The warm weather is quickly approaching! Before you know it, we’re going to officially be in springtime. As you begin spring cleaning and getting your home ready for the new season, you should also give some care and attention to your home’s roof. You should follow our roof maintenance tips as you begin to prepare for spring!
Clean Off Debris
Throughout the winter, snow isn’t the only thing that blows around in the wind. Practically anything can get picked up by the heavy breezes, and oftentimes it will end up on your roof!
That’s why, when the springtime finally arrives, one of the first things you should do is clean off all debris from your roof. Whether it’s leaves, pine needles, acorns, or any other fragments that have found their way onto your roof, you’ll want to get them all off the roof.
Clear Out Any Nests
As birds start returning north from their winter down south, they very well may end up calling your roof home. You might feel as though you’re embracing your inner Doctor Dolittle by letting them nest on your roof, but it’s actually a very bad idea.
Birds can end up chewing at, gnawing, pecking, and ultimately destroying your roof. Because of this, we strongly recommend you clear off any nests that begin to form. It is especially important that you do this sooner rather than later, because if the bird lays eggs in a nest on your roof, you’ll have a tough time removing it safely, as birds get very territorial and protective of their babies.
Trim Tree Limbs
Another easy spring home improvement project is to inspect your roof for any tree limbs or branches that are either touching, or getting dangerously close to touching, your roof. If you find branches on or close to your roof, you should trim them immediately.
If you don’t trim the tree limbs, they could end up scraping against your roof’s shingles, causing them to lose their protective granule. This would cause your roof to deteriorate at a highly accelerated rate and you could end up needing a roof replacement sooner than you anticipated. To avoid this, you should absolutely trim any trees that are getting too close to your home’s roof.
Check for Moss and Mold
Depending on the location of your home, your roof may be susceptible to moss and/or mold growth throughout the winter. Excess moisture causes moss to grow, so by clearing your roof of debris, you’re already helping combat its growth.
However, if you see moss is currently growing on your roof, don’t panic. There are plenty of chemical solutions you can purchase at your local hardware store that will remove the moss. If you’re concerned about its continued growth, you should consider purchasing zinc or copper strips and lining your roof’s ridge line with them. These strips will stop moss from growing on your roof.
Moss can be problematic for a roof, but not nearly as detrimental as mold. Mold can eat away at your roofing materials and can cause your roof to begin leaking. Because of this, you need to act immediately if you discover mold growing on your roof.
You can have the mold professionally treated, or you can, again, buy a chemical solution that will quickly alleviate the issue.
Look for Any Missing Element
While you’re on your roof, you should keep an eye out for any shingles, flashing, or vents that are either loose or missing. Throughout a windy winter, it’s possible that some shingles or flashing became dislodged.
If you notice that your roof is missing any elements, you should schedule a roofing contractor to come and repair the damage. If you wait, it could increase and get worse, so we strongly advocate for having the issue resolved as soon as possible.
Inspect Your Gutters
On your way down from the roof, stop to take a look at your gutters. Leaves and debris can often end up lodged into them, so you’ll want to clean your gutters out. While ice dams aren’t necessarily a chief concern in the spring, excess debris clogging up your gutters can cause structural damage to them. If they continue to accumulate litter, it could cause them to collapse from your roof!
Once your gutters are clean, you should make sure that they are firmly attached to your roof. This can cause significant damage if they are even slightly dislodged from your home. Because of this, we strongly recommend that, if you notice your gutters aren’t hanging tightly against your roof, you should contact a roofing service to have your gutters replaced.
Have Your Roof Professionally Inspected
The final step to preparing your roof for the spring is to hire a professional to perform a roof inspection. Roofing contractors are specially trained to notice issues with your roof that you might not be able to see. Because of that, it’s a good idea that you have your roof inspected, at the very minimum, once a year.
If you’re looking for a roofing contractor to perform an inspection on your home’s roof, consider contacting the team at Blue Nail Roofing and Siding. With years of experience, we’re confident we’ll be able to serve all of your roofing needs. Give us a call today for a complimentary consultation!
Quick Answers
