7 Tips to Keep Your Home's Roof Healthy and Lasting Long

How healthy is your roof?

Use these easy-to-follow tips to maintain your roof as the hottest summer months hit the San Gabriel Valley, followed by, we hope, chilly winter rains in another six months.

Have you heard anyone say this: “Aw, it doesn’t rain much, so why should I bother checking my roof?”

The sun’s rays degrade roofs as much as rain.

Maintaining your roof means giving it some attention every several months. It’s important, though, because your roof is key to ensuring an energy-efficient home.

Photo by Don Simkovich

7 Tips for a Healthy Roof

Cut back tree branches.

Branches can scrap against shingles or single-ply materials. Ensure that any trees near your structure like California Oaks are healthy and aren’t a risk for breaking off and damaging your structure.

2. Look for missing shingles, especially ridge caps.

Replace the shingles immediately or call Garvey Roofing, a local roofing contractor.

3. Check for broken tiles and inspect the underlayment.

If you have broken tiles, inspect the underlayment because that’s what makes it waterproof.

4. Replace damaged drip edge.

Drip edge lets rainwater move seamlessly over the roof and pour down without curling underneath and eventually leading to wood rot.

5. Seal the base of all protrusions like vents, skylights, and chimneys properly.

Sealant degrades under the blazing sun—just ask any RV owner, especially older vehicles with seams in the roof.

6. Sweep off dust and debris from reflective low slope roofing material. Hosing it off and a quick sweep will boost the reflective properties, reducing heat transfer into your attic.

Low slope membrane with insulation beneath, installed into existing shingles.

7. Keep the attic air flowing

Attics get hot in the summer and collect moisture in the winter. Attic temperatures can hit 150 degrees or more causing your air conditioning to work harder than it should. During winter rains, moisture can seep in, stay, and lead to mold growth if it doesn’t dry out.

Simple solution: install an attic fan.

Ever see those round covers on top of roofs? They’re called mushrooms and cover attic fans that are pre-set to kick in when the attic reaches a temperature like 100 degrees or 110 degrees. If you have a fan, you can hear it running if you’re up on the roof. If you don’t hear it when it’s hot then the fan’s not working.

Don’t overpay for one.

Thomas Garvey recommends buying the lower-cost fans that give around 1,100 to 1,900 square feet of coverage—this works for most homes of about 1,500 to 2,500 square feet in Altadena, Temple City, Arcadia and other cities in the San Gabriel Valley.