If you live in most areas of this beautiful country, then you know that summer, while a time associated with heat and sun, rain and thunderstorms are very common and frequent, and they can be a real menace to your house. On top of the natural decay of your roof over time, rain, wind, and hail can cause some serious havoc with your roof indeed.
Your roof is the most important part of your home’s exterior because it’s intended to be the first and last line of defense against weather like this, among other things. The problem is that any defense mechanism takes damage when doing its job, which then impacts its ability to perform these protective tasks, sometimes to the point it stops working altogether.
Roofs aren’t immortal, therefore, and sooner or later, they will have to be repaired or replaced, that’s just the way of things. Failure to maintain a roof can result in pests, bleeding air conditioning and heating, dropping curb appeal and resale value, and worst of all, tremendous water damage.
With summer here, and winter finally over, your roof may be in a state. Snow and falling leaves and ice can do a number on your home, especially your roof. Those summer showers will bring some mighty nasty water damage with them too, causing your home to rot and grow toxic molds.
Let’s talk about some checkups you should do with your roof before summer gets here. Summer’s not a good time to work on your roof once it’s under full swing either, so you want to affect these repairs as soon as possible if you find any that need to be done.
This is important, you can’t afford to skip this summer preparation; if you do, you may pay for it for years to come.
Inspection
The first thing to do is to inspect your roof. At RGB Construction, we recommend a professional handle this, not because it’s hard to catch these problems, but because it’s easier for them to diagnose bigger problems, and frankly, it’s dangerous.
Look at the state of your shingles. Is the color consistent? Darkening spots or streaks are a sign that they need cleaned and probably one or two need replaced. Make sure the shingles still have their grit, that none are buckled or cracked or fallen away.
Inspect your flashing to make sure there are no gaps around chimneys or skylights or vents. Be sure there are no sags or warps in your roof, which are signs of the decking being damaged or rotted.
Gutters
Nobody likes to clean the gutters. Gutter functionality can be crucial to keeping water off your roof, as they’re integral to diverting flows during those heavy storms. You can also learn some things about the state of your roof as you clean the gutters, such as debris from decaying or fallen shingles.
Trim Trees
This is a big one, because wind storms can bring branches down and cause all manner of disaster. This is why, when summer arrives, you should have your trees trimmed. Any branches in danger of falling, or scraping along your roof, should be trimmed away by a trained professional.
If you know what you’re doing, tree trimming is okay as a DIY project, but don’t attempt any roof repairs on your own.
Repairs
This is where a skilled company that knows roofing inside and out comes in, to affect any repairs that need to be done immediately. Choosing the right roofer is a big task, but with RGB construction, you’ve found the best in the area.
We have decades of experience working with all manner of roof, and we’ve seen every type of damage you can imagine at some point. This isn’t something where you can afford to cut corners, or not make sure you have the right people for the job. This can save you a lot of trouble in the long run, and make sure your roof works properly throughout the year’s roughest and most challenging weather.
Don’t wait for problems to get worse, or to get completely out of hand. Fill out our contact form today, and we’ll provide you with all the information you need.
