Your home is one of the most expensive investments you will make in your life. It seems like the “honey-do” list never gets shorter. Maintain the yard, change the air filter, mulch the garden. However, developing a habit of preventative maintenance on your home is one of the best cost-saving routines you can practice. Luckily, getting your roof inspected regularly is easy and can prevent a costly repair bill later.
● When the Time Changes
“Spring forward, fall back.” The practical advice is to inspect your roof twice a year. If you climb atop your roof the same weekends where you have to set your clocks for daylight savings, you’ll be taking care of two chores at once. This is also practical because experts recommend inspecting your roof before seasons of severe weather. So get some fresh air, climb on your roof, and you can save money by catching potential problems early.
● After A Major Storm
If you have experienced a considerable weather event, you definitely want to climb on your roof and inspect for any damage. Especially if you have endured a hail storm, you are looking for torn shingles, any cracked or worn parts, or an accumulation of branches, moss, or lichen. Hopefully, if you take a few minutes to inspect your roof after a major storm, you can take care of minor damages before it worsens.
● Vegetation Damage
If you live in a particularly rainy climate, you will want to check your roof to ensure the rain gutters remain clear. The accumulation of leaves and other vegetation in gutters promotes additional growth that can creep under the roof shingles, creating more damage — and a more expensive repair bill later. Birds will mistake the growth as a cozy place to build nests and deposit seeds, adding more growth. Keep your gutters clear!
● When Your Roof Is Getting Up There in Age
If you can inspect your roof when it starts to enter its teen years, you can help it through its minor repair needs. Normal wear and tear are to be expected. Check for any cracks, rust, or damaged shingles. A damaged shingle will show signs of cracking, buckling, or blistering. Addressing minute problems immediately will prevent a catastrophe — and a stressful, expensive repair bill — later.
● “There are Weird Spots on my Ceiling”
If you happen to look up at your ceiling and find peeling paint or dark areas, call a professional immediately. You definitely want to enlist the help of an expert as this may be due to an aging roof or severe weather damage. Similarly, if you find damp spots alongside a fireplace or skylight or notice water stains on pipes that vent the water heater or furnace, this is cause for immediate concern.
Your friendly neighborhood roofing company will happily conduct a complimentary inspection. If you’ve caught these warning signs soon enough, your repair bill should hopefully be lesser than if you ignored the issues and allowed the problems to become exacerbated.
Okay, I understand the importance of getting my roof inspected twice a year. What next?
● Can I do it myself?
If you feel fairly confident that you can identify easy, lesser issues, it’s perfectly okay for you to climb up and inspect your roof. This is beneficial if you want to develop the habit of routinely checking your roof. If you haven’t endured intense or extreme weather — such as heavy thunderstorms, hail, or uncharacteristic heavy wind — in the previous season, it can be a great opportunity to inspect your roof and get a good understanding of its layout and condition.
● “I’m scared of heights, I don’t know what I’m looking for, I don’t own a ladder that tall,” etc.
Fortunately, many reputable roofing companies will conduct roof inspections FOR FREE! That’s right, you read that correctly. FREE. Quality roofing companies will gladly conduct a complimentary inspection to begin a courteous relationship with a potential future client. If a roofing company charges you for an inspection, contact the next one in the phone book — or rather, nowadays, the Google search listings.
● How much does it cost to inspect a roof?
Whether you conduct a routine roof inspection yourself or hire a company to inspect the roof for you, it costs NOTHING. NADA. FREE. Any roofing company worth its reputation and name will perform a roof inspection as a courtesy in the hopes that you’ll remember them when it does come time for a repair.
So what now?
You are well on your way to being a responsible, self-sufficient homeowner. Performing routine inspections for your roof twice a year will save you thousands of dollars in the long run. It’s also really easy to remember if you do it at the same time of year as the daylight savings time changes. This aligns with developing the habit of inspecting your roof before seasons that typically experience heightened, intensified weather conditions.
Since roof inspections are complimentary, whether you conduct them yourself or call upon a professional, it’s a good habit to develop. Neglected, deteriorating roofs are prone to emergency roof repairs and are inconveniently expensive. The only cost is about ten minutes of your (or a professional’s) time. Ten minutes for peace of mind and knowing that you’re saving thousands of dollars in the long run. Your home is a significant investment. You deserve to take pleasure in knowing the roof over your head is in healthy condition.
