The importance of certain components of your building like the roof and the rain gutter is often overlooked. But when you consider a structure without a roof or rain gutter, you’ll understand why caring for them is critical. Your roof protects you and your loved ones from direct sunlight, rain, hail, snow, and other elements that would otherwise have direct access into your home. On the other hand, a rain gutter is installed on the roof to collect rainwater or melting snow on the roof and redirect them to a preferred spot of disposal rather than let them drop everywhere around your building.
With a rain gutter, you don’t have to worry about water dropping around the structure and forming pools, affecting the integrity of your walls and foundation, defacing the exterior of the building, or even promoting the growth of mold and spirogyra or other organisms. With the roof and your rain gutter in perfect condition, the roof itself, the gutter and the rest of your building will be better protected, and their lifespan will be enhanced. However, this requires maintenance.
Here are some reasons why maintaining your roof and rain gutter is important.
Why you should maintain your roof
Generally, maintaining your roof will help to prevent future damage that will cost you much more. It’s like they say, “a stitch in time saves nine”. You must, therefore, occasionally inspect and maintain your roof for the following reasons.
- Improves lifespan. Roofs generally last long but it’s unwise to simply install your roof and forget about it. Maintaining the roof can improve its lifespan significantly. If you overlook minor problems like loose edges, clogged gutters, or major dent, you may just be setting yourself up for bigger problems soon. Having a specialist look at your roof at least once every 6 months will do a lot of good.
- Retains value of building. The value of your property should be important to you, especially if you’ll ever consider selling it. Having damages on the roofs and leaving them to thrive unattended can go on to affect the structure of your property, causing the beams and ceilings to rot. Do not leave your roof in shambles as this will affect the overall value of your building.
- Helps you identify problems early. If you’re able to identify signs of damage early enough, you can save yourself from overspending on roof repairs. With regular inspections, you save a lot more over time because minor issues can be detected and fixed immediately before they escalate and become big-money problems.
- Minimizes health concerns. A roof in bad condition may let moisture in, causing the growth of mold and mildew. Undetected, this can spread around your home and- if you get exposed to mold spores for too long- it can trigger skin rashes, headaches, asthma, and several other respiratory illnesses.
There are also aesthetic concerns and curb appeal associated with roof maintenance. Bottom line is your roof, and your building will generally look nice with regularly scheduled maintenance.
Importance of maintaining your rain gutter
Gutter maintenance keeps the gutter in good condition and prevents damage to your roof and the entire structure. Here are some things to keep in mind.
- Prevents clogs. Debris like leaves, fruits from overshooting tree branches, and other items can block the pathways of your rain gutter and make it difficult to properly redirect and dispose of rainwater. By removing these clogs, you can prevent damage to your building by ensuring water goes through easily.
- Protects the building’s foundation. With water dropping on all sides of the building and hitting against or being absorbed by the foundation, the foundation can deteriorate and lead to cracks which can cause more severe damage overtime. A properly maintained gutter will prevent this from happening and save you from spending big money on foundational repairs.
- Prevents pest infestations. Your roof rain gutter can be easily infected because it provides a perfect habitat for rats, squirrels, mosquitoes, and other animals. These can lead to other problems like mosquitoes moving into your home, rats’ infestation, and so on. Cleaning and maintaining regularly will help prevent this.
- Prevents flooding. The purpose of a rain gutter is to redirect rainwater to a preferred area which you deem convenient or for converting the water to other uses. When this is not functioning properly, water tends to drop everywhere and when heavy rains come, your property may get flooded
Finally, rain gutter maintenance will help prevent mold and mildew growth, which is encouraged by retained water and moisture, and will also help you save money. The reason is simple; by inspecting your rain gutter frequently and fixing minor issues as they occur, you won’t have to spend a fortune on damages a bad gutter will lead to or even on repairing severe rain gutter damages.
If you need help maintaining your roof or rain gutter, it’s best you contact a local professional or ask the city building inspectors for recommendations.
