Spring is About to Spring – Is Your Roof Ready?

Baseball practices have started, flowers and trees are beginning to turn green and bloom. What all that means is that springtime is approaching, but it isn’t all about beauty, fun, and games. For the homeowner, it also means getting your home ready for spring weather.

Here we offer you some advice and a few tips on things you need to do:

Roof Inspection

The first step is doing a roof inspection. You should be looking for shingles that are bubbling, curling, or missing. Bubbling and curling shingles can come off in the high winds and thunderstorms that this area of the country experiences in the spring.  Missing shingles leaves your roof susceptible to water damage. If the roof is ten years old or more, shingles that have missing granules means the roof is wearing thin and probably needs to be replaced.

Gutter Cleaning and Repair

Your gutters are a big part of the roof, so include this in your spring preparations. Gutters not only shed rain water off you as you come out the door, but they also guide water away from the roof and the foundation. At least twice a year you should clean the gutters and remove any debris, leaves, small limbs, and other things that may have accumulated. This will allow the water to flow through the gutters to the downspouts.

Also, look for any breaks or cracks where the gutters could be leaking. These things need to be repaired promptly so that your gutters don’t break off from the house. Check the ends of the downspouts too and make sure they are clear of grass growing over them. They need clear openings to perform as intended.

Tree Trimming

Trees can add beauty to a home, provide shade, and damage roofs. Keep the limbs trimmed away from the roof. Not only are low hanging branches going to rub against the roof and wear off the shingles, but in a storm with high winds, it can cause even more damage.

Have you Considered Environmental Roofing for Your Home?

When we talk about having a “green roof’,” technically this applies to having living plants planted on the roof. However, these days the term usually means eco-friendly roofing. The sun hits your roof, and the light is reflected into the atmosphere. The angle and intensity of that reflected light creates what is referred to as "heat island" which erodes the atmosphere. Furthermore, if the roofing material installed on the roof doesn't have insulation, the environmental interior is heated up and as such, we turn the thermostat setting down.

Fortunately, there are roofing materials available today that are made of a green material and are an environmentally conscious material that can be recycled later. Let us look at a few examples of roofing materials today that are environmentally conscious:

Tile Roofing

Tile roofing will last for years, up to a hundred years. This is a perfect roof material for warm climates. It is made from green material, and the curved shape allows the roof more ventilation. It also comes in many different colors. For a home that is in a warm climate, the lighter the color, the better.

Single-ply Thermoset

The single-ply thermoset roof is made from a membrane that has been derived from natural gas and oil, then cured. It is then bonded to roofing materials and provides an insulated and well-sealed cover. They are made in a factory instead of constructed and installed on the site. In this manner, the quality is more consistent.

This thermoset membrane type of roofing can withstand the sunlight which can damage roofs. These membranes also come in white now as well, a cool color for hot areas.

Single-ply Thermoplastic

There is a different composition with the plastics that thermoplastic membrane roofs are made from. For starters, they do not require being bound to material of the same type. Instead, they are welded closed and contain fire retardant materials that absorb ultraviolet light.

This type of roofing material is common among commercial buildings and restaurants because it is resistant to animal fats, oils, and even bacterial growth. This type of roofing can be installed over older roofs, a money saver so that a complete tear-down isn't required.