The roof on your home not only completes its visual appeal but also serves to protect it from the elements. Conducting regular roof maintenance is critical to protect your home’s value as well as the structural integrity of your property. It additionally ensures the safety of your family and your most treasured possessions.

With proper roof maintenance, your home will also be more energy-efficient and comfortable. While you may not think about your roof every day, you should make sure you’re enacting all the protocols of long-term care to keep it in tip-top shape.

Why Your Roof Needs Regular Inspections

According to CVCPDX, one of the most essential steps for roof maintenance is to have regular inspections. You might be able to see a missing shingle from the ground, but you’ll want professionals to get up there and thoroughly check your roof. They will spot any damaged or missing shingles, leaks, water damage, clogged gutters, and flashing damage. During these inspections, they’ll be able to spot any of these potential problems and make repairs to prevent minor issues from becoming major headaches.

How Making Timely Repairs Helps

Making repairs as soon as possible saves you money and extends the lifespan of your roof. You may think a missing shingle is no big deal, but it can wind up causing leaks inside your home.

When you have roof damage that isn’t repaired, it can cause damage to your interior that will cost even more to repair. Neglecting your roof maintenance can cause structural damage that weakens your wood framing, ceilings, and walls.

It can also lead to health hazards within your home. Mold growth can take hold, growing behind the walls and hidden away. You and your family could get incredibly sick with mold growing throughout your home.

If you’re planning to sell your home, you should always keep on top of its maintenance, and this includes the roof. Homes with neglected roofing can make potential buyers turn away. Others who don’t mind having something to fix up will try to negotiate a much lower price, perhaps lower than its value.

How to Take Care of Your Roof

Leaving roof maintenance and inspections to a professional roofing contractor is the best course of action. However, you can do a few things between their visits to keep your roof healthy.

If you have trees near your home, make sure you have them trimmed back every now and then. When branches hang over your home, they can fall and cause damage. The leaves can also accumulate and make moss and lichen thrive, which can destroy your roof.

Stay on top of your gutters too as they help ensure proper water drainage after precipitation. Blocked gutters mean that the water will pool back up onto the roof, leading to rot, water damage, mold, and algae buildup.

There are other things that must be done to maintain your roof throughout the year. However, these tasks are best left to a professional with the right tools and safety gear.