“Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected .” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War. In an ordinary year, it might seem a little extra to approach simple home maintenance with a battle plan, but 2020 has been a pill, so no, we don’t think it’s overdramatic to get tactical with potential threats to your roof. Armed with this simple checklist, your roof will be in shape to dispatch those potential threats and emerge victoriously without so much as a shingle out of place.
CHECK FOR DAMAGED OR MISSING SHINGLES
Visually inspect for skewed or missing shingles. Walk around your yard, check for AWOL shingles amongst shrubs or in the fence line, and observe the ground near your home to see if there any signs of granules. These are most easily seen on the driveway or patio. Those granules are an important part of your roofing system, and finding them on the ground means the roof may not be performing as well as it once did.
CLEAN GUTTERS
Your gutters are important allies to your roofing system. For a refresher on why we want to keep them fit for duty, please enjoy a review of Four Reasons to Clean Your Gutters (and One Reason Not to). It is a messy, but critical job, and certainly easier to do now, before the freezing winds of winter come howling and the ladder looks uninviting.
CHECK DOWNSPOUTS
Are the downspouts still properly connected to the gutters? Sometimes they work themselves loose. When that happens, water is no longer being directed away from the foundation as originally designed. Check to make sure downspout extensions remain lined up properly and are diverting water away from the home.
HAVE A PEEK IN THE ATTIC
- INSULATION AND VENTILATION. Check for signs of water intrusion and determine whether it is adequately ventilated. Good ventilation will help prevent ice dams from forming and damaging your roof. Ice dams can occur when snow collects on the roof, turns into ice and expands, pushing its way under the shingles to wreak havoc. Keeping your home’s heating out of the attic will help prevent this.
- SQUATTERS. Birds and wildlife may be cute, sometimes not, either way, they shouldn’t be allowed to winter over in your attic. Squirrels are notorious for being able to chew a hole through solid wood large enough to allow ingress and egress in under ten minutes. Once they get comfortable, a new family is sure to follow. Nothing about any of this is beneficial to your home or to you. Be sure to have intruders removed when you first become aware of them.
TRIM BACK ANY TREE LIMBS HANGING OVER THE ROOF
Strong winds could cause a weak limb to fall onto the roof and cause damage. Tree limbs may make contact with the roof during high winds, potentially scraping off granules or tearing off shingles. While vines and climbing plants are beautiful and no doubt the envy of your neighbors, make sure they are not threatening the integrity of your roof by growing between the gutters and the roof itself.
All of this seems like a lot because it is. But we can help. You are certainly capable of maintaining your roof and preparing it for winter, but your friends here at Dale’s would be glad to do all of this for you. Our Stay DRI Maintenance Club™ is only $181 a year. Give us a call if you’d like to become a member, and we’ll take care of getting your roof ready for winter so you can spend your time doing what you enjoy.
To the victor goes the spoils, as the saying promises. So regardless of what unexpected news may come this winter (did you see the one about Florida’s meth gators?), keep enemies such as ice, tree limbs, and uninvited critters from dealing a lethal blow to your home’s most protective system. Roof maintenance is always a winning move and will pay off for years to come.
