How to Repair and Maintain Your Roof

The roof over your head is your home’s first line of defense. Keeping your home in good condition ensures you’ll enjoy it for many years to come. Here are some tips to extend the life of your roof and things to consider when it’s time for replacement.

Table of Contents:

7 Tips for Maintaining Your Roof

What Should I Look for if I Think My Roof May Need to be Repaired or Replaced?

My Roof Needs to be Replaced. What Roofing Material Should I Use?

How Can I Make Sure I'm Hiring the Right Roofing Contractor?

Are Roofs Covered Under Homeowners Insurance?

7 Tips for Maintaining Your Roof

Knowing your roof’s makeup and condition can help prevent problems before they occur. Here are some factors that affect how your roof performs.

Proper attic insulation and ventilation

This can save your roof from warping, reduce energy costs and reduce the amount of moisture in your home. It also prevents snow and ice from melting and freezing, which can cause water damage to your roof and home.

Maintain gutters

Clean your gutters often to make sure they’re free of debris. Check that the outer edges are lower than the slope line to allow snow and ice to slide clear.

Proper flashing

Flashing is material, like aluminum or galvanized steel, that’s used over the joints in roof construction in order to prevent water seeping in and causing damage. Having the right flashing in place is important since it helps direct the flow of water around openings. Verify that your flashing is correctly installed, particularly around vents and chimneys. Improper flashing installation is a common source of interior water damage.

Proper roof decking

Basically, the roof deck is the section of the roof onto which everything else is placed, so the type of roof decking you use has to be strong enough to hold the weight of everything placed on it. It must support the roofing materials and workers, safely resist impact loads (e.g. a pile of shingles), hold constant loads (e.g. heavy snow), resist wind force and be able to anchor the nails.

Trim overhanging tree branches

Whether scratching your shingles or dropping branches, trees can do a lot of damage to your roof. Prevent this damage from happening by trimming any branches you see hanging over your roof. This can be difficult and dangerous work though, so consider hiring an arborist for this task.

Remove leaves and debris regularly

Everyone knows leaves can clog gutters, but they’re also a danger to the rest of your roof. Leaves can build up, collect moisture and encourage algae or mold to grow, which can significantly damage your roof overtime. While cleaning your gutter — or while a professional is cleaning them — be sure to clear your roof of leaves and other debris like branches a couple times each year.

Treat moss once a year

While moss on your roof may be aesthetically pleasing, it’s unfortunately a detriment to your roof’s health. Certain roofing materials like asphalt shingles or wood can degrade rapidly if moss, algae or lichen is growing on it. You can rid your roof of this pesky growth by hosing it down annually, or using store bought roof cleaning products.

What Should I Look for if I Think My Roof May Need to be Repaired or Replaced?

Mother Nature can be harsh. The hot sun, driving rain, heavy snow, strong winds can all cause visible and structural damage to even the strongest of rooftops. Knowing what to look for will keep you on top of the situation. Here are some signs your roof is aging and may need to be replaced.

Curling shingles are a sign of weathering and are highly susceptible to wind and ice damage.

Cracked shingles are typically a result of wind damage. If just a few are cracked, you can probably replace them. But if the cracking is random and frequent, you should start thinking about a new roof.

Granules in the gutter are normal for a brand new roof. But if your roof has been around for 10 to 15 years, granules could be a sign it’s time for a new one.

Seeing sunlight from the attic is never a good sign. If you see the light, it’s time to repair or replace.

Sagging is a sign of a structural issue and should be addressed by a professional, soon.

My Roof Needs to be Replaced. What Roofing Material Should I Use?

A roof’s makeup can vary based on personal preference and geographic location. The life expectancy of a roof varies according to a number of factors, including age, exposure to the elements and roof type. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the most common types of roofing materials.