As the crowning glory of your home, your roof plays a major role in protecting your home and ensuring it’s properly insulated and ventilated. If it’s damaged, it’s not just raccoons in the attic you’ve got to worry about. That’s why we’re sharing these roof maintenance tips to extend your roof's lifespan and ensure the health of your roofing system.
At Morison Insurance, we know you love your home, and we want to ensure you can enjoy it for many years to come. Having a strong, well-maintained roofing system is crucial to that. By following these roof maintenance tips, you can prevent extensive damage by taking care of minor issues promptly and efficiently.
Your home’s exterior is responsible for preventing outside elements from damaging the inside. If it’s damaged, it can cause a cascade of issues, such as water damage and pest infestations, immense structural issues and threats to your health and safety.
Roof maintenance is key to ensuring that your roofing structures stay strong and last a long time. The issue is that because your roof is at the very top of your house, it’s hard to keep an eye on it or even access it. That’s where these roof maintenance tips can come in handy! By knowing what you need to do to maintain your roof structure and prevent damage, you can ensure this crucial piece of home protection stays intact.
As a homeowner, you are responsible for the upkeep of your property, and if someone is injured because of a lack of roof maintenance or repair, you could be held liable. While your home insurance policy may cover you in cases of accidents, it won’t cover you if the cause was negligence on your part. So, it’s important to take care and follow these roof maintenance tips to ensure your roofing system stands strong.
While some tasks, such as sealing, can be performed every few years, it is best to perform most of these roof maintenance tips regularly. While you should pay attention to your roof year-round, ideally, you should implement these roof maintenance tips at least twice a year in the spring and fall following major weather changes and severe weather events.
Proper maintenance to your roof will help ensure the continued well-being of your roof structure and allow you to address any issues that may be elaborated by weather changes. Additionally, following severe weather, something may have impacted your roof, or shingles and vents were torn off, causing damage. Checking out your roof following a storm can allow you to address the damage promptly before it causes further damage to your home.
You should be completing regular inspections of your siding and roof. At the very minimum, you should be doing a visual inspection twice a year, either by yourself or by hiring a roof inspector to conduct a thorough inspection of your roofline and the entire structure. If you are not confident in your ability to carry out an inspection safely, it’s important to hire a professional to get the job done. The inspection should include the outside of your home, inside your attic spaces, crawl spaces, and other areas of your home that your roof covers.
Look for things such as:
If you notice any of these issues, it is best to contact a professional roofing contractor for roof repair.
No list of roof maintenance tips is complete without mentioning regular cleaning of your roof. Ontario homeowners should never underestimate the importance of a good cleaning, as not only does it allow you to spot and deal with minor issues before they turn into costly repairs, but it can also help you prevent future issues.
Because your roof structure is very high off the ground, it is important that if you decide to DIY roof cleaning, you take the necessary precautions. A sturdy ladder, proper equipment like gloves and goggles, and having a friend to spot you are crucial to completing this roof maintenance tip safely. If you can’t do it safely or aren’t comfortable with heights, it’s recommended that you hire a professional to do it for you.
Take care to remove any leaves, sticks and other roof debris, and carefully remove any moss, lichen, or algae growth using the appropriate cleaning products. Take note of any issues with shingles while you’re up there, as damaged or missing roof shingles can prevent the roof from doing its job and allow moisture and other threats into your home. Make sure to thoroughly clean your gutter, as not only is this a roof maintenance tip, but a damaged or clogged gutter can cause issues to your home’s foundation. You may also want to consider installing gutter guards to help prevent debris from cutting into your rain gutters and to protect your roof and foundation.
Additionally, especially if you live in an area with a lot of snow, you need to watch for ice damming. Ice damming occurs when melted snow on your roof freezes on the edge of the roof line, creating a barrier that prevents runoff from draining properly. This can cause leaks and damage to your roof, ceilings, walls, and gutters. You can prevent this by following simple roof maintenance tips like ensuring proper attic ventilation and keeping clean and clear gutters.
One common cause of water or moisture damage to your home’s exterior structures is nearby foliage brushing wet leaves against it, trapping moisture between the plant on the surface. That’s why a good roof maintenance tip is to take care of any nearby trees.
Ontario has some beautiful, tall trees, but even if they were the reason you bought your home, they still have the potential to cause major damage to your roofing structure. Falling leaves and twigs can clog gutters and accumulate on your roof, moisture on leaves brushing up against wooden shingles can cause wood rot, and tree branches hitting your roof in strong winds can damage or knock loose sections of your roof. Additionally, nearby trees can provide easy access for critters such as squirrels, raccoons, and other pests to get onto your roof and into your attic space, causing all sorts of damage. This makes maintaining any neighbouring trees a very important roof maintenance tip to pay attention to.
Trim overhanging branches and prune back any trees close to your roof. Your Morison Insurance broker can provide recommendations on what regular maintenance activities you should consider to ensure the proper care and maintenance of your roof.
Exterior structures can take a beating and is common for storm damage, heat damage, and UV damage. That's why your roof requires extra TLC, including the regular application of protective coatings or sealants. If you have a flat roof, metal roof, concrete roof, asphalt roof, or any other type of roof, you should consider sealing it according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. This roof maintenance tip is crucial because, without it, your roof will degrade quicker and need a premature roof replacement.
Moisture is one of the leading causes of damage to your home, and proper ventilation is crucial to prevent moisture-related issues. So, for this roof maintenance tip, ensure your roof and attic have the proper ventilation to prevent moisture buildup inside your home.
Check your roof vent openings and ensure they are clean and clear. Check to ensure they aren’t loose and are properly attached to the roof and any appropriate vent hoses. If they are for your home’s ventilation, ensure nothing is obstructing the airflow on either side of the vent. And, of course, if you spot issues, call a professional for repairs.
Performing regular roof maintenance is crucial to the safety and structure of your home. If you don't feel comfortable completing these roof maintenance items yourself, get a professional roof inspection. They will will look for things such as signs of wear of roof shingles, roof damage, signs of leaks, and suggest any major or minor repairs to ensure your roof is in tip-top shape.
This content is written by our Morison Insurance team. All
information posted is merely for educational and informational purposes. It is
not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Should you decide to act
upon any information in this article, you do so at your own risk. While the
information on this website has been verified to the best of our abilities, we
cannot guarantee that there are no mistakes or errors.
