Affordable Residential and Commercial Roofing Company In Cincinnati

Four Ways to Protect Your Roof

older shingles on a roof

As a homeowner, your objective is to lengthen your roof’s life as much as you can. If you can extend the life of your roof by even a few years, you could effectively save thousands of dollars.

So, what can you do to increase your roof’s longevity? Here are four crucial steps.

  1. Trim Your Branches

If you let your branches become overgrown and unwieldy, they can scrape your roof’s shingles and cause considerable branches. Particularly on windy days, branches and limbs can wreak havoc. They can snap and land on the roof, or they can smack against the surface of the roof and lacerate it. Having branches near you roof can also create an easy walkway for squirrels, rats, possums, and all types of rodents to climb onto roof and chew holes. Gnawing rodents can take a terrible toll on your shingles. It is smart to keep at least ten feet between your branches and the surface of your roof.

  1. Don’t Let Ice Dams Build Up

Avoid letting snow and ice pile up on your roof. You can use a standard rake to knock snow off your roof – just don’t scrape your roof’s surface with that rake, or you will disrupt your shingles. Knock the snow off without getting down to the surface. If ice has already formed, do not try to pull it off, however, as you could pry off parts of your roof with it. To keep ice dams from forming, you need to make sure you do not have leaks in your attic. If you see signs of water damage in your attic, you need to contact roofing contractors and address that leakage right away.

  1. Keep Moss and Leaves Off

If leaves are allowed to sit on your roof, they will start to rot, and that rot can wear at your roof too. You may even start to see weeds growing from your roof’s surface as well. Hosing off your roof – with a standard garden hose, not a pressure washer – can get these leaves down, as can as a simple lawn rake. You want to watch out for moss as well, as this moss can trap moisture on your roof and enable mildew and rot.

  1. Clean Your Gutters

In all of these situations, you want to prevent moisture from being trapped on your roof. Another way to keep that dampness away is to make sure your gutters are cleaned out. A backed-up gutter will let rainwater build up, and if that rainwater turns into standing water pooling on your roof, then mold and mildew are next. If your roof materials rot, you could take years off of the life of your roof.

What Sorts of Services do Local Roofing Companies Provide?

When it comes to roofing work, the first thing most people think of is having your roof completely replaced. And of course, we can do that for you if and when you need it. But there’s a lot more to roofing than just roof replacement. Your trusted local roofing company (such as all of us here at Harper Siding and Roofing) can do a lot to help you with a variety of roofing services like maintenance and leak repairs. One of our most common tasks is investigating and repairing roof leaks. It can be unexpectedly tricky to figure out the cause of a leaky roof, and it takes skill and experience to fix it properly the first time. Fixing a leaky roof quickly and properly can save you thousands and at least that much in headaches, too. We are available for commercial roof services, as well, if you are small business owner. We can also help in case of weather-related roof damage: shingles blown off in high winds or damage to caps, valleys, or drip edges. We can help coordinate with your insurance if you have a claim, as well. Your local roofing contractor is available for whatever services your roof might require.

MENU