How to Prepare Your Home’s Roof for The Summer Months

Compared to winter, the summer season is an easier season for many people to maintain their home & roof. This is because the atmosphere during the early summer season contrasts with the harsh snowy winter or rainy season. During winters, heavy winds, hail, lightning, and thunderstorms damage the roof. Yet, once you reach the middle of the summer season, your roof faces its own set of issues. The heat can cause damage and harm to even the most sturdy and tough roofs. Thus, experts advise you to take care of the roof due to extreme sun, warm high winds, scorching heat, and any other effects associated with the summer season. To prepare the roofs for summer, hire residential roofing contractors to check the existing damage. Some of the tips to prepare your roof for the summer season are:

Visual Inspection of Roof

A regular roof inspection is essential to fix even the most negligible damages at an early stage. This is important as unattended minor damage can cause further damage to the entire roof. Get a visual inspection done by a roofing contractor before summer begins. A roof inspection is essential to maintain the roof’s health and maximize its longevity. It helps identify the damages like broken or loose shingles and leakages. Roofing contractors also check for issues like moss growth, accumulated leaves, debris, and clogged gutters. The visual inspection will help you understand the status of your roof. This way, one can figure out if you must carry out minor repairs immediately or get them fixed later. It is best to fix all the roof issues immediately to avoid an expensive roof replacement. One can avail roof inspection through a qualified roof installation and replacement services provider.

Check Shingles and Tiles

Shingles and tiles are vital and significant components of the roof. Rains and thunderstorms leave shingles loose, making them susceptible to further damage. The damaged shingles become loose and can break off, which leads to water damage. The roof is left exposed to algae and mold formation. Look out for broken, bent, or missing shingles. It is better to replace the damaged and cracked shingles. If you don’t replace them, warm weather and rough storms can deteriorate them further. Contractors providing roof replacement in Cincinnati can quickly inspect the roof shingles and tiles.

Inspect the Protrusions and Openings In and Around Roofing

Flashing and metal strips found in protrusions such as chimneys, vents, & skylights deteriorate over time. So, one should fix any damaged extensions before the summer season commences. If not repaired, the intense summer heat can lead to further damage. Moreover, the deterioration leads water to get under the roof, which is a grave concern. Thus it is always better to attend to the protrusions issues. One must care to resolve the problems on an immediate basis to prevent further damage to the roofs.

Inspect Gutters

Everyone knows that gutters can become the nesting base for birds or any other critters. Additionally, debris accumulation, twigs, dust, and leaves also clog the gutters. The inspection and cleaning of gutters before the summer season clears the unwanted elements. One must ensure no water is accumulated, and the water must flow off with ease. Collected water can put pressure on the gutter, causing it to sag. 

Moreover, it can cause roof leaks, which has a damaging effect on the surrounding. If neglected, it damages the ceiling, walls, and floors, reducing the roof’s stability. Accumulated debris also becomes the breeding ground for pests like rats and rodents. A pest infestation can cause severe illnesses to the human body. Thus, checking tightness, proper angle of downspouts is necessary before summer sets in. Also, one must ensure to remove nests, twigs, leaves, etc., at the start of summer to keep gutters clog-free. This provides easy maintenance of the roof.

Clean your Attic

Cleaning and decluttering of attics are crucial for proper ventilation. Making the attic ready before summer is essential as it provides better ventilation and insulation. Check any evidence of rodents, rats, and other harmful pests that may have entered inside. If your insulation is damaged, the attic space will get very hot during summer. Without ventilation, the heat gets trapped into the attic space. This heat can radiate into the rooms and cause discomfort or unrest for those indoors. Besides, the HVAC needs to run more to maintain the temperature, which runs up your utility bills. So, one must ensure to have adequate insulation in the attic. It prevents the attic from getting hot and increasing the energy bills.

Trim Overhanging Branches

To prepare your roof for summers, watch out for overhanging trees and branches. They can prove to be a risk for the roof. During summer, high-speed winds can cause the branches to break off and fall on the roof. Twigs may do nothing, but heavy branches can puncture the roof and cause holes in the underlying deck. Also, the leaves and twigs brushing against the shingles can remove the top layer. As mentioned earlier, the fallen leaves & twigs lead to debris accumulation by gutters clogging. Thus, experts suggest that before summer hits, trim off all the branches and trees above the roof.

Conclusion

Summers are arid and hot, and this can weaken your roofing system. Thus, it is vital to check all the components of the roof before the summer sets in. It is best to get your roof and siding repair done to prepare your home or commercial building for the summer. Although one can inspect the roof themselves, it is best to hire roofing contractors. This helps one to get complete information on maintenance and repair. Roof repair and maintaining a roof ahead of summer ensures that you have a summer-ready roof.