Your Roof and Home Security: Make Sure Your Roof is Keeping Your Family Safe!!

A strong and safe roof will protect your family from potentially damaging effects of high winds, snow, rain, and other disastrous natural weather events.

Like any other features of your home, your roof will eventually wear out. You want to do everything you can to maintain it in order to avoid potential future extensive damage.

The better you maintain your roof the longer it will last. However, at some point, it will wear out and you will need to look into roof replacement.

The cheaper the materials used for your roof the shorter the lifespan. More expensive roofs last longer and require less maintenance. On average, your roof should last you between 20 and 50 years..

To prevent costly damage after installing a new roof you should perform periodic maintenance checks to keep it healthy and help it to last as long as possible.

Clean Your Gutters

Keeping your gutters clean is not usually top-of-mind for most homeowners. However, you should really include it as a part of your regular home maintenance schedule. Clean gutters are critical to keeping your roof healthy and prolonging its life.

Your gutters prevent rainwater from collecting on your roof, the side of your home, and the foundation. Clogged leaves and other debris can prevent gutters from performing their major function of directing the water away from your home.

Gutters that aren’t cleaned properly will cause water to drip down the side of your house. This dripping can cause your siding and roof to rot and lead to the need for costly repairs.

Overflowing and broken gutters can cause damage to your home’s foundation. It can also create cracks that will cause water to accumulate in your basement and eventually start to reduce the stability of your foundation.

Mosquitoes, flies, and other pests are attracted to standing water. We have all heard of disease-carrying mosquitoes and don’t want to expose our family to these potentially dangerous illnesses.

General Inspection

Look in your attic to see if there are any stains or other indications that water could be leaking. Make sure the roof shingles aren’t lifting or loose.

You also want to check for mold, moss, or other worn spots on any of your shingles. To avoid further damage, you should repair or replace any shingles that are compromised.

If you see partially lifted, peeling, or curing shingles in multiple areas of your roof, this could indicate that your roof needs to be replaced, If this is the case, it’s advised you get in contact with a professional for the job. If you’re needing to find a Denver roofing expert or one for your specific area, you can search ‘best roofing company near me’ to find the best company for the work.

Protection from Burglars

Sophisticated burglars have found a new way to get into homes. They cut through a home’s roof and get in through the attic.

To make it more difficult for a thief to get into your home through your roof, here are a few tips:

• Get motion lights
• Keep ladders and trash bins away from your house
• Secure skylights with one-way screws

If you have an alarm system, make sure that any vents are also alarmed.

Trim Your Trees

You don’t want to have tree limbs that hang over your roof because broken limbs can fall on your roof and damage shingles. Raccoons and squirrels can use tree limbs as a route into your home.

Listen to Warning Signs

If you hear the sound of hail falling, have rodents in your attic, water leaks, or see shingles on the ground, these could be warning signs that your roof needs some attention.

It’s better to catch signs of damage in the early phases than to wait until more damage occurs that will likely be very expensive.

No Pests

Small animals, pests, and termites might want to live in your roof. Don’t let them. They will chew through your roof to get what they need to build their own homes.

Keep Walking on Your Roof to a Minimum

Although there will be times you have to go up on your roof to check its condition, try to do so as infrequently as possible.  Shingles are easily damaged by being walked on too much.

Use Binoculars

Unless you are a professional or have a lot of experience on roofs, you could get hurt going onto your roof.

When checking on the condition of your roof, try using binoculars or be very careful when using a ladder.

Signs of roof damage are shingles on the ground, curling or missing shingles, sagging gutters, and wet spots in your attic or on the ceiling.