Keeping your roof in the best shape possible is essential for overall home health. Why is that, you may ask? Well, roofing issues can bleed into other parts of the house. If you have leaks caused by poor roofing, they will affect your ceiling. Ultimately, that could also lead to drywall issues or even problems in the floors. That’s why roof maintenance is so important.
Unfortunately, since most people don’t get on their roofs often, they don’t see what’s going on up there. If you want to avoid any of the issues that could result from poor roofing, you’ll want to follow these tips. That’s especially the case if you live in or near the Dale City, VA area! We get plenty of rain and snow out here. That could really challenge your roof’s overall health and your home’s integrity along with it.
1. Get Regular Inspections
Getting regular inspections is essential to roof maintenance. These inspections are going to allow you to know the current condition of your roof. It’s always a good idea to get an inspection before the heavy rains or even snow starts to fall. If you have a weak roof and snow begins to fall, that can be a big problem. In Dale City, VA, February tends to be the month when we get the most snow. On average, 6 inches of snow fall during this time. You’ll want to make sure that you know the condition that your roof is in before this happens.
2. Clean Out Your Gutters Consistently
Another element that’s essential to overall roof health. When we get rain around here, particularly during the fall, gutters can really take a beating. What you’ll have is a bunch of leaves clogging up the gutter and water trying to push through. When you don’t clean your gutters out regularly at some point, the water pressure could break them apart. This is a roof maintenance tip that can help even people with brand-new roofs.
3. Knowing How Old Your Roof Is, Is Essential to Roof Maintenance
This seems like a simple thing that everyone should be aware of. However, if you’re not the original homeowner, you may miss this date. Sure, when you bought the house, they told you how old the roof was, but it’s probably not something that’s on your mind the whole time. If your roof turned 20, 25, or even 30 years old, it may be time to give it a good inspection. It’s okay if the inspection doesn’t find any obvious issues that you need to deal with on the spot. On the bright side, if you know that you have an older roof, it’s sometimes easier to grasp the need for proper roof maintenance.
4. Check for Cracks When The Sun’s Going Down
One of the tips that few people know about. It’s important to not panic with this one, but it can be a good indicator. What you have to do is dim the lights in a room on the top floor of the house. You’ll do this as the sun is going down. It can also work on a night when we’re getting a lot of moonlight from a full moon and a clear sky here in Dale City, VA.
What you want to look for is the amount of light that shines through the ceiling. Close the windows when you do this as well. That way, you won’t be confused by the light that’s coming through there. If a lot of light is coming through, it may be a sign that you have some cracks that you need to deal with. Again, if this happens, don’t panic! Call the experts about an inspection to get more clarity on your situation.
5. Calling Experts When You Need Extra Roof Maintenance Help
Although there are certain things that you can do on your own that count as roof maintenance, the best thing that you can do is get help from the experts. If you’re confident enough to get up on your own roof to see how things are for yourself, you can do that. It’s just that it can be really slippery, particularly during certain times of the year. There are certain things that may not be worth the risk. That’s especially the case when you can just call the experts and get help with your roof maintenance.
When you call them, you want to make sure that they provide evidence of their findings. That’s especially true when you ask for an inspection. Some companies will provide you with drone photos of your roof to give you a sense of how things are up there. More traditional companies will actually get up there and give you up close and personal shots of what’s going on. These are key to helping you make a decision on what to do in your current situation.
If you’re looking for expert roofing help in or near Dale City, VA, call or contact us at SemperFi Exteriors. We can provide thorough inspections and a full plan to help you with any roof maintenance needs!
