5 Reasons to Maintain Your Roof
If you’re a homeowner or are planning to buy a new house, you’re probably most excited or concerned about the interior of your abode. You want your house to feel like a home, and you want guests to feel comfortable when visiting. Designing the interior of your home is important, but be sure not to neglect the exterior! Spring is right around the corner, and with spring comes plenty of wet weather. If the exterior of your home, most importantly the roofing, isn’t properly maintained, it could cause detrimental damage to the roof itself and lead to other costly damages to the exterior and interior of your home if not repaired appropriately. Below are some consequences of neglecting to maintain your roof, as well as some benefits of having your roof maintained and inspected on a regular basis.
1. Mold and insulation deterioration
If your roof becomes damaged because of a specific incident or simply deteriorates over time as a result of neglect, water could leak into your attic and infiltrate the insulation lining it. As a result of moisture absorption, the insulation will begin to clump and become ineffective. You may not notice at first, but clumping will result in increased energy consumption, as air will escape through the attic, requiring more energy to heat your home. Not only this, but wet, clumped insulation will eventually create mold in the insulation and anywhere else moisture gathers in your attic, potentially causing respiratory problems for your household.
2. Structural damage
A damaged roof will not simply result in visible, obvious leaks. If an expert does not regularly inspect your roof, hidden damages may build up and multiply. Roofs and decks could corrode, and moisture buildup may damage structural steel and wood blocking, among many other items. If moisture leaks not only into the attic, but also along the framing of your home, wet wood could lose its strength and rot, causing your roof to sag, walls to warp, and saturate your home’s foundation. By the time you notice these structural damages, the cost of repair could be outrageous!
3. Maintenance is cheaper than repair and replacement
Regardless of how high-end your roof is, you will eventually encounter a problem, whether it is a leak, moisture build-up, or a puncture. These problems, as mentioned above, may be indicative of larger, more costly issues that had previously gone unseen. However, regular roof maintenance and inspection could prevent these larger issues before they appear, and could prevent costly repairs or in severe cases, replacements. Although inspections must be paid for, these regular maintenance programs will save you money in the long run.
4. Roof maintenance prolongs roof life
With regular inspections comes the easy identification of small problems that could have lead to much larger ones if gone unattended. When these issues are resolved quickly, the life of your roof will extend and prevent the need for pricey repairs and even pricier replacements, saving you even more money.
5. Roof maintenance upholds property value
When selling a home, you should know that buyers try to avoid costly “fixer-uppers.” When a person looks into buying a new home, the need for a new, expensive roof can be a big turn off. Therefore, properly maintaining and inspecting your roof and guaranteeing that it will last for years to come could uphold your home’s value and make it more attractive when on the market.
