St. Louis Roofing Tips For The Summer

Obviously, roofing is a pretty seasonal activity. Nobody is going to climb on your roof when it’s loaded with a foot of snow like we had this last March! So yes, things get a little quiet around our office in the middle of winter. We always get calls for emergency repairs all year round – like when someone’s snow or ice-laden tree breaks and there’s a big hole!

St. Louis Roof RepairIn the summertime, it’s natural for more people to think about getting their roofs inspected, repaired or replaced. I thought it would be good to review some of the things you might want to do over the summer as maintenance or inspection steps that you can do yourself.

First of all, if you’re the kind of person willing to get up on your own roof, stay off the roof in the hottest part of the day! This summer doesn’t seem to be shaping up to be as bad as last year’s but the heat that accumulates in the middle of a typical summer’s day weakens asphalt shingles. Old shingles get brittle and can break. New shingles can get so hot that the pressure of your walking on them may rub off the granules. If you are going on the roof, go out first thing in the morning, after yesterday’s heat has dissipated.

 

Inspection Steps For St. Louis Roofs

Look at the gutters and valleys and make sure they are clear. A valley is the low point where two slopes of your roof meet. Debris can collect here and hold moisture.

When looking at your gutters, make sure they do not contain an excessive quantity of granules from your shingles. If your roof is old or you have just had a hailstorm, too many granules means that you have suffered damage to your roof.

When you get back down on the ground, you need to look at the ground underneath your downspouts. Granules will collect there as well.

Some granule loss is normal. If you have just had a new roof installed, there will be some initial loss that is to be expected. If you just had a repair done, the workmen will undoubtedly disturb some granules and you will see a little more loss. But granule loss should only be present through one rainstorm. So if neither of these things were just done and you’re seeing a lot of stray granules – time for a complete inspection!

 

Trees Are Our Friends – But Not For Our roof

I drive by roofs every day that have a buildup of leaves, pine needles, branches or other  tree debris. The moisture that accumulates in these areas will breed mold growth that causes roof damage. This leads to repairs being needed sooner rather than later. If you’re going up on the roof, check to see that you are not accumulating this kind of debris, especially in areas that are not so easy to see from the ground.

Make sure that tree branches are not rubbing the roofing material. Constant rubbing can break your shingles. You’ll need to get trees trimmed so they are not in contact with your roof. If it’s a neighbor’s tree, you might want to take a few pictures while you’re up there so you can show him when you get on the ground.

If you’re not the kind of person who runs around on the roof, don’t feel lonely, most people aren’t! That’s why we offer free inspections of the St. Louis roofs of our neighbors. We can quickly provide you with an assessment and written estimate that will let you know exactly what you might need to do to protect your biggest investment. Just call us to schedule an appointment.

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