The Importance of Fall Maintenance
The importance of fall roof maintenance in Colorado can’t be stressed enough. It’s important to remove any debris from your roof and gutters, seal any potential leaks, replace any missing material, and trim tree branches that are rubbing against your roof. If any of these issues aren’t dealt with, larger, more costly repairs could arise.
Fall is a great time to inspect your roof – temperatures are cooler so it’s more comfortable to conduct a roof inspection and repairs, spring and summer hail storms are over, and hopefully snow hasn’t started falling. If you are uncomfortable inspecting your roof, contact us for a free roof inspection. We’ll let you know if there are any problems or if your roof is good to go.
Quick Fall Roof Maintenance Tips Checklist
- Remove Debris From Gutters and Roof
- Is There Any Missing Roofing Material, such as Shingles or Flashing
- Are There Any Exposed Nails or Screws
- Check for Water Stains on your Ceiling
Remove Debris From Roof
It’s very important to remove any debris from your roof before it snows. Tree branches left on your roof, even small ones, can slowly wear a hole in your roofing material. Leaves left on your roof will breakdown over time, encourage mold growth, and cause your roof to fail prematurely. Also, if you remove tree branches and leaves from your roof before they get wet, it’s much easier to do. Depending upon your roof, type and quantity of debris, you might be able to use a leaf blower.
Remove Debris From Gutters
Debris left in your gutters will also breakdown and encourage plant and mold growth. You do not want debris, dirt, plants, nests, etc. in your gutters as it weighs-down your gutters and causes them and/or the fascia to break away from your house. Debris in gutters also plugs-up your gutters and prevents proper drainage. This can lead to an overall improper home drainage system, gutter damage, foundation damage, and more.
Re-Seal Any Loose Roof Material
Colorado can get some strong winds in the fall. Before those strong fall winds come, it’s very important to make sure any loose roofing material, such as shingles or flashing, are secure and sealed. Otherwise, a loose shingle can become airborn and cause personal injury or property damage. Avoid that and take a few minutes to notice any folded shingles, sheet metal or flashing, or askew material.
Replace Missing Material
Replacing missing roofing material is crucial. Missing material means there’s a water leak. Missing shingles, sheet metal, or tiles should be obvious. Missing flashing, if you’re not familiar with what flashing is and where it is, might not be so obvious. If you notice missing roofing material, get it replaced right away. If you don’t have any spare asphalt shingles or sheet metal or tiles, check your local Habit ReStore, as they often have some, even if it’s not an exact color or shape match.
Drive Down Any Loose Nails or Screws and Re-Seal
A loose nail or screw is a leak waiting for water. It’s very important that you drive that nail or screw back down and apply sealant to it before the next rain or snow storm. Otherwise, water can easily penetrate your roof and spread into your attic, where it can cause more damage.
Trim Trees
Tree branches rubbing on your asphalt shingle roof are slowly wearing away the granules on it. The granules are your shingle roof’s first line of defense against rain, sun, hail, etc. Larger branches rubbing on a sheet metal roof can wear a hole in your roof. If a tree has grown over the summer and you now have a branch rubbing on your roof, it’s important to trim that branch back. Fall is a great time to trim trees as the tree isn’t stressed from the summer heat.
Ceiling Water Stains
Inside your house, check for any ceiling water stains. A stain on your ceiling is almost a sure sign you have a leak in your roof. If you do notice a water stain on your ceiling and you’re comfortable getting onto your roof, check for any of the above – missing material, loose nails, etc. If you notice any problems with your roof, get it repaired at once, or contact us for a free roof inspection and estimate.
Have Your Roof Inspected
Our last fall roof maintenance tip is to have your roof inspected. Even if you inspect your roof yourself, you should have it inspected by a professional roofing company. A professional roofer can sometimes spot less than obvious potential problems. And, when roof inspections are free, you have nothing to loose. If we notice any problems with your roof, we’ll let you know. We’ll also provide a free estimate. If we don’t find any problems with your roof, we’ll let you know that, too.
The Bottom Line
Following these fall roof maintenance tips can save you a lot of headache, time, and money in the future. When we inspect a roof, most of the time we notice minor issues, such as a few loose shingles, a few exposed nails, a few missing nails. If you’d rather not inspect or repair your roof yourself, contact us for a free estimate. We service the Colorado Front Range from Colorado Springs to Cheyenne, and from Red Feather Lakes to Brush.