Does this picture look familiar to you?
Your roof is one of the most expensive home-related investments you’ll ever make, yet roofs are also one of the most neglected parts of the house – doesn’t make sense. Just as you keep your lawn watered and trimmed, your roof requires maintenance to help prolong its life and ultimately save you money in the long run.
Pine needles and leaves clogging your gutters and cluttering your roof can actually turn into a major problem. Here are some of the reasons why you don’t want to let leaves and pine needles accumulate:
▫️Pine needles and leaves piling up in the folds of your roof can cause these issues:
- back up of water that causes leaks in your roof
- build up of moisture that cause mold to grow.
- wood rot.
▫️Poor performance. As your gutters become clogged, there is less chance that they will perform as expected. Subsequently, water overflow can cause damage to parts of your roof or home.
▫️Excess foliage can weigh down gutters, which causes the gutters to be pulled away from your home.
▫️Premature wear. You want your gutters to last as long as possible, but you can’t expect this to happen if leaves continue to build up over time.
How can you prevent this
Some roofing experts recommend inspecting your roof yourself or hire an expert twice per year, while others suggest once every three months. A yearly inspection is the bare minimum to shoot for.
✅Remove Debris (helps prevent water damage, prevent the roof from sagging or potential total failure from the weight of the needles/leaves)
✅Kill algae and fungus with equal parts bleach and water in a spray bottle
✅Trim back trees ( so tree branches and debris don’t fall and sunlight can dry up any potential water)
✅Clean the gutters to allow water to drain properly
✅Apply roof cement to lifted shingles