Your roof is your home’s first line of defense from the elements. Over time, sun, wind and rain wear down your roof. It can be the most vulnerable component of your home to severe storms — and the costliest single site of damage. Since leaks caused by normal, age-related roofing failure usually are not covered by your insurance, it’s important to make sure your roof is built the right way and maintained.
Tips to Help Your Roof Last Longer
- Don’t forget to ventilate. Proper eave and ridge ventilation may help extend roof life by reducing the buildup of heat and moisture. You want to keep the warm air in your living space as long as possible and get it out of the attic as quickly as possible. Adding ventilated panels to the eaves is usually an easy and economically efficient way to add ventilation when you are installing new siding or rain spouts.
- Keep trees trimmed. Don’t plant trees too close to your house — follow the recommended planting distance from your house or any other structures. Keep mature trees trimmed to prevent them from rubbing up against the roof and to prevent excessive debris buildup.
- Clean your gutters. Keep roof valleys, gutters and downspouts free from leaves, twigs and other litter that can build up and prevent proper drainage.
- Consider treatments. Preservatives available for some roof types may help limit weathering effects of moisture and retard growth of molds and moss.
Signs of a Problem
- When it rains, do too many roof granules wash away?
- Are there water stains on your ceiling?
- Are there curled or missing shingles?
reposted with permission by Penn National Insurance