September brings with it pumpkin spice lattes, crisp apple strudels, sweater weather, and changing colors. It’s beautiful to see the leaves turn from their varying shades of green to vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds. However, lovely as fall leaves are, they pose a unique threat to your roof. It’s essential to be aware of how fall leaves can impact your roof in order to keep your home properly protected and your home insulated through the upcoming winter months. 

Here is what you need to know about the risks fall leaves create for roofs and what you can do in order to avoid potential roofing problems. 

The Dangers Fall Leaves Pose

Chances are that as a home or business owner, you already know some of the many challenges fallen leaves create for a property. Delightful as it may be to hear that satisfying crunch of a particularly crispy leaf under your boot, it’s less fun when you slip and fall and hurt yourself because of a pile of slick leaves on the sidewalk. It’s also expensive to deal with how fallen leaves can corrode your car’s paint if left there for too long. 

It’s no wonder, then, that fall leaves can cause damage to your roof if they’re not dealt with in a timely manner. As with anything, fall leaves can start out as a mere nuisance, but if allowed to deteriorate on your roof, the resulting damage can be quite extensive. 

Some of the dangers fall leaves pose for your roof include:

• An imbalance on your roof’s surface. In one of our previous blogs, What You Need To Know About Snow Buildup On Your Roof, we talked about how the weight of snow buildup can damage your roof. The same is true of fallen leaves. This is because when wet, leaves can gain weight. When allowed to buildup, they can get very heavy. This puts undue pressure on your roof, leading to damage over time.
• Water damage. As fallen leaves can get quite wet and pile up, is it any wonder that they can cause water damage? All that pressure can end up creating holes in your shingles, leading to leaks and mold growth. Water damage can also result from leaves filling up your gutters, preventing water from draining and ergo causing corrosion and rot and more. 
• Trapped branches. When leaves stick to your shingles, not only can they cause damage themselves, but they can also trap fallen branches with them. This puts even more strain on your shingles, damaging the system.
• A home for pests. When you have a nice big pile of leaves on top of your home, that’s prime real estate for all sorts of different pests. You bought your home for you and your family, not for all these other creatures. To keep them away and prevent them from damaging the structure of your home, you’ll want to ensure you keep your roof clear.

These aren’t even all of the damages that can result from letting leaves pile up on top of your home. As such, you can see just how important it is to deal with this autumnal threat in a timely manner. That neighbor who is constantly busting out the leaf blower and the rake isn’t being overly cautious – they’re being practical and keeping their property in good condition. 

How To Prevent Roof Damage From Fallen Leaves

Now, you don’t need to follow precisely in your zealous neighbor’s footsteps in order to prevent roof damage from fallen leaves. However, it is important to be mindful of the threats leaves pose and to deal with them in a timely manner in order to keep your property protected.

Some of the ways you can protect your home from fallen leaves include:

• Clean the leaves away. You knew this was coming. You’ll want to regularly inspect your roof and take care of leaf buildup. You can clean the leaves away with a rake or leaf blower. If you do not feel comfortable or safe removing the leaves yourself, you can hire a professional to do it for you. 
• Trim back your trees. You can still enjoy the vibrant fall colors and minimize the risk to your home’s structure by trimming the trees back away from the roof, so less leaves fall on it.
• Check for damage. This includes both inside and outside your home. You’ll want to look for any signs of water damage, mold growth, discoloration, sagging, and anything out of the ordinary. The sooner damages are addressed, the better.

Lifetime Roofing provides professional roofing services, including roof maintenance packages. We’re here to ensure that your roof stays in good condition all year round. Contact us today to learn more about our roofing services and let us help you keep your home secured.

While you most often see flat roofs on commercial properties, residential flat roofs are rising in popularity. Most often seen with modern home design, residential flat roofs may not be the most common choice, but that does not mean that houses cannot have flat roofs. Many people prefer residential flat roofs over the more traditional pitched roofs for a variety of reasons, from convenience to multi-purpose usage and more. There are some factors that homeowners should be cautious of when deciding whether or not to have a residential flat roof installed on their property, though.

Here is what you need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of residential flat roofs so that you can better determine whether or not they are right for you and your property. Let’s dive in!

The Advantages Of Residential Flat Roofs

There are many reasons why someone would opt for a flat roof as opposed to the more traditional pitched roof. Some of the advantages of choosing a flat roof for your home include:

• Modern aesthetic. If you have a modern home, a flat roof can be the perfect roofing system to fit with its style. Flat roofs are seen most often with modern and cubist home designs, as they suit the style very well.
• Ease of construction. It’s fairly easy to construct a flat roof, so you’ll have less to worry about in regards to potential issues that could arise, such as with the pitch.
• Cost-effectiveness. Residential flat roofs tend to cost less to install than their pitched counterparts. This can save you money because less materials are needed in order to construct them, and the labor time is less intensive too.
• Easy maintenance. It can be difficult to clean and inspect a pitched roof, as they can be quite dangerous to try to walk on. Since a residential flat roof is flat, this means that you can easily walk on them and check for any potential damages and keep it clean. 
• Versatility. Another reason why residential flat roofs are rising in popularity is because they’re very versatile. You can use your residential flat roof as a rooftop garden, as a porch space, and more. As opposed to just being your roof, you can use a residential flat roof for many different purposes. 

