Checking the Roof Doesn’t have to be a chore
Maintenance issues relating to the roof can be troublesome, but they can also be hard to spot.
On this site, we are firm believers in prevention being better than cure – taking care of your roof is likely to save any homeowner thousands in the long run.
However, how can we remember to check our roof? We may have good intentions, but it can be one of those tasks that just gets forgotten until it’s too late.
In this post, we offer a few handy tips.
- Get fit – and compare your roof
Are you a jogger? If not, do you stroll down the street sometimes? Maybe you go on dog walks?
When hitting the pavements, simply glance up at your roof (ideally from the opposite pavement) but also do the same at many other properties, especially ones that are broadly similar.
You may not be an expert in roofs, but we can all spot when something is different. Is something not quite right about your house? Does the guttering look wrong, is the rain runoff not as efficient as with other properties?
A comparison such as this can start the process of identifying that there may be an issue.
- Combine garden time with roof checking
During the summer months, when we all like to spend a bit of time outside, those of us lucky enough to have a garden can make use of this time by studying the roof.
It only has to be a one-off, but stand back, cold drink in hand and, once you’re done looking at the clouds, look at the roof – and really look.
Do the tiles look neat and consistent? Are there birds that appear to be nesting – and so will potentially block drains and gutters with their nest residue? Does everything look properly attached, or are there signs of looseness?
Also, look at the neighbours’ house. It can be nice to have neighbours houses that are in worse repair than our own, but in reality, the ideal is that their roof is perfect and so offers a sense of how ours should look.
- Going into the loft? Check for damp and other issues
Going into the loft might not be fun – especially for those of us who aren’t overly fond of spiders, but it may not be the worst task.
Invariably, while up there, there is always the chance to reminisce as we stumble across some long-since forgotten boxes of stuff.
While in the loft, do some scouting. Is light peeping through, indicating some failure in the tiles or felt? Are there notable draughts – these might not be a problem as there should be some airflow, but they might be something to investigate depending on the severity.
More worrying still would be any dampness or pooling of water.
Checking after heavy rainfall can be particularly useful. However heavy the rain, the loft should remain dry.
- Get someone in!
Even if you are checking your roof, we would maintain (we do maintain in fact, that’s our job) – we would maintain that a regular check-up by a professional is vital.
Ensure whoever you chose has excellent independent reviews, it may be better to pay for a proper inspection, rather than to go for free quotes as in many – not all, but many – cases these free quotes seem to then come with a lot of suggested work.
We would argue it is better to pay a little for someone’s professional time so they can properly assess your roof and give you an honest appraisal, free of agenda.
Please do your research in choosing a company. Naturally, we would recommend our own services, and have included a few words below to outline why we believe we stand apart.
About Improve A Roof
At Improve a Roof, we offer roof coating that will extend the life of your roof and also reduce heating bills, and also an annual wash and refurbish option – this would clean your roof but also address any maintenance issues such as loose or missing tiles, the capping of gutters, re-mortaring of the ridge and many more common issues.
Our testimonials are universally positive.