Spring Home Tips for Your Roof
Spring is a great time to tackle those periodic maintenance tasks in and around the house. Now that the sun is out, and the rains have stopped, climbing on a ladder to inspect your roof may not be the first thing that springs to mind.
Spring home tips for your roof aren’t all that you might think.
Here are some of the most important. We recommend:
- Assessing the damage done to your roof by strong winds and winter rains. Look for cracked, split or warped shingles. Be sure to check the flashing around chimneys, vents and skylights. Why wait for a leak to appear?
- Checking the seals around your windows and doors. Weather stripping ages depending upon the amount of sun damage your home is exposed to.
- Having your roof professionally inspected at least every 5 years. Experienced roofers can point out trouble spots before they become critical issues.
If you live in Marin, Napa or Sonoma Counties, the rains have effectively ceased for the year, so cleaning the gutters now is pretty much a wasted effort. In the Fall, after the first heavy rains and winds, the priority should be to clean the leaves and debris off the roof and clear the gutters. In the Spring, we hear more concerns about moss from homeowners.
If you don’t live in the midst of a redwood grove or in the shadow of a ridge, the moss will go dormant on its own, from direct sunlight. If you do live in a damp, sunless spot, you can take measures to remove the mold.
Don’t use a power washer on your roof!
We always advise against using a power washer on your roof. They obliterate that green stuff growing in patches on your roof, but power washers can tear-up your roofing material in the process. You’ll get good results with the gentle use of a bristle brush or broom and in hardcore cases, use a spray bottle to wet the moss with a vinegar and water solution.
Trim back trees and other vegetation.
A burst of color and green growth followed the winter rains throughout the Bay Area. Now is a great time to cut back the trees, bushes and vines growing ever closer to your windows and roof. While you are at it, we suggest you:
- Cut back any branches that have the potential to reach your roof. While providing shade, the branches that touch your roof can damage the roofing materials.
- Trim vines and bushes away from your windows and doors. Vine covered arches are lovely, if they don’t get tangled in visitors’ hair when they enter your garden or approach your front door. Overgrown vines can also damage plastic gutters and down spouts.
What about the inside of your house?
Spring is a great time to examine your ceilings. Look for:
- Any sign of discoloration caused by water damage in your attic. A slow leak can take time to show up on the inside. A slight discoloration or bubbling may indicate a vulnerability in your roof. Remember, where the water pools on the inside of your home may not correlate exactly with where the damage is on the outside of your roof, since water migrates with such fluidity.
What other Spring tasks can you do on the inside.
Changing filters and batteries is scheduled on a periodic basis. Why not consider the following?
- Change your smoke alarm batteries (whether they are beeping or not) each Spring.
- Check your heating/air conditioning filters and date them so you will be on a regular schedule to change them as indicated by the manufacturer.
- Change those HEPA filters in your indoor air filtration units and maintain the manufacturer’s recommended schedule.
Spring and maintenance go hand in hand. Getting tasks completed on a yearly or seasonal basis is a great way to stay on track with keeping your home in good shape.
If you have any questions about caring for your roof, contact us today and talk to one of our professionals today.
