Your roof plays a critical role in protecting your home. It shields you and your family from the elements, keeps you warm and dry, and insulates your house in extreme temperatures.
Because of the important things your roof does, it’s one of the key elements you should pay attention to when performing home maintenance. However, many homeowners postpone caring for their roof, and at a steep cost—roof leaks.
A leaky roof can occur from one or more factors—from missing shingles and clogged gutters to inadequate ventilation and flashing damage.
Over time, homeowners find themselves with expensive problems, like structural damage, water damage to the attic, ceilings, and walls, and even dangerous health concerns, like mold growth.
Thankfully, you can avoid many of these costly issues with regular roof maintenance from Christian Brothers Roofing. Here are six helpful tips for preventing roof leaks so you can protect your home from premature deterioration.
6 Tips for Preventing Roof Leaks
1. Annual Roof Inspections
Your roof is a significant investment, so it’s important to care for it with quality services from a trusted contractor.
That’s why annual roof inspections with a reputable roofing company are a fantastic way to protect your roof and keep your roof replacement warranties in effect.
Your roofer will catch problems with your roof you might not have noticed on your own, and fix issues before they escalate into damage from a leaky roof.
2. Clean Gutters
Your gutters can become clogged with leaves, tree branches, and other debris that prevents water from properly flowing away from your home. This back-up may cause water to pool on your roof and can cause roof leaks.
Clean your gutters regularly to prevent roof leaks. We recommend cleaning your gutters twice a year—once in the spring and once in the fall. You can hire a roofer to perform gutter maintenance or carefully clean your gutters yourself.
If your gutters still aren’t working correctly after maintenance, consider installing brand-new gutters to keep water flowing away from your home.
3. Secure Flashing
Flashing creates a water-resistant barrier on the transitional parts of your roof, like where the chimney, skylights, or vents meet your shingles.
Over time, the caulk or sealant may crack, causing the flashing to slip out of place. Dislocated flashing can cause significant roof leaks and should be addressed immediately.
During your annual inspection, ask your roofer to ensure that all your flashing is tight and secure, and if not, ask if they can re-seal the vulnerable parts of your roof.
4. Landscaping Maintenance
You probably wouldn’t consider your landscaping as the culprit of a leaky roof.
However, if you have tall trees in your yard, you run the risk of heavy tree limbs scraping or falling on your roof during a storm.
To prevent leaks, keep the trees closest to your home trimmed, especially during the stormiest months of the year. You can’t control if a storm blows off a tree limb, but you can at least minimize the risk of it falling on your home.
5. Replace Shingles
Missing, worn-out, or broken shingles are one of the key culprits of a leaky roof. They expose your roof and make your home more vulnerable to water damage.
During your annual roof inspection, have your roofer check for damaged or missing shingles and replace or repair them immediately.
If you haven’t already, consider roof replacement with durable, low-maintenance asphalt shingle roofing. Not only are asphalt shingles long-lasting, but they are also attractive, versatile, and cost-effective!
6. Attic Ventilation
Problems in your attic can cause problems with your roof—and vice versa. Improper roof ventilation can cause frustrating issues, like mold or mildew growth, algae stains, peeling paint, uncomfortable indoor temperatures, a damp attic, and more.
During your annual inspection, ask your roofing company to ensure your roof vents aren’t clogged and are performing correctly. If not, ask about installing improved attic ventilation to save money on utility bills and protect your home against premature deterioration.
Should I Repair or Replace My Leaky Roof?
Even with proper maintenance, your roof may still suffer damage that requires roof repair or replacement. But how do you determine what your home needs?
Typically, homeowners choose to perform repairs when the roof is relatively new, the damage is minor, and repairs are convenient and affordable.
Homeowners usually choose roof replacement when their roof’s lifespan is over, has extensive damage, or they want to upgrade their home’s value.
If your leaky roof needs to be replaced, consider the benefits of a GAF Lifetime Roofing System. GAF’s industry-leading Timberline Asphalt Shingles will add lasting value to your home with their beauty, performance, and durability and will rid your home of roof leaks for good!
Roof Repair and Replacement You Can Count On
Whether you want to prevent roof leaks from happening in the future or are already struggling to find a solution for your leaky roof, we can help.
Our skilled, professional team wants to protect your home with a roof that lasts. We’re the only roofing company in Kansas and Missouri to earn GAF’s highest Master Elite Award for our performance, reliability, and service.
Our team has performed thousands of successful roof repairs and replacements—and we’re ready to do the same for you! Learn how a successful roof repair can restore your confidence in your home.
