There are some residential roofing tips that all Michigan homeowners need to know. If you live in Michigan, you experience many changes in the weather and these changes can have dire effects on your roof. If you are a homeowner and you reside in Michigan, take a look at the tips below.
Residential Roofing Tips All Michigan Homeowners Need to Know
Clean the Gutters on Your Home
It is important to keep the gutters of your home clean. During the fall season in Michigan, we experience quite a bit of wind and the leaves begin to fall. This is when your gutters are most likely to become stopped up. You need to keep the gutters clean so water can drain off your roof. Your gutters need to be checked during other seasons as well because over time, leaves and other debris may stop the gutters up.
Trim Your Trees Back around Your Home
If you have trees around your home and the limbs are hanging over the top of your roof, you really need to consider having the trees trimmed back. In Michigan, we experience a lot of ice, snow, rain, and wind. Having trees hanging over our homes can cause damage to our roof. For example, if we have a bad wind storm, one of the branches can break and come through the roof. The same goes for when we have ice, the branches can break from the ice buildup and cause damage to the roof. So, if there are trees hanging over your home, call a tree cutting service and have those trees trimmed back.
Inspect Your Roof Often
You should also inspect your roof often for damage. After we experience bad wind or hail storms, take a look at your roof and see if there appears to be any type of damage. If you aren’t comfortable with climbing on your roof to inspect it, call your local roofing company in Michigan and have them come out and inspect it for you. It is important that you inspect your roof after storms to prevent any major damage to your roof and home.
Check Your Roof for Insects
In certain locations in Michigan, we are prone to insect infestation. These insects bed in our homes and roofs and after a while can destroy our roof if the problem isn’t taken care of. Look for signs of sawdust, rotten wood and small holes in the interior and exterior of your roof. If you think that insects are taking over, call your local roofing company in Michigan.
Check the Insulation in Your Roof
One of the things we don’t think to check in our roof is the insulation. However, if the insulation is thin or gone, this will cause heating and cooling problems. You will find it nearly impossible to keep it the temperature you want in your home. Sometimes, you will find that rodents will bed up in the insulation and sometimes tear it lose. So, once a month, it’s a good idea to check the insulation in your roof to make sure it is still intact and doesn’t need replacing.
Check the Flashings on Your Roof
It is important to check the flashing on your roof. If there is flashing missing or damaged on your roof, you may encounter water damage to the interior of your home. Sometimes the wind will rip the flashing off and when the flashings are missing, water can get in through the vents, chimney, and anywhere else the flashing was installed. Once the water gets in, you will encounter water damage to the interior of your home. So, check your flashings often to make sure they are intact and not damaged.
I hope these residential roofing tips will help all the homeowners in Michigan. It is important to take care of your home’s roof if you want it to last a long time. Simple maintenance can help expand the lifespan of your roof. If you are unable to check these things on your home’s roof, you should call a professional roofing contractor in Michigan to come out and do it for you. For more tips and information on roofs, please take a look at the other posts on our Michigan Roof Pros blog. We are here to help you in any way that we can.
