Spring, with all of its sweetness, is fast fading, and Summer is right at the door. You probably have a lot planned for this warm season filled with endless possibilities- from beach parties with friends and family to fulfilling the kids’ Ice cream cravings to summer holiday trips and everything else in between. As you make those plans, it’s easy to forget your roof, the one thing that keeps you safe from the elements.
Between the winter and spring seasons, your roof has taken a lot of beatings for you, and its strength is waning as a result. It needs your protection to serve you well this coming summer. How so? Due to high temperatures during the day in summer, roofs expand, and they contract during the cooler evenings. These continuous expansions and contractions lead to strains in the roof. And if your roof was not in good condition prior to this, there is a high chance it could get damaged more easily.
But that doesn’t have to happen. That is why our roof experts have assembled these tips to help protect your home’s roof this coming summer.
INSPECT FOR DAMAGES
Carrying out a thorough roof inspection is an obvious but crucial first step in protecting your roof. It is important to find out in real-time the present state of the roof as this will determine next steps. Some issues will become readily apparent—missing or damaged shingles, improperly sealed flashings around roof protrusions, accumulating debris, etc.
However, others, such as leaks and cracks, might be a little difficult to detect. You might want to contact a professional to help you do a more thorough inspection. The important thing is that once you have identified these issues, fix them promptly. This will save you from headaches during this otherwise blissful and lively season.
TRIM OVERHANGING TREE BRANCHES
This might seem like a stretch, but overhanging tree branches and foliage can do real damage to your home’s roof. Sometimes it gets windy during the summer, causing overhanging branches to break and damage roofs. Trimming these branches is especially important if you live in areas known for extreme climatic conditions such as storms and high winds.
Leaves from overhanging trees can also cause your roof’s gutter to clog; this is a whole new problem. Consider it added incentive to trim those trees.
ENSURE PROPER VENTILATION
Roof ventilation is a big deal. A poorly ventilated roof allows moisture to accumulate. In turn, this leads to mold and mildew, which can cause structural damage to your roof and mess with the quality of air in your home. Also, in the summer, roofs can quickly overheat and cause shingles to deteriorate.
Don’t be that person who overlooks roof ventilation. Make sure they are installed. If you have them installed, ensure they are in good working condition. When you do this, you not only protect your roof from damage, but you’ll also be improving your home’s energy efficiency.
APPLY REFLECTIVE COATING
When the sun shines with intensity and the heat is up in the summer, the importance of a reflective coating on your roof cannot be overemphasized. Without it, your roof will absorb most of the heat, resulting in its overheating. Structural damages will follow, not to mention an increase in your energy consumption bills, as you will need more air conditioners to stay cool.
However, when you use reflective coating, or cool roof coating, your roof will reflect much of the sunlight and stay cool. This means your home’s roof will see you through the summer, and you’ll save yourself a lot of money on energy bills. How does that sound?
The trick is to ensure that while the reflective coating will reflect lots of heat in the summer, it should also absorb enough during the cold winter. Strike a balance.
UTILIZE THE SUN’S ENERGY
While this may not sound like a roof-protecting tip, it is undoubtedly a money-saving tip in the long run. Summer might be a good time to consider solar shingles. The summer sun is a great energy resource, and those materials can help you tap into that, saving you thousands of dollars in energy bills. But hey, if that’s not good enough, you can rest easy knowing that, at the very least, the sun won’t damage your roof.
HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
Trying to protect your home’s roof by following these tips yourself is all good. But it’s really best to leave it to the professionals. For one thing, they are better at spotting current and potential roofing issues. They are also equipped to solve them promptly. And since climbing your home’s roof as an amateur exposes you to many risks, you would be saving your limbs by hiring professionals to do the job.
So, what happens once the summer is over? Well, continue to protect your roof as best you can. Carry out regular inspections, consult with professionals, and attend to issues promptly. With these, you can rest assured that your home’s roof, this quintessential piece of your beautiful home, will continue to play its part in keeping you safe and comfortable far into the future.