Roof Repair - Regular Maintenance Keeps the Big Bills Away

Nov 4
08:25

2010

Aaliyah Arthur

Aaliyah Arthur

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Roof repair is almost always an issue for homeowners. Your roofing can cause you serious money problems and long lasting damage to your house.

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As a homeowner,Roof Repair - Regular Maintenance Keeps the Big Bills Away Articles you've got to keep an eye on your roofing and nip these problems in the bud. The trouble is that roof repair issues usually don't reveal themselves until it has already gotten very bad.

Get Up And Have A Look

This is an area of the house that we don't see regularly. Most of us don't spend too much time hanging out on our roofs. For this reason, you've got to make it a point to get up there and have a look sometimes. Professionals recommend going up there for an overall inspection once a year. Lots of people are injured each year by falling off roofs, so take all the necessary precautions and be careful. Never go up there when it's wet.

Take a good, sturdy ladder and have someone hold it while you climb. What you should be looking for up there is damaged shingles and water damage. In general, look for anything that seems odd. Your main concern is water leaking into the house, which can cause major damage.

Fixing or replacing shingles is a little bit of roof repair that you can do yourself. If you've got major leaks, it's very difficult for anyone other than a skilled professional to take care of the problem. Climbing up and looking sometimes is a bit of maintenance that can stop a problem before it becomes a major issue.

Check Your Flashings

If you've got pipes, fixings or flues that penetrate your roofing, these are easy spots for water to enter the house. Each of these will have little strips of metal or other material for weatherproofing. These are called "flashings" and they're used to protect the joint where it is really easy for water to come in. Take some time and check these flashings to make sure they are absolutely weather-tight.

Clean Your Gutters

Gutters serve a very important function in your home. As we mentioned, water damage is your biggest concern. Gutters help rain water to drain off of your house. If rain water stays up there in puddles, it will put pressure on the roofing and eventually work its way straight down into your home.

Nobody enjoys cleaning gutters, but it's a regular maintenance job that's got to be done, especially in the fall when you're likely to have a lot of leaves in there. It's very easy for debris to get lodged in the gutters, and this will keep the water from draining off properly.

If you're afraid of heights or worried about getting up there, don't do your own roof repair. Call a roof repair specialist to do your inspection for you. It's not a bad idea to have a professional inspection at least once. Their skill and expertise can often spot things you wouldn't see. You can also learn a lot about your home's roofing from a professional.