Tips for Repairing and Maintaining 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.

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 from 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. 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 over time. 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 of 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 and strong winds can all cause visible and structural damage to even the strongest 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 promptly be addressed by a professional.

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.

How can I make sure I’m hiring the right roofing contractor?

If you’ve given your roof a good review and decided it’s time for repairs or replacement, the next step is to hire a roofing contractor you can trust. Find peace of mind by asking a few key questions.

• How long have you been in the business?
• Are you bonded and insured, including worker’s compensation and general liability?
• Do you have the appropriate licenses for my community?
• Can I call your customers for a reference?
• Are you willing to put all agreements, promises and understanding in writing?

Remember, the cost to replace a roof varies according to the market, roofing materials, the roofing contractor, the pitch (or steepness) of the roof, the area to be covered and other factors.

Are you looking for more ways to take care of your home? Our home maintenance hub has a number of tips and resources to guide you to keep your home in great shape all year long.

Are roofs covered under homeowners insurance?

If your home, including your roof, is damaged, our homeowners coverage works hard to help you regroup and restore. And if your home isn’t livable while things are being repaired or rebuilt, we may even help cover temporary housing expenses. Take a look at our roof replacement coverage page to learn how your homeowners insurance covers roof damage, and in the meantime, here’s the gist of what you should know.

• With American Family Insurance, your base homeowners policy provides actual cash value coverage for wind and hail damage to roofing systems.
• Replacement cost value coverage for wind and hail damage to roofs is available as an optional coverage.
• Roof losses for all other perils (e.g., falling objects) are covered at replacement cost.
• Cosmetic hail damage coverage for metal roofs or siding is available as an optional coverage.
• Home insurance policies have two deductibles. One applies in approved claims related to wind and hail damage. The other, known as the property deductible, is for all other covered perils, such as fire, smoke and theft.

The answers you need. Have questions about protecting your home with the right coverage? View our home insurance FAQs.

Need to file a claim? Our industry-leading claims service is focused on helping you regroup and restore with as little interruption as possible. Let's get started.

Want to make sure you have the right coverage for your home and roof? Your American Family agent is ready to help!

This information represents only a brief description of coverages, is not part of your policy, and is not a promise or guarantee of coverage. If there is any conflict between this information and your policy, the provisions of the policy will prevail. Insurance policy terms and conditions may apply. Exclusions may apply to policies, endorsements, or riders. Coverage may vary by state and may be subject to change. Some products are not available in every state. Please read your policy and contact your agent for assistance.

*Homeowners premiums are based on a variety of factors including roof age, roof material and more, which impacts the rate you are quoted and that you will pay.

**Discount availability and eligibility varies by state and policy terms.