Blog Post

Spring Cleaning For Your Baton Rouge Roof

Robbie Chatelain • Apr 20, 2017

Editor's note: This post was originally published on April 20, 2017 and has been updated for accuracy and relevance.

 

The weather is getting warmer, the afternoon rain showers are becoming more frequent, and before you know it, summer will be upon us. Spring time in Louisiana means many things; LSU Baseball, crawfish season, and warm weather to name a few. But, it also means spring cleaning in and around the house. To most people that means packing up the winter clothes, decluttering by throwing away underused or unwanted items, and getting the yard in shape. But, what about spring cleaning for your Baton Rouge roof?

 

There are five main points of emphasis when it comes to cleaning and maintaining your roof. All five points are relatively easy to perform, and they will go a long way towards extending the life of your roof.



Remove tree limbs


If there are any tree limbs touching your roof, or hanging above your roof, they need to be cut back. The reason for this is two-fold. First of all, anything touching your roof is basically a bridge for termites, wood eating ants, Asian beetles, or any other pests to find their way into your home. The standard pest control contract usually covers the base of your house, but overhanging limbs give insects another way in. Secondly, tree limbs either touching or hanging over your roof allow excess moisture to stick around longer than it should. This can lead to mold, aging, or even rot. Removing the limbs allows sunshine to get in and do its work.



Remove leaves and debris


Just like tree limbs, excess leaves on your roof can lead to excess moisture. They also pose a problem when heavy rain storms come through. Leaves, pine needles, and other debris will get pushed down to your gutters, clog them, and weigh them down causing damage (more on that in a second). Along with trapping moisture, leaves also have the potential to stain your roof. Actually, the moisture they trap causes the growth of algae or mold, and that can leave a black stain on your roof.



Clean your gutters


The combination of heavy rains and a build-up of leaves and debris in your gutters can lead to significant damage . When you don’t regularly (twice a year) clean your gutters , they get heavier than they are supposed to be. When this happens, they begin to pull away from the house, leaving the fascia exposed. Also when they pull away, and the nails that were used to install them begin to give, this leaves what’s behind the fascia unprotected as well.



Remove any mold or discoloring


If you see any black spots or black streaks on your roof after you remove all the limbs, leaves, and everything else, you should remove them as well. The sun will do its job of stopping the growth of any mold, but the stains themselves are unsightly and will make your roof appear more aged and damaged than it is. You can use a number of homemade or store bought solutions to remove these stains. The only thing we warn is that you do not want to pressure wash anything on your roof, as that can do serious damage to your shingles.



Look for missing, damaged, or worn out shingles


You want to look over every slope, angle, and corner of your roof to make sure that none of your shingles are showing signs of significant wear , or are missing altogether. If the pitch of your roof is too steep to walk around, perusing everything from your ladder should suffice. While you’re up there, make sure your flashing and vents are in good shape as well.



Whoever said an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure could have easily been talking about roofs. Taking care of these simple preventative measures can extend the life span of your roof. If you find along the way that you are already closer to the end of your current roof’s life, please give us a call and a member of our team can come assess just how close you are to needing a new roof.

CONTACT CRIBBS INC.
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