When the weather warms up, it's a good time to check the exterior of your house and roof for signs of damage and make repairs. It feels good to work outside when the weather feels warmer after a long winter, and it's a good idea to hire a roofing contractor to get repairs done before spring and summer storms begin. Here are a few roof maintenance chores your roof may need.

Clear Off Debris

Your roof may collect twigs, branches, acorns, pine needles, and other debris over the course of the fall and winter. It's a good idea to clear off all this debris so wind doesn't scrape it across your roof and knock off granules. Plus, clumps of decaying leaves, twigs, and other organic matter attract insects and hold moisture that can harm your roof.

This is also a good time to check your gutters. If you cleaned them out the previous autumn, they may still be in good shape, but if not, you may want to clean out the troughs again so rain can drain freely away from your roof.

If you have trees that hang over the roof, you may want to trim back the branches. This might reduce the amount of branches and twigs that fall on your roof, and it may also keep the branches from scraping your roof during a storm.

Check The Attic For Leaks

If you've not been in the attic recently, take a look inside for signs of a roof leak. You can examine the roof of the attic for wet areas, water stains, mold, and areas of rotting, but you won't be able to detect shingle damage unless there's a hole in the roof and shingles that let light shine through.

If your attic is musty and the insulation looks like it might have gotten wet, call a roofing contractor to check your roof for leaks. Repairing a roof leak early can help prevent water damage from rain later on.

Inspect The Shingles

It may be possible to check the shingles from the ground if the slope of your roof is steep enough. Look for areas of dark coloration that could indicate moisture, crooked shingles, holes, missing shingles, and other signs of obvious damage. If you see damage on your shingles, fascia, or flashing, let a roofer check your roof to see if it needs repairs.

If you can't see your roof well enough to inspect the shingles, then consider calling a roofer to look over your roof, especially if the past winter was worse than usual or if there has been a recent hailstorm.

By checking for roof damage and clearing debris off of your roof a couple of times a year, you can catch signs of roof damage early, and you'll help prolong the life of your roof. Checking your roof should include checking the gutters, soffit, fascia boards, flashing, and your attic so you can spot anything that looks unusual that should be checked by a contractor.

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