Your roof is one of the most crucial parts of your home, protecting you from the elements and ensuring your home remains safe and comfortable. However, many homeowners unknowingly cause damage to their roofs through everyday activities, maintenance mistakes, or simple neglect. Knowing how you can accidentally damage your roof can keep it safe from harm.
To help you avoid costly repairs and prolong the life of your roof, here are some common ways you might be accidentally damaging your roof and how to avoid them.
The Most Common Ways to Damage Your Roof
By understanding the most common ways you may damage your roof, you can protect this surface from costly repairs. Some of the most common ways that homeowners can damage their roofs include:
1. Walking On It
While your roof is strong enough to withstand a lot of pressure, it isn’t meant to withstand regular foot traffic. The materials on your roof are incredibly fragile. Choosing to walk on this surface more often than you should may damage your roof. If you need to walk on your roof to remove debris or inspect it, you should remember to do so sparingly. Instead, it is best for your roof to schedule inspections with a team of professionals who can avoid damaging these fragile materials.
2. Hanging Holiday Lights
Although you might want to dress up your home for the holidays, it is important that you do so safely. Using improper hanging tools to keep your holiday lights strung up can damage your roof. You should be mindful when choosing to hang your lights. Choosing to use nails or staples to hang your lights can lead to costly and premature repairs. If you hang lights this holiday season, you should only use plastic clips or magnets to keep them secured to your eaves.
3. Not Cleaning Gutters
One of the most common ways you can damage your roof is by failing to clean your gutters thoroughly or regularly. These act as the catch-all for fallen or loose organic debris. While rain may be able to rinse some of this debris out, some debris may get stuck in the gutters, leading to clogging. As they clog, your gutters begin to back up stormwater onto your roof, leading to water infiltration in your home, mold growth, and costly damage to your roof tiles.
4. Letting Branches Hit the Roof
If you have trees surrounding your home, they do a great job of blocking sunlight from getting inside. This is a great way to keep your home cool in the summer. However, as your trees get larger, they may begin to brush up against your roof, which can damage your roof’s fragile materials if left unchecked. Instead, it is best to schedule regular pruning to keep your roof safe from any stray tree branches.
5. Not Checking It After a Storm
While you might not want to check your roof immediately following a severe storm, choosing to put this off can be more detrimental than you realize. Storms may blow large debris and rough organic materials onto your roof, which can cause major damage to the fragile materials. If you don’t want to damage your roof, it is essential that you check it as soon as possible to ensure there are no sticks or other large, sharp debris that can damage the surface.
6. You Don’t Schedule Maintenance
You may inadvertently damage your roof when you choose to put off essential maintenance. Regular maintenance allows a roofing professional to inspect your roof for signs of minor or potential damage. If you don’t schedule these appointments, you may end up finding the damage to your roof when it is too late. This roof damage may lead to costly repairs and can, in some cases, damage your home’s interior as well. If you want to avoid this expensive damage, it is best to schedule maintenance at least twice a year.
7. Pressure Washing
If you think your roof looks dirty, you may consider pressure washing it to remove any debris. While well-intentioned, choosing to pressure wash your roof may result in more damage than expected. The pressure from this device can damage your roof tiles, leading to costly repairs. Instead, consider reaching out to a professional cleaning company to schedule this service and ensure the well-being of your roof.
Signs of Roof Damage
If you believe you might have roof damage, there are a few signs you may notice that indicate this damage. The most common signs of roof damage include:
- Increasing energy bills
- Missing or damaged shingles
- Damaged flashing
- Mold and algae growth
- Sagging roof
- Dark spots on the roof
- Attic damage
If you believe you have roof damage, it is essential that you reach out to a roofing professional for support. They can make repairs quickly, ensuring the safety and well-being of you and your loved ones. When these signs emerge, don’t wait to seek professional help. Contact a roofing professional as soon as possible to keep your home safe.
Address Roof Damage with Lifetime Roofing
If you damage your roof, don’t despair. Instead, reach out to our team at Lifetime Roofing for support. With years of experience helping homeowners across Northern Utah repair or replace their roofs, we’re confident we can do the same for you. From the most minor repairs to major roof replacements, you can trust that you’re working with the very best when you turn to Lifetime Roofing.
If you would like to schedule repairs or have questions for our team about the services we provide, don’t hesitate to contact us today.