Roofing maintenance is very important so that you can make sure your roof lasts as long as possible. In order to properly maintain your roof, you do need to know your roofing enemies. And believe it or not, your roof has many enemies that can compromise its performance. However, regular inspections and maintenance can combat these enemies so that your roof lasts as long as possible.
Here are some of the Minnesota roofing enemies that you may have to contend with on a regular basis:
• Sun roof damage – Over time, the heat and UV rays from the sun can lead to deterioration of your roof. This can occur faster on the sides of the roof that are facing the South or the West.
• Wind roof damage – High winds can lift the edges of the shingles or other roofing material and cause water and debris to be pushed below them. Extremely high winds can cause the shingles to blow completely off and even break.
• Rain roof damage – When water gets under your roofing material, it can make its way to the roof deck and cause the deck to rot. This can lead to extensive leaking and even more damage to your home.
• Snow and ice roof damage – Ice dams occur when melting snow refreezes at the roof’s overhang. This keeps the roof from draining properly into the gutter. Water can then back up under the shingles and this can cause damage to the roof deck.
• Moss and algae roof damage – When wood shingles and shakes stay moist, moss can grow. Once it grows, even more moisture is held on the roof, which can cause rotting. Algae may also grow in these shaded areas of wood shingles, but can also grow on asphalt shingles. Algae creates a black-green stain and can then lead to rot. It is ideal to trim back trees and any other vegetation that may be close to your roof to reduce this.
• Condensation roof damage – when the air is warm and full of moisture, condensation can build up. The way to prevent condensation from ruining your roof is to have a properly ventilated attic to blow out the hot air that can lead to condensation.
• Trees and leaves roof damage – When you have trees near your roof, debris from the trees can fall onto your roof and cause damage. Leaves can also fall into your gutters and clog them, causing water to backup.
• Shingle deterioration roof damage – The natural wear and tear of shingles is also an enemy. However, there is nothing that can be done about this since shingles do have a lifespan.
Knowing the facts about your roofing enemies will also help you to make responsible roof buying decisions. Knowing the enemies will also help you determine when you need to call a Minnesota roof inspector to inspect your roof. This should be done in the spring and fall anyway because you are preparing for the winter and summer and also taking care of damage that these two seasons inflicted upon your roof.
If you are not aware of what an ice dam is, it is the build up of ice at the edge of your roof. Sometimes these ice dams become so large that they back up water behind them and the water cannot properly drain from the roof and into the gutters. This water backup then causes the water to make its way under shingles, which then makes its way to the underlayment, and then to the roof deck. Once the water makes it to the roof deck, it becomes saturated and this can lead to rotting. This also leads to major leaks that result in further and more expensive damage to the home.
The life of a roof shingle is quite fascinating for the fact that they can “die” in a short period of time or they can last for many years without a hitch. To some, a shingle is just a piece or material that is nailed onto a roof and keeps the water out. It helps to drain water away and into the gutter system that then channels water away from the home. It seems rather simple, but the truth is that it is not simple at all. As a matter of fact, a roof shingle is more complicated in that.
When someone refers to having a “green” roof, this doesn’t mean that the roof is the color green. This means that the roof has certain properties that make it environmentally friendly. But not only is a green roof an environmentally friendly roof, it is a roof that saves you money in energy costs because you’ll be using it less often. A green roof is a sustainable roof that has high reflectivity and also has recyclability.
