3 Common Questions about Roof Maintenance

Your roof is the ultimate shelter for your home. It shields you, your family, and all your valuables from the elements, a big part of that being Arizona’s extreme and sometimes unpredictable weather. But with the protection your home’s roof offers, it withstands considerable damage after enough parching summers and blustery days.  While your walls at least have a little protection from eves, your roof bears the brunt of natural elements.

 

Life happens, time flies and before you know it it’s time to have a look at that roof again. However, homeowners can get caught up in the flow of things and neglect to maintain what is out of sight and out of mind. Gradually, the Arizona sun’s UV rays and heat will beat down on construction materials that make up your roof, animals such as woodpeckers and small rodents can gnaw, peck and tear your roof apart. Eventually, during one day of this year’s rainy El Niño cycle, you may hear drip drops coming from a leaky roof.

 

Maintenance is a big part of the game when you own your home. Leaks and signs of water damage will send you rummaging through your records in search of when the last time was you had your roof inspected. When you get your first homeowner’s insurance policy, you will be asked for a roof inspection. If you've lived in your home for a while and haven’t had it done since you got the policy, it’s definitely overdue.

 

If you are in your first home, you may have some questions about your roof’s maintenance schedule and particulars. Here are a few things you should know about preserving your roof:

 

How often should I have an inspection?

 

Roofing professionals would recommend you have your roof inspected annually if the year’s weather is peaceful, or after major weather events since so many factors can damage it. Since we recently experienced some ferocious gale-like winds in the Tucson area, a check-up on your roof may be a great idea.  Roof damage snowballs, becoming worse and worse if ignored, so it’s best to stop damage in its tracks just as soon as you discover it.

 

Roofing companies can do an inspection for little or no cost. They will usually help by soliciting suggestions and offer to do your yearly inspections. You could pay a fee for inspection if your roof is made of expensive materials like slate or clay tile, or has several levels and steep slopes, or is at least 40 years old and in potentially precarious condition.

 

The roofer should check your gutters and downspouts, fascia, rooftop vents, and the general condition of your roofing materials.

 

A roof in great condition can either be appreciated or overlooked in terms of resale, but for your family, it’s definitely peace of mind while you live in your house. If Gila woodpeckers and scampering squirrels have a claim on your real estate and Arizona’s weather has peeled away at your roofing materials, your roof is probably due for some TLC.