Your home is your safe haven, a peaceful sanctuary. You take pride in it and constantly revamp it to ensure it’s a reflection of your personality. From painting walls, mowing the lawn, landscape lighting, you want to improve your home’s comfort and aesthetic appeal.
While you are keen to maintain different aspects of your home in mint condition, is regular roof maintenance part of your upkeep? Well, if you don’t have a regular roof inspection, you are in for a big surprise. To avoid this, a roof inspection checklist is invaluable.
Overlooking roof maintenance will result in costly roof repairs down the road and reduce its lifespan. A compromised roof place a huge threat to you, your loved ones, and your possessions. And don’t forget new roof installation will cost thousands of dollars.
To shun the costly consequences, you must take every step possible to extend the life of your roof. You want to follow a roof maintenance checklist to ensure your roof is in good condition at all times.
But wait, what exactly are you supposed to check on during your roof inspection? To help you out, here’s a homeowner’s roof inspection checklist.
Spring Roof Inspection Checklist
You’ve got a bucket list for springtime activities easter egg hunt, a community cookout, to participating in a local charity. While all these are crucial, spring is also a great time to take care of your roof. As snow melts and rain falls, it’s the right time to inspect and thoroughly clean the roof.
The following are roof inspection checklists during spring;
Clean the Gutters
Regardless of where you live, dirt, leaves, and other debris will always accumulate in your gutters during the winter. Clean out the gutters using your hands or gutter scoop. This will allow for an easy flow of water during the next rainfall.
This will be an awaiting disaster if the dirt builds up and clogs your gutters. Your gutters may crack or collapse due to the weight of the debris and water damaging your roof. Worse if gutters shift from your roofline and cause water damage to your home’s structural foundation.
Inspect and Replace Shingles
During strong winds and snowstorms of the winter, weak shingles may crack, misalign or fall off. Make sure that all your shingles are in great shape and check for missing or damaged shingles. If you notice any issues, have them replaced as soon as possible.
Failure to replace broken or missing shingles will cause roof leaks or damage spread to nearby shingles. This will require a roof repair or replacement project to correct.
Check for Algae or Mold Growth
The moisture from melting snow and rain during the winter creates a conducive mold and algae growth environment. This growth can easily cause roof leaks and deteriorate other roof problems. In case you identify mold or algae on your roof, you need to have the issue treated softly.
Don’t Try to remove the growth with a power washer or abrasive brush as you risk damaging the roof further. You need a good product to kill all the growth before brushing any residue off the roof. However, consider consulting a professional to get the job done for the best results.
Summer Roof Maintenance Checklist
The hot sun creates a good climate for sun basking on the beach, camping trips, or DIY projects. However, the hot sun can easily beat down your roof, causing damage. Here are tips for a roof inspection checklist during the summer;
Inspect for Dents or Small Holes
While tiny dents or holes on the roof might appear trivial, they might be entry spots for little critters. You want to ensure every space that may give way to these creatures is patched or blocked.
Check Skylights for Damage
While skylights allow plenty of summer light into your house, they can be a source for various roof problems. When inspecting the skylights, ensure they are tightly sealed to avoid roof leaks during storms. Also, check and remove any clutter building up behind the skylights.
Check on the Attic
During a summer roof inspection, make sure your attic is well ventilated. The warm temperatures might offer the right conditions for mold to grow in the attic, damaging the roof’s structural beams. Such conditions are avoidable if the attic is well ventilated, allowing a seamless flow of air.
Also, a thorough attic inspection is crucial since it can reveal any roof damage. In the attic, leaks are visible, and any other roofing deficiency can be identified. Consider checking for staining, dark spots, leaks, and the smell of mold or mildew.
If any of these is identified, you need to act fast before things worsen. Contact a roofing contractor who will assess the damage and recommend the best solution.
Fall Roof Inspection Checklist
During this time, trees are shedding leaves, and they are falling over your roof. In fall, the weather is getting cooler, and you need to prep your roof for the winter snow and ice. Here are roof maintenance tips during the fall:
Trim Nearby Trees
While it’s not always a great idea to trim your trees, you might want to cut overgrown branches during fall. By trimming trees near your home, you reduce leaves and dirt accumulation on the roof and gutter. This can save you time as you don’t have to worry about the cleanup.
Examine Chimney and Flashing
When the weather starts getting cooler, you’ve already started preparing the fireplace. At this time, you want to make sure the chimney is also in great working condition. Also, make sure to inspect the flashing around the chimney and confirm the moisture easily flow from the rooftop.
Make Use of This Roof Inspection Checklist
The roof is one of the most important parts of any building. You want to make sure the roof is in great condition at all seasons to keep yourself, your family, and your possessions safe. If you can’t do the inspection yourself, work with reputable roof inspection services.
Here’s a roof inspection checklist guide to getting you started.
Are you looking for a roofing contractor in Naperville, Illinois? At Amenity Roofing, Siding & Gutters LLC, we got you covered. We specialize in roofing, offering top-quality services to residential, commercial, and industrial clients.
Contact us today for a free estimate.
