintenance Tips

The roof is one of the most important elements in any structure. Your roof provides you with defense against snow, rain, wind, and heat. Over time, exposure to punishing weather hazards and other elements causes it to get damaged and it deteriorates.

That’s why regular roof maintenance is key. After all, as a landlord, ensuring your tenants live in a habitable property is one of your crucial responsibilities. Failure to do so, you risk losing a good tenant, or even worse, finding yourself facing legal issues, warns Big Horn Rentals.

Basically, as a landlord, you have no option other than to ensure your tenant has a good roof over their heads at all times. Regular roof maintenance will not only help you spot problem areas but will also enable you to save money on expensive repairs. It’s a win-win!

Here are some Roof Maintenance Tips:

What Causes Roof Damage?

It helps to know what causes roof damage so that you can prevent roof damage as much as possible.

  • Lack of proper maintenance. Lack of proper roof maintenance can lead to costly repairs down the road.
  • Extreme weather conditions. Weather conditions like ice, heavy rain, snow, even high humidity can gradually damage your roof over time.
  • Damage from hail. A massive hailstorm can cause roof damage by displacing the granules from the shingle’s surface.
  • Damage from wind. Wind can expose roofing materials like nails, and cause shingles to loosen.
  • Poor installation. Always hire a professional roofing expert whenever you are getting your roof installed.

With that in mind, how do you ensure the roof on your rental property is always in great condition?

6 Maintenance Tips for your Rental Property Roof

1.    Inspect your roof regularly.

This is key. Roof Inspections help to identify a wide array of issues with your roof long before you ever need to replace it. Most experts recommend inspecting your roof at least twice a year, and having it professionally inspected once every two years.

When carrying out the roof inspection, focus on the following areas:

  • Shingles: Are they cracked, curled, or missing? If your shingles have any of these problems, it may mean that water, ice, and snow can hit your roof directly.
  • Flashing: Is the flashing on your roof corroded, broken or cracked? Issues with the flashing on a roof can cause roof damage and roof leaks.
  • Gutters: Are the gutters on your roof functioning as they should? Damaged gutters can cause severe cosmetic and structural problems for your home.
  • Piles of granules: It’s not uncommon to find few loose granules in the gutter weeks after your roof is installed. However, if you notice abnormal piles of granules, it may be a sign of trouble. Ask for professional help.

2.    Clean the gutters.

Your roof gutters play an important role in maintaining your home, like avoiding leaks and water damage. This is done by ensuring that the downspouts direct water away from your home to prevent damaging the foundation.

So, form a habit of regularly cleaning them. Get on a ladder and use a trowel to scoop any debris out of the gutters. The goal here is to remove any obstruction that may impede the free flow of rainwater.

You also want to inspect the downspouts for clogs. Clogged downspouts will result in water backing up and spilling over the sides during rainstorms.

3.    Trim the trees.

Sure, trees give us oxygen, food, medicine and a whole lot more. They also help keep us cool. As a matter of fact, according to the USDA, trees can cut air conditioning by a whopping 56%.

That said, failure to maintain them can do more harm than good. One angry storm can send branches crashing into your roof.

In addition, untrimmed trees can enable the growth of moss, make it easier for animals to enter and can clog gutters.

To prevent all these, make sure to prune them every once in a while.

Our friends from Dogwood Forestry warn us about all the tree issues that can arise, but mainly how they can help. If you can’t do it yourself give them a call, they trim all kinds of trees!

4.    Look for algae and moss.

Not only are these unsightly, but these can cause serious damage to your roof over time. Moss grows on a roof as a result of exposure to cold weather and frequent damp to shaded areas.

Luckily, getting rid of this problem is easy. You just need to keep your attic properly ventilated, remove debris, and trim any overhanging branches.

5.     Check the roof flashing.

Check the flashing around the base of the chimney, along the walls and around the plumbing vents. Pay attention to areas where water might be getting in. For example, bent flashing, gaps, and holes made by roofing nails.

To seal damaged flashing, recaulk where necessary.

6.    Check the roof insulation.

The primary goal of the roof insulation is to keep the building’s cold air and hot air. Proper insulation in your attic will help prevent the formation of ice dams and reduce moisture.

 

There you have it. 6 tips on how you can maintain your roof and ensure it lasts for as long as possible.

Tornado Roofing & Gutters does free roof inspections. It takes sometimes a trained eye to see all these items and how the combination for multiple can further deteriorate the life of a roof.

We work in Northern Colorado meaning, need a roof replacement in Fort Collins?

No problem, what if you need a roof inspected in Windsor or Loveland, once again no problem. We are based our of Greeley but we work for you in Frederick, Firestone, Lasalle, Evans, Johnstown, Milliken, Berthoud, basically Larimer County and Weld county we will be there no problem.

Need a roofing contractor near you? We will be there as soon as the next day! Call us at 970-581-1453