FREE Printable Roof Maintenance Checklist for Homeowners
Being a homeowner is tough and sometimes it’s easy to forget all the things that need regular maintenance, like your roof for instance. That’s why we put together a checklist of things you should check for when doing your annual roof inspection on your homestead.
Roof Maintenance Checklist and Inspection Tips
Annual roof maintenance begins with the inspection of the roof materials to determine if it has undergone any deterioration. It also considers the design aspects to detect any faults in design that could affect the roof performance. Checking for flaws in an installation that can adversely affect the longevity of roofs is also a consideration for roof inspectors. Naturally, roof inspection is mostly technical best done by the experts at Roofing Decatur, Al. However, homeowners have to know about the possible causes of roof damage, stay alert and carry out some preliminary cleaning of roofs that could make preventive maintenance work much easy. Most of these activities need just careful observation and a little effort that goes a long way in making roofs more durable and trouble-free.
Keep the roof clean
Debris collected on the roof is the most common cause for dirty roofs, which if not cleaned on time could cause much damage to roofs. Dead leaves, twigs, tree branches are the most common type of debris that collects on roofs especially during winter. Make provisions to access the roof easily and have the determination to keep it clean by braving the cold weather. Choose a clear sunny day to clean the roof because the wet roof is quite unsafe as it might cause slipping.
Remove moss and mold from the shingles
Depending on the weather conditions, moss and mold find safe havens on the shingles of roofs. If you find moss growing on your roof, remove it as soon as you detect it without waiting for the annual inspection. Spraying a moss remover and cleaner at the portions of the roof that experiences growth of moss and then cleaning it with a soft bristle wide brush or a broom. Apply gentle pressure to the roof surface because too much hard brushing could wear away the granules and expose the roof elements to UV rays.
Clean the downspouts and gutters
When cleaning the roof pay attention to the gutters and downspouts to ensure that there is no collection of debris at those points. Choked downspouts and gutters lead to accumulation of water on the roof that not only damages the roof, but once water finds its way into the roof membrane, it could travel to other adjoining areas of the walls and damage it too. After debris removal, clean the grime and dirt from the surface of gutters and downspouts by soft brushing. Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause extensive damage to the entire building.
Check the ceilings and attic
To ensure that water is not seeping into your home, besides the roof check the attic for water stains. If you find any water stains, check if there are missing shingles on the roof, loose shingles or lifted shingles that could have allowed water to pass through. Also, look for cracks, and worn spots cause by missing granules. Consult professionals to ascertain the extent of the damage.
Proper surveillance of roofs is the only way to detect the problem early and fix it economically.
If you want to be sure you don’t forget anything once you get outside and start looking at your roof, be sure to download our FREE Roof Maintenance Checklist below!
