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Roof Maintenance
Regular Roof Inspections and Roof Repair Will
Ensure the Interior of your Home Stays Dry
By Mark J. Donovan
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A couple times a year you should
inspect your home’s roof, and if necessary, perform roof maintenance. Early fall
and mid to late spring are the best times of the year to inspect your roof and
to do any roof maintenance. Performing roof maintenance in the early fall
ensures that the roof will protect your home during the winter months where snow
and ice dams can wreak havoc on roofs. In the spring, again it’s wise to
re-inspect the roof to see how it survived the winter.
When conducting roof maintenance make sure to use a proper ladder and shoes.
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Always position the ladder on solid
ground and before actually climbing and walking on the roof inspect it from the
ladder first. Besides a safety precaution, inspecting a roof initially from the
ladder gives you a chance to scan the roof from shingle level so that you can
easily observe cupping, warping, or missing shingles.
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When performing any type of roof
maintenance try to do it on a cool day so you are less likely to damage the
shingles. Also, place your feet carefully on top of an entire shingle tab,
versus straddling 2 or more shingles at the same time. Straddling shingles can
cause you to damage the ends of them.
Besides looking for damaged or
missing shingles, also look for roof flashing that may be damaged or has pulled
away from chimneys or the sides of the home. Also, inspect the drip edge and the
shingles that overlap it looking for torn or damaged shingles. In addition, look
for swelling areas of shingles. This could be a sign that water has seeped under
the shingles and has caused the roof sheathing to become damaged.
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Also inspect the attic for roof
problems. Look for dark black water stains on the back side of the roof
sheathing. These are most likely signs of water infiltration from the roof.
In regards to actual roof repair, replace any missing shingles. Similarly if
there is roof flashing that has become damaged or loose repair it as well. If
the shingles are cupped and warped or the roof sheathing appears damaged, then
it’s time to seriously think about re-shingling the entire roof.
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Note that warped or cupped shingles
is a sign of intense heat. If you notice this type of issue, as part of your
roof maintenance consider adding more insulation and ventilation in the roof
attic. An attic needs proper ventilation, from the soffits located in the roof
eaves to the ridge vent or gable vent. If there is inadequate attic ventilation
the intense heat in the attic can and will damage the roof shingles.
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