Are you ready for the rainy season ahead? Protecting your roof before the rainy season comes along will prevent you from damaging your roof any further and allow for a safe and enjoyable season. If you don’t prepare your roof for the rainy season, you leave your home susceptible to leaks and other water damage. This water damage can lead to even bigger problems throughout your home if you ignore them. Read on to learn more about things that you can do to get your roof ready for the rain.
Clean Your Gutters
Gutters are your best line of defense against a heavy, rainy season. Without clear gutters, rainwater has nowhere to go when it falls on your roof. This can lead to heavy consequences in the future for not only your gutters themselves but your home’s foundation as well. If there are trees around your gutters, be sure to trim those as well in order to prevent excess debris from clogging up your gutters.
Clean Off Debris
Be sure to clean off all of the leaves, dirt, and other gunk that’s on your roof. Keeping your roof clear gives rainwater a clear path to get off of your roof once a rainstorm comes. Standing water can eventually lead to leaks and even worse problems for your home in the long run. We don’t recommend getting on top of your roof because of the potential danger, so enlist a professional roofer to help you out with this task.
Check Your Attic
As you are spring cleaning or putting away holiday decorations, take the time to check out the roof. Checking out your roof from the inside of often overlooked by homeowners, but it’s often the best way to check out problems when they’re in their earliest stages. If there’s any light coming in from the roof, then you may be dealing with a leak. Check the shingles out for any mold accumulation as well. If you smell something strange but don’t see anything, don’t ignore it. This might be a clue towards a deeper problem.
Look Into Your Shingles
As you deal with heavy rainstorms, there’s a greater chance to deal with leaks and further damage to your roof. That’s why it’s important to check over your shingles before the rainy season begins. Your shingles are a very important part of your roof; they’re your first line of defense against any type of precipitation. Check for broken, curled, warping, or shrinking shingles. They all are damaged in some way and need to be replaced as soon as possible. Also, check for stained shingles as well. This may be evidence of a leak or a deeper problem within your home.
Inspect Your Flashing
If you’re not aware, a roof’s flashing is the material that’s used over joints in the roof and wall construction in order to prevent water from seeping in. This makes them incredibly important during the rainy season. Check around your home for any imperfections throughout your flashing and replace them as quickly as you can.
Fix Your Skylights
If you have skylights built into your roof, now’s the time to ensure that they’re properly in place. If they aren’t, then that may lead to water seeping through the cracks and getting into your home. Additionally, if they aren’t sealed well it could cause precious heating or cooling within your home to slip away. This will inevitably cause your energy bills to rise because of that.
Get Rid of Moss
Moss feeds off of moisture and damp environments. That makes now the perfect time to get rid of it. Moss can also lift your shingles and cause long term problems to your roof. Take the time out to get rid of the moss that may be lingering on your roof, as well as other plant growth that you see.
Check Your Vents
We rely on our vents in order to keep our home temperature-controlled and as comfortable as possible. But, what we may not realize is that water and other debris may be getting into our home through the ventilation system. Bring a professional in to inspect the vents and ensure that they’re designed to keep rainwater out. If they’re not, then it may be time to replace them before the heavy rain season is upon you.
Check Your Drains
Our drains are used to direct water away from our homes. But, what happens when these drains are clogged up? Before the rainy season, check your drains to see whether they’re clear or clogged. If they’re clogged, that can cause water to sit on your roof and eventually cause leaks in the long run.
Read Over Your Home Insurance
If a horrible storm or another worst-case scenario comes up and severely damages your home, you want to make sure that you’re covered. Also, now would be a great time to look over what’s covered by your home insurance policy and what isn’t so you can make sure that you won’t run into any unnecessary fees. If you don’t believe that your current home insurance plan will fully protect your home during this rainy season, call up your local insurance agent in order to figure out a plan that’ll work best for you. It’s always better to call your insurance company up before a disaster happens, instead of after. Taking care of your home can be an expensive task. But, in the long run, it’s totally worth it in order to ensure the safety of you and your family.
Dealing with the rainy season can be frustrating if you don’t prepare your roof for it. Choosing to be proactive instead of reactive with your roof can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. Your roof is a very important part of your home; as it’s meant to protect you and your family from the harsh weather that may be lurking around. Putting forth the effort to making sure that it’s in tip-top shape is a great way to ensure its lifespan and prevent larger problems in the future.