With spring finally here, there’s a lot to look forward to. Many of us are eager to enjoy the warmer weather and spend more time outside with friends or family.
Still, for a lot of homeowners, the start of spring also means the beginning of the spring-cleaning season. The exterior of your home is probably due for a thorough cleaning, especially after all it’s been put through during the harsh winter weather.
Take advantage of the longer days and warmer weather to clean your roof, siding, and gutters. Letting debris pile up on your rooftop or in your gutters can be damaging to your property, and it can even lead to leaks.
If you’re looking to celebrate the start of spring by cleaning your roof, gutters, and siding, consider contacting Mr. Roof today. We provide excellent roofing repair, maintenance, and installation services. Our professional contractors know exactly what it takes to bring your roof back to peak condition.
The importance of roofing maintenance
If you want your roof to remain sturdy and in optimal condition, you’ll need to stay on top of maintenance. Spring is a fantastic time to make sure all of these key maintenance duties have been taken care of.
The amount of maintenance you need to do on your roof can vary, depending on what kind of roofing material you have. For example, a homeowner with asphalt shingles will probably need to spend more time on maintenance than someone with metal or aluminum roofing. While asphalt roofs are less durable and can be easily damaged by harsh winter weather, metal roofs are less likely to be harmed by the elements.
Even if a roof was properly installed by a professional contractor, this doesn’t mean that it won’t require maintenance. If you’re cleaning off and inspecting your roof at least once a year, it’s easier to catch signs of damage early on. You can also stop additional damage from occurring, which could be the case if you allow debris to pile up on your rooftop, for example.
The earlier you intervene and perform repairs, the better. Roofing damage often becomes more severe over time, leading to costlier or more extensive repair jobs.
To prevent future problems with your roof, reach out to Mr. Roof about cleaning and maintenance services. We’ll help your rooftop start off strong this spring.
Clean out your gutters
Cleaning the gutters is one of the most important spring-cleaning tasks there is. Back in the fall, twigs, leaves, and other debris may have piled up in your home’s gutters. Although some property owners will winterize their homes by removing this debris, this isn’t a task that everyone remembers to complete.
So, if you never removed this debris before the start of winter, then it’s probably still sitting in your gutters. But that’s not all – snow and rain will likely have worsened these clogs during the winter months.
Now that the weather has warmed up, it’s comfortable enough to step outside and clear debris from your gutters. (Or, of course, bring in one of the expert roofers at Mr. Roof.) Leaving debris in your home’s gutters can be dangerous for a number of reasons, especially if you’re looking to avoid costly repairs in the future. Clogged drains can eventually result in roof leaks and foundation damage, either of which can lead to significant property damage and repair jobs.
A professional roofer can be called in to take a closer look at your gutters before removing the debris that’s built up there. By hiring a professional, you can be confident that all the debris is being cleared out without anything major being overlooked.
The contractor will use a hose to run water through your property’s gutters and down the downspout. This water will flush out the leftover twigs, leaves, and other kinds of debris.
Trim the branches by your house
Even if your gutters are free of debris for the time being, that doesn’t mean that they’ll stay clear. If you’d like to minimize your chances of dealing with clogged gutters in the future, don’t forget to trim any nearby branches.
On one hand, many homeowners like to keep trees by their property because of the shade they provide. Although large trees can block direct sunlight, branches that grow too long can cause many kinds of damage.
Not only will these lead to more twigs and debris falling in your gutters, but long tree branches can scratch up the surface of your roof. Fallen branches can also lead to roof damage, which a professional will need to come in and repair.
Wash away grime, growth, and dirt
Whether you’re dealing with grime, moss, dirt, bird droppings, or mildew, these substances can compromise the health of your roof. Not only is a dirty roof unsightly, but this dirt and grime can do serious damage to the roofing material. Over time, this debris can even put the integrity of your roof at risk.
At the start of spring, make sure you’re having your roof cleaned of dirt, grime, and other substances. A professional roofer will know the correct cleaning agent to use to get the job done quickly and efficiently, without damaging the rooftop any further. For instance, you should steer clear of pure bleach if you’re looking to clean a dirty roof. Bleach can damage the roofing material and strip away the color. Before any cleaning solution is used on your roof, it should first be diluted with water.
Also, it’s often a good idea to stay away from pressure cleaners whenever possible. Although these machines can do a great job at clearing your roof of debris, they can also lead to shingle damage. Oftentimes, the only tool you’ll need is a hose or garden sprayer, except in extreme cases.
Some roofing materials require less cleaning than others, as well. If you have a rubber roof, you can expect it to need minimal cleaning.
Check for signs of damage
The winter weather can be harsh, especially on your rooftop. Now that the winter storms have come and gone, it’s time to check the roof for signs of damage.
See if you notice any loose shingles. When your roof takes a beating from high winds, snow, and other kinds of winter weather, this can cause asphalt shingles to be knocked out of place. You should also make sure that your chimney flashing isn’t separating from the roof. If there are gaps in your flashing, this can cause water or moisture to enter your home, leading to leaks.
If you’re someone with a wood roof, you should be especially careful. Aside from the more obvious types of damage, wood is prone to water damage and rotting. Those with asphalt roofing should also be thorough when they’re checking for damage. Asphalt isn’t the most durable roofing material, and if you experienced severe winter weather, your roof could have sustained significant damage. Asphalt roofing can even harden and begin to crack.
Clean off the exterior walls
To make sure you’re giving your home a thorough spring cleaning, you shouldn’t stop at just the roof and gutters. It’s also a good habit to clean your home’s siding at the start of spring.
Exterior siding can be similar to roofing in that it collects mildew and dirt from the outside environment. Not only can this cause discoloring to develop, but it can also cause the siding material to start degrading.
Cleaning the siding of your home can be a time-consuming task, although it’s easier when taken care of by a professional. For vinyl siding, you’ll need to start by hosing off the material. Then, you’ll need to gather a stiff brush and a bucket of warm, soapy water. After dipping the brush in the water, you can use it to scrub away excess mildew and mold from the siding’s surface.
In a similar vein to your rooftop, pressure washing usually isn’t the best way to clean the siding. While this high pressure can do a fantastic job at clearing away dirt and grime, it can also damage the siding material.
Materials like brick require far less cleaning and maintenance than vinyl siding, however. You may need to clean a stain or paint off of the brick, but this material doesn’t collect mildew in the same way as vinyl. In the rare instances where your brick siding does need to be cleaned off, you can call in a contractor to perform a diluted acid brushing.
Mr. Roof cleans roofs, gutters, and siding
If you’re looking to have your roof, gutters, or siding professionally cleaned this spring, you should contact Mr. Roof today. Our team of contractors is highly experienced in cleaning and maintaining home exteriors without causing additional damage in the process. We’ll efficiently and effectively freshen up your rooftop and siding for the spring so that you don’t need to worry about increasingly severe damage.
Are you interested in receiving a free, no-obligation estimate from the roofers at Mr. Roof? All you need to do is fill out the form on our website, and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.
