With the warm weather, many people are taking the time to work on home improvement projects. One thing that’s good to do in the summer is to take care of your roof. After all, you wouldn’t want to do this in winter with all the snow making it easy to injure yourself. So here are some things that you should do to your roof in the summer while it’s easy to access.
Inspect the Roof
Walk around the house and check for missing shingles and possible places where rain can get in. It’s good to do this regularly since the damage can be minimal if you catch the problem right away. If you spot any missing shingles or damage, take care of it right away as one good storm can cause further damage. It might be time to have a roofer come out and inspect it.
Check Gutters
One big thing that you want to do is to check your gutters and downspouts and if needed clean them out. It’s important that water flows freely and doesn’t build up. You may have to clear out flowers that have grown in or leaves that have blown in from storms. People often avoid doing this, but it’s not a hard task and shouldn’t take long.
Inspect Shingles
If your roof is over 10 years old or aging poorly, make sure to check the shingles from time to time. The best time to do this is during high winds. You can look at the shingles from the ground and look to see if the shingle lifts. If so, the adhesive isn’t working and leaving your roof exposed. Take care of this problem right away to prevent further damage.
Clean the Roof
Check for areas with clumps of debris, twigs, leaves and clear it off. All of these things can create moisture, which allows mold and mildew growth. It could even cause staining or allow mildew to creep inside the attic.
Remove Moss
Check for moss on your roof and remove it by sweeping it away when it’s wet or applying a moss killer and then sweeping it off. You can find moss killer at most hardware stores.
Apply Coating
If you have a flat or torch down roof, you’ll need to apply an aluminum-based coating every five years. This ensures that the roof will be protected from UV degradation, possibly prolonging your roof’s life. Make sure you take precaution before going up on the roof to inspect it. In the summer heat, blisters can swell up and if stepped on they can crack, causing a leak. So if you do inspect the roof it’s best to do it before 9 am.
If you are in Oakland, Macomb or Wayne counties and are looking for a residential roofing company to work on your roof, give Martino Home Improvements a call. We can come out as soon as today to give you a free estimate for quality work.
