Roofing Maintenance Checklist for Atlanta Metro

As an Atlanta homeowner, you know that your roof provides protection for your entire residence. It guards against the city’s hot summers, fierce rainstorms, and many other environmental factors.  

You can help your roof continue to deliver that security by practicing regular maintenance. Simply taking a few steps to ensure your roof remains in good condition will extend its lifetime and ensure that you and your home are safe from whatever the Atlanta Metro area has to throw at it. 

Use the following checklist to help you develop a good roof maintenance strategy: 

Know When to Schedule Professional Inspections 

Any small flaw in your roof can worsen and lead to significant repairs, which means catching a problem sooner can reduce your upkeep costs. It’s for that reason that roof inspections are an essential part of every roof maintenance checklist. They help you keep track of your roof’s condition by giving professional roofers a chance to spot those hidden problems before they spiral out of control. 

An annual inspection is a minimum requirement for most roof warranties, but more frequent roof inspections are helpful. For example, it’s best to schedule an inspection after a heavy storm or a period of high winds. A post-storm inspection will alert you to damage as soon as it occurs, and speedy repairs will protect your roof’s underlying structure (and the rest of your home) against future water damage. 

Keep Your Gutters Clean 

Your home’s gutters are meant to collect natural debris, such as tree leaves, sticks, and dirt. Still, over time, that waste forms blockages that make it possible for stormwater to flow back onto your home’s roof, causing it to suffer extensive water damage. You can stop that process before it even has a chance to begin by cleaning out your gutters at least once a year. 

If you have trees close to your home, you might have to check up and clean your gutters more frequently, as birds, rodents, and other pests might spread debris and build nests in your gutters, leading to blockages at any time of year. Regularly checking your gutters will alert you to blockages as soon as they form. 

Remove Debris From Your Roof 

In addition to keeping your gutters clean, pay attention to any debris that collects on your roof itself. Tree leaves, dirt, and other types of waste will form a barrier between your roof and the outdoor climate, and the moisture that accumulates beneath the debris can cause water damage to your roof’s materials and shingles. 

You’ll also want to avoid walking on your roof as much as possible, as the extra weight can further damage its roofing materials. When feasible, use a rake or broom to pull debris toward you. Once the debris is within arm’s reach, you can remove it by hand.  

Look for Water Stains on Your Siding 

Another important element of roof maintenance involves addressing storm damage. While you’ll need a professional roofer to properly inspect your roof, you can look for the obvious signs of roof damage. Loose or missing shingles are a rather clear indication that severe weather affected your roof. 

Even if you don’t see such obvious damage, you can look for other signs of a problem. Dark streaks of water might suggest loose or broken gutters, which need to be repaired right away. In addition to damaging your roof, excess water can erode the caulk around your windows and damage your door frames. 

Trim Nearby Trees Regularly 

Regular tree trimming will keep branches from damaging your roofing materials as well as help protect against pest infestations and diseases that often affect Atlanta’s trees.. Keep tree branches short, and remove tree limbs that look dead or too heavy; a diseased or dying branch can fall and cause significant roof damage. 

Fall is the best season for trimming trees, seeing as they're dormant by that time of year. The trimmed limbs will heal faster, too, ensuring the rest of the tree remains healthy.  

Prevent Moss and Algae Growth 

Although moss and algae growth are more common in the north, they can still affect any Atlanta home. Both need moist, cool climates in order to thrive, so if one side of your home receives shade throughout the day, the cooler temperature can be enough to promote their growth.  

Algae appears as long, dark streaks, while moss has a bright green color. You can remove the former with a mixture of chlorine and water, and use a brush alongside a mixture of vinegar and water to remove the latter. 

If you think it’s time for a roof replacement, talk to Tom and Jerry’s Roofing about roofing materials resistant to moss and algae. Shingles with copper-lined granules, for instance, are great at resisting organic growth. Adding moss-inhibiting metal strips can help even more. 

Inspect for Damaged Flashing 

Since rainwater is such a significant threat to your roof and the rest of your home, it’s necessary to protect the most vulnerable areas. Your chimney, vents, skylights, and other roof features have a thin, metal material (known as flashing) around them for that very reason; it keeps water from getting into your home through the spaces between your roofing material and these roof features.  

While you shouldn’t access your roof without the proper safety equipment, you can still inspect the flashing from a distance. Look through an upstairs window or use a ladder to get a closer look, and plan to have professionals replace any flashing that looks rusted, loose, or missing. 

Watch for Gasket Erosion 

You won’t find flashing around every protrusion in your roof, as some smaller exhaust pipes and vents can’t accommodate it. These features still need protection, though, so they will have black rubber gaskets installed around them.  

These suffer damage over time, though, especially after years of exposure to Atlanta’s hot sun, so it’s important to check them for signs that they’re cracked or loose. They may even fall apart, leaving pieces on your roof or the ground surrounding your house. If you're not sure about the condition of the gaskets on your roof, a formal roof inspection will address your concerns. 

Check Your Attic for Water Damage 

There are a few signs of roof damage you can watch for as you inspect your attic. An obvious one is moisture or water stains on the wood beams in your attic; these will tell you that damaged roofing materials are letting rainwater into your attic. You might also notice that sunlight peaks through gaps between the wood boards in your attic’s walls. 

Check your attic insulation as well, making sure to pay close attention to dark discoloration and feel the insulation for dampness. If you detect these signs of insulation damage, you’ll have to replace it after scheduling roof repairs. 

It’s Never the Wrong Time for a Roof Inspection 

Tom and Jerry’s Roofing provides comprehensive roof care for residential properties throughout the Atlanta Metro area. Regardless of the season, one of our comprehensive roof inspections can give you an accurate assessment of your roof’s condition, along with peace of mind or even the push you need to set up roof repairs. Contact us to schedule service today!