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If you’ve just bought your first home, congratulations! And if you’re here, it’s because you want to take a proactive approach to maintaining your home’s roof. Since your roof is one of the most costly aspects of your home, it’s important to maintain and repair it to avoid even worse problems.

In this guide, Trinity Exteriors will teach you the best way to maintain your roof so you can enjoy your new home. 

Schedule a Professional Roof Inspection

You may have a general idea of the age and condition of your roof, but it’s a good idea to hire a professional roofing company to inspect your roof in its entirety. Small problems may have been missed during the initial inspection, so you’ll want to have a professional give your roof a thorough once-over. If the inspection results in a few repairs, you can take care of them immediately rather than wait for them to become bigger problems. 

After your initial roof inspection, it is a good idea to schedule yearly roofing inspections. In addition, if you are worried about your roof after severe weather, call for an inspection to ensure there are no signs of hail or storm damage.  

Fix Minor Repairs

Whether these repairs come from your inspection or further down the line, it’s important to get those problems repaired as soon as possible. Leaks can eventually cause mold, which is an even bigger problem–and an expensive one. 

If you fix these repairs right away, you’ll spend less money than if you let them become a bigger issue. We highly recommend avoiding DIY roof repairs, as they can be dangerous, time-consuming, and more damaging to your roof. 

Inspect Your Shingles

Another proactive approach to maintaining your roof is to check your shingles on a regular basis. This is even more important after a large storm that might have caused wind or hail damage.

The simplest way to check your shingles is to pop a ladder on the edge of your home and peek up top. You don’t necessarily need to climb onto the roof to do this. Look for the following: 

• Loose or curling shingles

• Loss of granules on the shingles (so you can see the tar underneath)

• Missing or damaged shingles

• Standing water or dark spots

• Sunken areas

Keep track of any changes you notice; if something looks concerning, call a professional immediately. 

Clean Your Gutters

Cleaning your gutters is a less-than-ideal way to spend your time, but it’s very important to your roof’s health to make sure that your gutters are clean. Clogged gutters can cause water to back up onto your roof, where it can get underneath the shingles and cause leaks or other water damage. Installing gutter guards is a good way to help keep debris out of your gutters. 

Inspect Your Attic

Checking your attic for water spots or other leaks is a good way to catch problems early on. If you do this regularly, you’ll know your attic’s characteristics, and you’ll catch when something doesn’t look quite right. If you do see a water spot or leak, call in the professionals right away to repair the issue. Consider replacing your attic insulation if it is old, moldy, wet, or ineffective. 

Get Your Roof Cleaned

Getting your roof professionally cleaned is a good way to help protect your roof’s integrity. Moss can grow on roofs, which is bad for shingles. It can cause your shingles to curl up, making them more susceptible to blowing away in a strong wind. You can identify moss and mildew on your roof by checking for long, dark streaks on your shingles. 

Moss and mildew tend to grow on the side of your home’s roof that gets the least amount of sun. This is typically the northern side of your room in states like Minnesota. Due to our position on the globe, the sun touches the southern portion of your home more than the northern portion, which makes it a great environment for moisture. 

Professional roof cleaners can clean the existing mildew and moss and apply a treatment to help prevent future growth. 

Perform Spring & Fall Roof Maintenance

Your roof needs regular maintenance to stay functional all year long. You should perform regular roof maintenance in the spring after winter and in the fall before winter. 

These tasks usually consist of cleaning gutters, trimming back overhanging branches, scheduling roof inspections, and checking for signs of storm damage. These regular tasks can prolong your roof’s lifespan and reduce damage from weather conditions.

Call Trinity Exteriors for Your First Roof Inspection

Trinity Exteriors is here to help you maintain your home’s roof. We take care of every customer with service, quality, and integrity, and we care for every roof with extensive knowledge and experience. Trinity Exteriors provides detailed roofing estimates for all our work so you know exactly what you’re paying for when it comes to roof repairs and replacement.  

Check out our reviews for more information, or give us a call at 952-920-9520. You can also send us a message on our website.