Spring Roofing Maintenance: Things You Can Do Now

Spring is such a great time of year – finally, everything is warm and pleasant again! But you can’t sit back and enjoy this lovely weather just yet.

Spring also happens to be the perfect time to get around to all your exterior home maintenance tasks. The winter weather might have taken its toll on your home, and now is a good time to repair this damage your house got from being exposed to harsh weather conditions throughout the last seasonal cycle.

When it comes to your roof, springtime is particularly ideal for getting around to all the necessary maintenance, as the mild weather makes it easy to repair any damage without a fuss. Here’s a list of things you can do to maintain your roof this spring.

Trim Trees

A big tree in your yard for shade is nice to have, but it should be kept trimmed away from your roof to avoid any damage. Branches scratching against your roof as the wind gently blows can wreak havoc, so be sure to keep all the large trees in your yard trimmed so they aren’t touching your roof.

Clean Your Gutters

Your gutters are meant to channel water away from your roof, so it’s important that you keep them clear of any debris and buildup. A few times a year, and especially in fall, it’s good to get up there and clean out your gutters. Doing this will help prevent unnecessary water damage to your roof.

Inspecting Your Roof

There are a few things to look out for when inspecting your roof. Your roof inspection is meant to help you identify and fix any sore areas that might cause problems in the coming year.

This task is especially good to do in spring, as spring is one of the best times to have your roof fixed if you find any problems.

You don’t have to get up on your roof to inspect it, though. Actually you want to avoid walking on your roof whenever possible. So standing on the ground with some binoculars should do the trick.

Here are some common problems you should be looking at for:

• Check the shingles for any sign of damage, like blistering, curling or buckling.
• If you spot missing shingles, or some are badly broken, that’s not a good sign.
• Rust on the flashing, or caulk that’s cracking.
• Lichens, moss and algae growth.

If you spot any problems, it’s usually best to call a professional roofing contractor to do an inspection. A professional inspection can reveal more potential problems than you would be able to find, like leaks and damage that won’t be as noticeable to your untrained eye.

Getting a professional inspection can help you spot and fix problems before they get out of hand, so it’s definitely something worth investing in. If you leave your roof without fixing damage for too long, you might eventually have to spend more money on fixing problems that are far worse. So it’s better to prevent these issues than to fix them, as you have more control over the process if you fix problems sooner.

Why Is Spring Perfect for Roof Repairs?

The reason why spring is better for roof maintenance isn’t just because roofing contractors don’t like to work in bad weather. While that’s also true, the actual reason you should aim to have your roof repaired in spring has more to do with the materials used when fixing your roof.

The sealants used to repair your roof tend to be more durable if they were applied in favorable weather conditions. Of course, wet weather can prevent sealants from sealing properly, but so can cold weather and extremely hot climates.

So basically, you’ll be getting a longer-lasting job done if you choose to repair or replace your roof in spring or fall.

Many homeowners might choose to put off maintenance until they have problems that need to be fixed. But this isn’t a good way to keep your house maintained. Repairing your roof can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars, to nothing at all if you don’t need repairs. If you get a leak, however, that leak can cause some serious water damage before you detect it, which will make repairs much more expensive, as you’ll need to replace more of your roofing, and perhaps even some of your carpeting and flooring if the water leaks into your house.

Why let small repairs turn into potential unexpected roof replacements? This kind of emergency can come at the worst possible time, like in the heart of winter, which would be very expensive and the work will probably be unpleasant to deal with when it’s cold.

So, before you sit back and enjoy spring this year, take a look at your house and make a list of all the things that need to be fixed. Yes, it’s a chore. But it can pay off a lot in the future. And while you’re walking about checking the paint on your walls, don’t forget to look a little higher and inspect your roof! After all, you might not always see your roof, but it keeps you safe from all the elements. And once your roof is damaged, it can no longer do its job as it’s supposed to.