While your roof typically needs repair every now and then, you can reduce the incidence of such a repair by making a concerted effort to practice a little preventative maintenance. Preventative maintenance entails cleaning the gutters, removing leaves, getting rid of moss, and trimming the overhanging branches of trees.
How Clogged Gutters Can Cause Roof Problems
If your paint looks faded or damaged on your siding or you have a wet basement, you probably have clogged gutters. A clogged gutter can also cause any overflow to go upward as well. When leaves pile into a gutter, water can wick into a roof’s sheathing and rot it or rot the rafters of a roof.
Fixing the aforementioned damage can run into thousands of dollars, but you can avoid this kind of expense by cleaning your gutters each spring and fall. You can accomplish the task in a couple hours if you are comfortable working at a height. Otherwise, you can have the gutters cleaned by a gutter cleaner for about $50 to $200, depending on your home’s size. That is one way to significantly avoid a roof repair in West Des Moines.
Remove the Leaves from the Roof
While you are having the gutters cleaned, make sure the roof is clear of leaves as well. Piles of leaves can collect near the chimney or in the roof valleys. If you don’t remove the collection, the leaves will eventually decompose, which in turn, will cause moisture to accumulate in the roof. You can get rid of the pile-up with a leaf blower. If the leaves are too damp, roof repair experts suggest washing them off with a garden hose. Never use a pressure washer as it can force water up under the shingles.
To avoid roof repair, you also need to get rid of any moss. This type of growth normally appears on composition shingles. The growth needs to be removed as it can trap water and cause the roof to rot. Tree trimming also goes a long way in preventing expensive roof repairs. The abrasion from a tree’s limb can ultimately damage your roof’s shingles, especially in high winds.
