As summer in Central Texas slowly winds to a close, it’s time to get your home ready for the colder months with Fall Roofing Preparation. While you’re putting away those patio chairs and removing dead plants, don’t forget about your roof. Roof maintenance is often forgotten but is extremely important.
Why Care About Your Roof System?
Fall is the season of dead leaves and windy, rainy cold fronts. Both can really test your roof system. If there any roof deficiencies that were created by the extreme heat of the summer, fall weather will exploit them.
Fall Roof Maintenance Tips
Roof Inspection
The extreme heat of the summer can create roof issues that go unnoticed because of the lack of rain. Fall is great time to have a local roofing company like Caden Roofing come by and perform a detailed inspection to look for any problem areas. These could include deteriorated sealant on exposed fasteners, wind damaged shingles, hail damage, tree branch punctures, rodent damage or even bullet holes (I’ve see it many times!). Catching these small issues early can save thousands of dollars by preventing interior damage.
Remove Leaves from Roof
If leaves pile up on your roof, it can lead to leaf damming. Similar to ice damming, leaf dams prevent water from shedding properly in valleys, low-slope shingles, and around roof accessories. These dams will force water to move laterally, instead of downhill, and leak into your home.
If your roof is walkable, an easy way to remove leaves is with a gas powered leaf blower. Make sure you blow with the grain (downhill) so not to damage your shingles.
Clean Your Gutters
Clogged gutters can lead to major issues when fall weather arrives. Heavy Central Texas fall downpours can quickly overwhelm clogged gutters. If the rain is heavy enough, the water can backup into your soffit and damage the sheathing under the shingles at the eaves.
Check them regularly and possibly think about getting gutter guards. If it’s tricky to reach, a gutter professional can help.
Trim Trees
Live Oak, Pecan, Hackberry and Cedar trees grow very quickly in Austin and San Antonio. If tree branches are close to your roof, wind will move the branches and cause significant damage to shingle roof systems. Often, tree damage can occur without a homeowner ever knowing. Tree branches can tear through shingle roofs, dent metal roofs, and even crack tiles roofs.
A general rule of thumb is to keep trees at least eight feet away from your home since wet or snow laden branches hang lower due to the increased weight. Fall is also a great time to remove dead limbs. Always use an insured tree service because serious damage to your home can occur when removing branches.
Getting your roof inspected now will save you problems later, so take a little time this fall to make sure everything’s in good shape for winter with some Fall Roofing Preparation! Give us a call at Caden Roofing or visit us at cadenroofing.com to schedule your fall roof inspection before the severe weather begins.
