Wax on wax off” This famous line from the 1984 movie The karate kid rings a bell with most movie goers. My guess is the majority of the generation that enjoyed the cult classic are now either thinking about buying a home or already own a home. What dose Karate Kid have to do with roof maintenance? Almost nothing other than the valuable lesson the movie tries to touch on. Repetition and preventive roof maintenance can save you boat loads of money and may even help ward off Johnny Lawrence and his Cobar Kai Gang from destroying your roof! 

Here are 5 roof maintenance tips that can extend the life of your roof. 

1. Look up at your roof: It sounds simple but doing a visual check of your roof twice a year can prevent larger issues from popping up. Specific things to look out for: Damaged drip edge, missing or lifting shingles, exposed fasteners, improperly pitched or broken gutters, piles of granulates. 
2.Clean the Gutters: Cleaning your gutters is a very important component of roof maintenance. Call a local expert to schedule at least two cleanings a year. Neglecting your gutters can cause back up, fascia rot and foundation damage. 
3.Trim back Trees: A heavy storm can cause large branches to break free crashing into your roof. If you experience roof damage because of a felled tree you may be beyond the roof maintenance phase and will be needing to replace sections of the roof. This is what we are trying to avoid by implementing preventative roof maintenance. 
4.Re-caulk: If your roof is 5 plus years old you may need to re seal some areas that have been exposed by damaging UV rays. The caulk installed by your previous contractor will start to dry out and crack. You want to look for exposed nail heads around your vents and flashing around chimneys. We recommend calling an expert for this type of roof maintenance. 
5.Check the Insulation: Proper insulation and ventilation in your attic space will allow your roof to “breath” and can prevent ice dams from building up. 
If in doubt, just ask your self what would Mr. Miyagi do? My guess is that in most cases when dealing with roof maintenance he’s either sending Daniel son up on the roof or giving Mountain Reach Roofing and Gutters a call for a Free inspection. Call us today! 720-443-5386