With the right upkeep, you can protect your roof for decades to come

Your roof plays an essential role in protecting your home from the elements. In turn, you need to protect your roof by watching out for signs of damage, acting fast when you notice something is wrong, and calling in a professional for a closer look when you suspect your roof needs repairs. In this article, we’ll review why roof upkeep is so important and how your vigilance in protecting your roof can positively impact its overall lifespan.

Here’s why caring for your roof matters

In spite of how important it is to their home, many homeowners take their roof for granted. After all, it’s out-of-sight, out-of-mind during your day-to-day routine. The general durability and longevity of roofs can also lull homeowners into a false sense of security. After all, a tile roof should last 50 years—longer than most people will live in the home. Why worry?

Well, for one, a roof’s lifespan is really dependent on it getting the right maintenance and repairs. Roofs that develop problems, and then don’t get fixed, tend to need to be replaced sooner. Leaving your roof’s condition up to fate means you’re taking the risk that you might shorten its lifespan by as much as half. If you ask us, that’s a pretty bad deal.

Here in Phoenix, our roofs take a beating throughout the year. Of course, you have the oppressive heat and never-ending sunshine, which bakes shingles in UV radiation. But, there’s also our fierce monsoon storms that blow into the Valley in the late summer, tearing shingles and tiles off of the roof before torrential rain soaks the underlayment left behind. It’s a perfect storm—pun intended—for roofing problems, and it’s one of the main reasons why our team sees a spike in roof repair calls during monsoon season.

The good news is that there are things you can do to protect your roof and keep it in its best condition. Here’s where to start.

Take stock of your roof’s condition from the ground

We’ve said it time-and-time again, but it bears repeating: never climb up on your own roof. Not only is this extremely dangerous, but it often ends up making things worse. An experienced roofer, like the ones on our team, wears safety equipment and knows where to carefully step to avoid damaging shingles or breaking tiles. Many roof repair calls start with the homeowner mentioning that they went up on the roof to fix a piece of flashing and broke several tiles on the way.

What you can see from the ground level

All this climbing over the roof is generally unnecessary, anyway: in most cases, you can see the clear signs of roof damage and degradation from the ground level. Look for the following:

— On the ground, if you notice torn-off shingles or crashed roof tiles, that’s an obvious sign that roofing material is coming off.

— If you see that the flashing around the chimney or structure is loose or out-of-place, it may mean that the underlayment is exposed to damage.

— If there is accumulated debris—such as fallen tree branches, leaves, or other materials—on the roof structure, you’ll need that cleaned off as soon as possible. Debris can make it difficult for the roof to properly drain off rainwater.

If you do need to take a closer look at a trouble spot that isn’t easily visible from the ground, safely and carefully climb a free-standing ladder and take in the view from there. Make sure you have someone on the ground level to spot you and hold the ladder steady, and never climb above the last official steps on your ladder.

At the first signs of trouble, take quick action

When you notice something is wrong with your roof, avoid the temptation to “deal with next weekend.” After all, your roof isn’t going anywhere—right? As is the case with nearly every major home project or repair, your roof isn’t going to fix itself. Plus, problems that start out relatively (or at least seemingly) minor can often blossom into a full-on disaster. All it takes is enough time and the right conditions.

For example, a few broken tiles you notice in the heat of June might be your only warning of an impending roof leak coming in late July when our first monsoon storm rolls into town.

Call us for a free roofing checkup

So, what should you do? Be proactive. When you notice that there’s something off about your roof, it’s time to call in a professional roofer for a closer look.

An experienced roofer will send one of their expert roofers to take a look at the roof and determine if it needs repairs. They’ll then come on down and chat with you about your options and how soon you need to get this fixed.

A simple roofing checkup can be the difference between a comfortable summer or winter season and a roof leak. It’s worth the time.