The Importance of Fall Roof Maintenance
Fall roof maintenance in Northern Colorado can’t be stressed enough. Remove debris from your roof and gutters, seal potential leaks, replace missing material, and trim tree branches rubbing against your roof. If you don’t address these issues, you could face larger, more costly repairs. Check out our fall roof maintenance tips below to keep your roof, gutters, and home in good shape.
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 hailstorms 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
Replace Any Missing Roofing Material, such as Shingles or Flashing
Cover Any Exposed Nails or Screws With Sealant
Drive Down Any Nails or Screws That Are Up
Check for Water Stains on your Ceiling
Fall Roof Maintenance Tip #1: 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 break down over time, encourage mold growth, and cause your roof to fail prematurely.
Also, removing tree branches and leaves from your roof before they get wet is much easier. Depending on your roof and the type and quantity of debris, you might be able to use a leaf blower.
Fall Roof Maintenance Tip #2: Remove Debris From Gutters
Don’t forget to clean your gutters! Debris left in your gutters will break down 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 can also clog them and prevent proper drainage. This can lead to poor overall home drainage, gutter damage, foundation damage, and more. Avoid clogged gutters by clearing them of debris this fall.
Fall Roof Maintenance Tip #3: Re-Seal Any Loose Roof Material
Colorado can get some strong winds in the fall. Before those strong fall winds arrive, make sure any loose roofing material, such as shingles or flashing, is secure and sealed. Otherwise, a loose shingle can become airborne and cause personal injury or property damage. Avoid that, and take a few minutes to check for folded shingles, sheet metal, flashing, or other askew material.
Roof Maintenance Tip #4: 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 easy to spot. Missing flashing might not be as obvious if you’re not familiar with what flashing is and where it is. If you notice missing roofing material, get it replaced right away. If you don’t have any spare asphalt shingles, sheet metal, or tiles, check your local Habitat ReStore, as they often have some, even if it’s not an exact color or shape match.
Roof Maintenance Tip #5: Drive Down Any Loose Nails or Screws and Re-Seal
A loose nail or screw is a leak waiting for water. It’s important to drive that nail or screw back down and apply sealant before the next rain or snowstorm. Otherwise, water can easily penetrate your roof and spread into your attic, causing more damage.
Roof Maintenance Tip #6: Trim Trees
Tree branches rubbing against your asphalt shingle roof slowly wear away its granules. 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 and other signs of water damage. A stain on your ceiling is almost certainly a sign you have a roof leak. 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 a professional inspect your roof. Even if you inspect your roof yourself, have a professional roofing contractor inspect it. A professional roofer can sometimes spot less-than-obvious roof problems. And when our roof inspections are free, you have nothing to lose. 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 headaches, time, and money in the future. When we inspect a roof, we often notice minor issues, such as a few loose shingles, a few exposed nails, or 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. Should you need any roof repair, we can provide a free estimate. No roof repair job is too small or too big for us.