Roof Maintenance

Like any other part of your home, the roof needs to be maintained just as often as everything else. Leaving branches or other things lay on top of your roof can increase your chances of getting a leak or having something seriously go wrong. If you properly keep your roof clean and maintained you should get the most out of your shingles that are currently on the roof itself. Here is a closer look at how one should maintain their roof:

One aspect of maintenance for your roof is to have it regularly inspected. Twice a year should be sufficient for most homes unless you live in an area that is often hit by bad weather. This will allow for your roofing contractor to find small problems and light damage before it comes more severe. This will also help to prevent you from having to replace your entire roof unless it really needs to be done.

Changing out damaged shingles on your roof is also a good maintenance measure. This will help extend the life of the roof overall and can help protect other shingles from being damaged. Having a solid roof over your home will mean that you won't have to worry about leaks or other complications in the future.

Cleaning out your gutters help extend the life of your roof because drainage will be able to flow how it was designed to. If you have a gutter full of leaves and other things water won't be able to drain therefore it will settle on parts of your roof. Water sitting like this will decrease the life of the singles and can cause a leak rather quickly. You should clean out your gutters regularly in order to protect the roof of your home and to give your house a more well-kept appearance.

A type of roof maintenance that is easily overlooked is having your roof inspected directly after inclement weather. Although shingles are durable and made to last a very long time they are still vulnerable to high speed winds, heavy rain, and hail. If your house has just been hit by a heavy storm you should go ahead and find out if there is any damage as soon as possible. This will prevent you from having extensive damage in the future and this type of work is covered by your insurance company except for you paying for whatever your deductible is set at.

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When Is It Time To Replace Your Roof?

A home's roof keeps the structure underneath in good condition and everything inside of it protected. That is why the condition of your roof is so important. A roof replacement, when needed, should take top billing over any other home improvement project you have on your to do list. When is a simple repair no longer possible? How do you know it is necessary to replace your roof? Your local roofing companies can provide you with information to help you make this decision. They may consider a number of things.

Take into consideration how old your roof is. The average life span of a roof ranges from 12 to 20 years. Depending on both the maintenance and upkeep of your roof. After this many years leaks and torn flashings start happening more regularly no matter what type of roof you have.

The condition of interior walls that touch the roof is also an important factor. Warning signs can be seen clearly on interior walls when a roof needs to be replaced. Watch for these signs! If you have missing or peeling paint on interior walls you may have a new roof in your future. Moisture marks on your walls is a sign of water seeping down and a sign of big trouble.

Being hit by snow, hail, rain storms, and direct sunlight again and again are major reasons for a roof to break down. Where do you live? If you are effected by more than one of these things it may shorten the overall life span of your roof. If severe weather has exposed part of your home a roof replacement may also be necessary. With this much damage a simple repair is no longer makes sense.

The number of missing or torn shingles can factor in as well. When you have a big number of missing tiles and shingles on your house replacing the roof is the best decision, instead of choosing to repair it.

Keep an eye on your electric or gas bill. A swing in your heating or cooling bills could signify trouble with your existing roof. If your attic is well insulated damaged shingles could be the cause of this.

A roof that is leaking and has several layers might need to be replaced. Roofing companies refer to this as a "complete tear-off." When you have a complete tear off all the existing layers are taken off of the roof. The new wood roof framing is installed next. Following that new shingles are installed on the entire roof. Most places city codes are extremely strict about how many of roof layers are allowed. Three layers is the max umber in many places. Your local roofing companies will know about the roofing codes in your city. They will know the answers to your roof layer questions.

On top of all of these things the roof you had installed initially will affect when you need to put in a replacement. A bad design or starting with the wrong materials during the construction of your roof will result in it not lasting as long as you expected it to. Make sure your new roof is quality by shopping Minneapolis roofing companies for the companies that will do the best job for you and your home.

Proper care and maintenance in addition to keeping your roof clean will put off the need for a new roof. However all roofs will need to be replaced eventually. Are you ready to take the step of replacing your roof? Call your local roofing companies many offer a no obligation free estimates.

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Designer Roofing Materials

Some roofing choice options.

Galvalume Metal Roof Review

Metal is my #1 choice for a roof in Central Texas. In this video I'll tell you all the reasons why I think Metal is a better choice than asphalt shingles or tile.

Mike Rowe with Dirty Jobs Experiences Commercial Hot Tar Roofing

Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe experiencing commercial hot tar roofing.

Recycled Old Japanese Roof Tiles

An interesting and creative example of recycling in Japan. Tiled roofs (hongawarabuki) are a distinguishing feature of most traditional Japanese homes, as well as Buddhist temples, Shinto (native religion of Japan) shrines and many other types of old buildings. Kawara is the word the Japanese use to describe roof tiles in general, though there are in fact many styles and types of tiles with regional variations, and a large and specialized vocabulary is used to describe these. The convex marugawara-style (aka ogawara) tile are normally used in conjunction with the concave hiragawara tile to cover the open surface of a roof. When used together, these two types of tiles provide a strong and weather-resistant barrier which easily channels heavy rainfall. Japanese roof tiles are typically very well made and often outlive their intended function protecting structures from the elements. As a result, old roof tiles can sometimes be spotted in Japan being reused for unique and interesting purposes. Old roof tiles are sometimes used to reinforce earthen retaining walls, or stacked one next to another to make garden borders. Roof tiles are also buried vertically along dirt walkways with just the tips exposed a fraction of an inch above the surface to create artistic patterns and to act as paving surfaces. Decorative end caps called onigawara (ogre tiles) look especially nice as accent pieces within the home or on patios and especially when positioned amidst garden foliage.

Clay Roof Eave Closure - Birds and Pest Prevention Roofing Ideas

http://hometips.gregvan.com/ Click on This Link to learn more about pest problems and other things that you need to know about your home. Watch this video to find out why the bottom of a clay roof tile needs to be blocked off. I can't tell you how many buildings I've walked by, and noticed something living underneath the roof tiles, let alone how many buildings I've removed these roofing tiles from, and found all sorts of animal and bird nests. If you enjoy watching our videos, you will enjoy visiting our website and don't forget to check out a few of our books