The Disadvantages Of Residential Flat Roofs

Nothing is perfect. While it’s perfectly ok to have a residential flat roof, there’s a reason why many homeowners prefer to have a pitched roof on their house. Some of the disadvantages of residential flat roofs include:

• Lack of drainage. Contrary to what the name would have you believe, flat roofs are not actually flat. They have a slope to them, in order to allow for water to drain off of them. However, they are not as good as pitched roofs for drainage, which makes them less than ideal for climates that get a lot of rain or snow.
• Buildup of dirt and debris. Since residential flat roofs are flat, this also makes it easier for debris to accumulate on them. You need to be careful to keep your residential flat roof clean, otherwise it could get damaged.
• Higher chance of early replacement. Flat roofs generally do not last as long as pitched roofs do, which means that if you have a flat roof, you will likely need to have it replaced more frequently than if you had a pitched roof. This is another reason why most homeowners stick with pitched roofs over flat roofs for their homes.
• Less curb appeal. Residential flat roofs can be stunning on a modern home, but if you have a different style of home, they could look out of place and lessen the curb appeal of your house.
• Lessened insulation. Flat roofs are not as good at insulating as pitched roofs are. There are some options available to counteract this, such as having a roof coating installed. 

Are Residential Flat Roofs OK?

As you can see, there are many reasons why someone might opt for a flat roof on their home. They are not restricted to commercial properties. However, there are just as many reasons for why someone would choose to stick with a pitched roof for their house, rather than get a flat roof. Ultimately, whether or not a flat roof is right for you and your home is up to you. Residential flat roofs are okay, it just depends on what you’re looking for. 
Lifetime Roofing provides professional roofing services, including flat roofs. To learn more about our flat roofs and our roof services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!

Is your roof ready for the summer heat? If your roof is in need of repair, this can cause your cooling bills to skyrocket as energy escapes through the roof and hot air infiltrates your home. Keeping your roof in good condition is vital to its longevity and to helping you survive the sweltering heat of summer. With these summer roof maintenance tips, you can help prevent the damages that extreme heat can cause to your roof and keep it in good condition for as long as possible. 

Here are some of our top summer roof maintenance tips to help ensure that your roof keeps your home protected from the heat and any pests that may try to seek shelter inside your home. Let’s dive into it! 

#1. Inspect It

Inspections are perhaps the most important summer roof maintenance you can do. You cannot fix problems if you don’t know that they’re there. You’ll want to take a walk around your home and look for any signs of damage. It’s common for there to be thunderstorms during the summer months, which can lead to missing shingles, holes in your roof, fallen tree branches, water damage, and more. You also want to look out for any signs of mold, algae, moss, or debris, as all of these can lead to damages to your roof structure.

If you’re not sure what to look for in a roof inspection or you would prefer to leave it to the professionals so as to ensure that nothing gets missed, you can also schedule a professional roof inspection. The professionals will look for any signs of damages or leaks that could necessitate repair so that your roof can withstand the summer heat as well as possible.

#2. Take Care of Any Repairs

After inspecting your roof, the next summer roof maintenance tip we have for you is to take care of any repairs that you notice need to be taken care of. If you have any leaks in your roof, this can cause damages not only to your roof but also to the structural integrity of your home and its interior, especially during summer thunderstorms. Damaged or old shingles allow energy to escape from your home and allow pests to seek refuge from the heat inside your roofing structure. 

The sooner that you take care of any repairs, the better. This is both for the sake of a lower energy bill and so that you can ensure that your roof lasts as long as possible. 

#3. Clean It

Another important aspect of summer roof maintenance is cleaning it. This applies to your roof, as well as your gutters and your drains. With the rain, it’s important to have clean gutters that allow water to drain off of your roof, rather than pool up and cause water damages. All sorts of things can clog your gutters, from bird nests to leaves and more. If you don’t feel comfortable cleaning your gutters and drains yourself, you can always hire a professional to do it for you.

Keeping your roof clean is crucial for summer roof maintenance because many people don’t realize just how much damage the buildup of dirt and debris can cause. You want to be careful when cleaning your roof, though. If you try to power wash it, this can lead to damages to your roof structure. Cleaning is an important part of summer roof maintenance, but you also need to ensure that the cleaning is done right. Otherwise, you could end up with even more problems on your hands. 

#4. Check Your Ventilation

Ventilation is so important any time of year, but especially during the summer months. If you’ve noticed that your energy bills are going up, it could be because your attic’s ventilation system is in need of either repairs or replacement. As part of your summer roof maintenance, consider having a professional come out to check your ventilation and ensure that everything is in good working order. 

After all, the sooner you catch a problem, the easier and cheaper it is to have it fixed. Plus, keeping your attic’s ventilation system in good condition also saves you money on your energy bills. All-in-all, it’s a win-win for cost-effectiveness and comfortable, cool homes, even when the temperatures hit the triple-digits. 

Do You Need Summer Roof Maintenance?

Lifetime Roofing can help! It’s very important to ensure that you’re taking care of your roof all year long. If you need summer roof maintenance or have any questions about how you should conduct summer roof maintenance, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.