How to Inspect a Roof to Keep It Maintained Properly
Darren Driscoll • February 21, 2013
Gutters help you protect your roof from leaks and water damage, but they can’t do everything. It’s important to know how to inspect a roof for trouble once a year to keep it properly maintained. Spring is approaching, and spring is certainly a good time to get the job done.
Don’t wait until the roof seems to be leaking to give it attention. By the time a leak manifests inside of the home the roof is usually in real trouble. At that point, the water has gotten so bad that it’s soaking through multiple roof layers, including the insulation and the rafters.
Instead, use this inspection checklist to help you keep your roof healthy and strong. A properly maintained roof can last up to 20 years before it needs a replacement, so taking these steps can save you thousands of dollars.
- Check for debris on your roof and remove anything you find.
- Check for moss, algae, or fungus; remove anything you find.
- Look for overhanging tree branches and trim them so they don’t fall on your roof during the storm season.
- Check your attic for dark stains, rot, or signs of mold.
- Check the attic while it’s raining; use a flashlight to look for leaks.
- Check your eaves for signs of rot or infestation by animals.
- Look for worn, damaged, or missing shingles.
- Check for cracks, breaks, or damaged portions of your roof.
- Check metal roofs for rust or pitting.
- Check to ensure your flashing is undamaged and in good repair.
- While cleaning your gutters, check for excessive shingle granules or materials in your gutter which might indicate a problem on your roof.
If you do discover a problem it’s time to call a roof contractor right away. Sometimes locating the source of the leak can be half the battle, since leaks often manifest far away from the actual source of the problem. These professionals are equipped to locate the problem and fix it. Don’t try to put your own “roof patch” on the problem since that can trap moisture beneath the patch, leading to interior rot later.
Remember, your roof, gutters, soffit and fascia are all part of a total water management system that protects your home. If any part of the system is distressed then all of the other parts will soon start developing serious issues as well. Those issues can easily spread to other parts of your home, requiring thousands of dollars in repairs – but this can all be avoided by doing annual roof inspections!
Rain Control Gutters has installed, repaired, and cleaned gutters in Homossasa, Beverley Hills, and the rest of the Tampa Bay area for over 35 years. We offer free estimates on any service we provide.
Everybody wants to save money on home maintenance costs. We get it. Even if you realize the full extent of everything your gutters do to protect your home from water damage, you probably don’t want to spend an arm and a leg making it happen.
So if you’re considering DIY gutter installation, hey, we can hardly blame you. After all, we know, and you know, that you could go grab a 6″ x 10″ aluminum K-style gutter in 10″ lengths for about $15 at your local Home Depot.
So how do you know whether you should do that, or whether you [...]
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If you’re hoping to find a gutter that can literally last a lifetime then galvalume gutters might appeal to you. These types of gutters can easily last 100 years or more if maintained properly. They’re also less expensive than copper gutters, which is another type of gutter that can last 100 years.
Despite their longevity, it’s rare to see galvalume gutters on homes in our service area. In fact, in the 40+ years we’ve been in business we’ve never been asked to put galvalume gutters on a home.
They aren’t as aesthetically appealing as copper or even seamless aluminum gutters that [...]
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They gleam in the sunlight and are reminiscent of stately homes and churches from another era. There’s no denying that copper gutters are gorgeous. There are even people who will tell you they’re more eco-friendly than their aluminum counterparts.
They’re also the most expensive type of gutter you can buy, so you will want to think carefully before deciding they’re right for you.
What are the biggest benefits of copper gutters?
There’s no denying copper gutters offer some impressive benefits.
They don’t rust.
They are algae-proof and fungi-proof.
They’re structurally stable and sound.
They’re durable and do a good job of standing up to our climate here [...]
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Here in the Tampa metro area we get 54″ of torrential rain every year. That means most homeowners need strong, durable gutters capable of holding up to so much water.
K-style gutters, also known as “ogee” gutters, are a great solution which allows homeowners to do just that. They hold more water than rounded gutters. They’re also tougher, doing a better job of standing up to water pressure, winds, and other stresses without bending or protruding. Finally, they blend in nicely with any style home so they always look great.
It’s for these reasons why we only install K-Style gutters.
K-Style Gutters: [...]
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Todd Dudkewic has retired after over 40 years of owning and managing Rain Control Aluminum of Central Florida Inc. He’s sold the business to us, the Driscolls. We’ve always wanted to own a family business, so this is an exciting opportunity for us!
We’re Darren and Gwen Driscoll, and we’re excited to step into Todd’s tradition of providing excellent, ethical rain gutter service to the residents of Central Florida.
Darren worked with Todd for over a decade before taking this step. Darren comes from a management role at a very successful Master Elite Residential Roofing Company (Sharpe Professional Roofing, LLC). [...]
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When you’re gearing up to sell your home you usually don’t want to put too much money into it. After all, you won’t be around to enjoy it.
But putting money into things that can make your home sell for a lot more is a smart investment. And while most people think about kitchens and bathrooms first, gutter guards are a right choice if you position them correctly (and if you buy the right ones).
How Gutter Guards Can Help You Sell
Think about it. What’s the number one commodity most people are hurting for? What’s the number one thing that brings people [...]
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You might wonder why on earth a seamless gutter company would publish a list of their competitors, but at Rain Control Gutters, we believe in putting the customer first!
Installing seamless aluminum gutters is a major investment in your home, and we know you’ll want to do your research to make sure you’re getting the best service and value.
We started a similar list of the best gutter installers in Tampa a few years ago. We got such positive feedback for putting such a list together we thought we’d do it for other cities starting with Odessa, FL.
Here are five seamless gutter [...]
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On our blog we’ve done a lot of talking about hurricanes. It’s only natural. We help people manage the way weather effects their home. And hurricanes are not only a whole lot of weather, they’re almost a fixture in the Tampa metro area.
This year NOAA predicts a normal hurricane season, with 9 to 15 named storms. 4 to 8 of those could become hurricanes. And they predict at least 2 to 4 major hurricanes.
We’ve gathered a few resources to help people in our service area make it through hurricane season, safe and sound. Some of these resources are elsewhere [...]
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Nobody spends a lot of time taking Pinterest photos of their gutters or talking about them on HGTV. But they’re one of the most important parts of your house.
Especially in the Tampa metro area! Our torrential rains are no joke.
Your gutters protect your home. Which means your gutter contractor had best be someone good at his or her job.
But how can you know?
You’ve got to do a little research. Here are some things to look for.
1. A ton of positive reviews.
Look, customers aren’t exactly unaware of Google+, Yelp, and Facebook recommendations.
If a gutter company can’t get great reviews, something’s [...]
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Water damage is brutal. It can ruin both your home and your belongings. It can leave behind mold, an even more destructive force.
And if you’re not mitigating your water damage risk because you think insurance will cover everything, you may be in for a rude awakening.
Insurance is for emergencies.
Homeowner’s insurance typically covers things like tree limbs falling and tearing a hole in your roof, or tornadoes ripping the shingles away. It doesn’t cover basic maintenance failures, or even, always, the results of those maintenance failures.
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