We all know our cars need regular maintenance like an oil change or tire rotation. But did you know your roof needs maintenance as well?

If you answered no, then you’re not alone. Most people don’t think about getting an annual roof inspection. The truth is, having your roof regularly maintained is critical to protecting your roof investment.

The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has been repairing, replacing, installing, and maintaining roofs in the Nashville area for 30 years. We always inform our own customers about the importance of roof maintenance. But we never shy away from educating the public about the art of roofing.

In this article, you’ll find what roof maintenance is, how a roof is maintained, and why it’s important. Factors like preventative measures, maximizing your roof’s life, and giving you peace of mind will show how crucial it is to your roof.  

What is roof maintenance?

Roof maintenance is the periodical checking of all the vulnerable areas on a roof that could be susceptible to having a problem. Depending on the type of roof, whether it be residential or commercial, it will be annual, biannual, or quarterly maintenance.

When your local contractor comes out to do roof maintenance there are certain things they check right away. Below is a list of 6 of the most common ways your contractor maintains your roof:

• Check pipe boots for cracks and wear: Cracked pipe boots are the most common reason for roof leaks. The drastic drop in temperature in the winter is when the neoprene (synthetic rubber) gasket around a plumbing vent stack is most likely to crack and create an area for water intrusion.
  

• Remove debris from the roof, valleys, and gutters including sticks and leaves: If debris, such as leaves and sticks, are left on your roof, it can create a dam. This will cause the water to back up under the shingles and create a leak. Leaves in gutters can clog the downspouts or slow the flow of water which can cause the gutters to overflow and create unwanted moisture in the crawl space or basement.
  
• Inspect the roof for animal intrusion: The attic in your home is the perfect safe home for many small animals. They can cause severe damage to a home by causing a leak, chewing on the electrical wiring (which is a common cause of house fires), and creating a biohazard with their waste. Early detection is the key.
  
• Inspect ventilation for properly working fans or turbines or any obstructions in ridge vents: If condensation isn't vented out of your attic, it will dissolve the adhesives in the plywood decking. This will cause delamination of the layers which weakens the nail holding capabilities and possible shingle blow-offs in the future and possibly full decking replacement as well.
  
• Inspect loose or missing caulking and all flashings: Caulking is essential to keeping exposed nail heads on roof penetration flanges (the exposed area on top of the shingles) watertight. It is also essential to keeping metal flashing in brick walls and chimneys watertight.
  
• Have your chimney inspected by a chimney sweep that has been certified by the Chimney Sweep Institute of America (CSIA): It is extremely important if you burn wood to have your chimney inspected every year by a CSIA Certified chimney sweep.
  

The complete laundry list of roof maintenance items could go on and on, but these are the 6 most important roof maintenance must do's so that you get the most life out of your roof.

Why is roof maintenance important?

Investing in roof maintenance goes a long way towards the long-term health of your roof. Even with a properly installed roof, it’s important that you have at least an annual maintenance inspection.

When you get an annual maintenance inspection potential problems are caught, your roof’s life is maximized, and you get peace of mind.

Roof maintenance prevents future problems

The most important reason for roof maintenance is preventative measures. A minor issue that's left untouched can turn into a major issue in just a matter of a year or two, maybe even six months.

For example, if they find a crack in a pipe boot, it’s a simple and inexpensive fix. But if it isn’t caught because you don’t get regular roof maintenance, it can cause $300, $400, or even up to $500 worth of damage to your ceiling.

The same goes if you have critters in your attic. Trying to get them out is one thing, but the biohazard they leave behind gets extremely expensive. When your roof has maintenance, a contractor can catch the problem and will prevent the critters from getting into the attic or make it so hard for them that they give up on your home.

With roof maintenance, you can head off a lot of expensive problems on the front end by your contractor finding potential problems during the inspection.

Roof maintenance maximizes the life of your roof

Something as simple as annual maintenance will maximize your roof’s life. When you first get your new asphalt roof installed, depending on the materials, you’re expecting to get at least 25 years out of it. Regular maintenance ensures you get that or more.

Depending on how often you have it done, you’ll get a report that lets you know what stage your roof is in and how much life it has left. Remember, just like your car needs an oil change, your roof needs regular check-ups.

If you want to protect your roof’s lifespan, maintenance is critical.

Roof maintenance gives you peace of mind

Something we always talk about when it comes to your roof investment is peace of mind. Just like a properly installed roof, regular roof maintenance is going to give you just that.

A contractor will either catch any problems or give your roof a clean bill of health. Even if your roof needs repairs, then at least it was caught before it has the chance to become serious.

After your maintenance inspection, you’ll have peace of mind knowing everything checked out a-okay or all your roof’s issues are going to be taken care of. And the next time a big storm hits, you can rest assured that you shouldn't have any problems.

More ways to get the most out of your roof investment

The importance of roof maintenance can’t be overstated. It’s one of the main ways to maximize your roof investment. Having your roof maintained isn’t going to be free. But you don’t want your investment to be ruined because you weren’t willing to pay a little extra.

While roof maintenance is a crucial component to maximizing your roof, there's more things you can do to ensure you get the most out of your investment. Because we want you to get your money's worth, we wrote another article explaining how to truly get the most out of your roof.