Preparing Your Roof for Warmer Weather

With another cold winter behind you, it’s time to prepare your home for the warm months ahead. In addition to spring cleaning and gardening, you need to pay attention to your home’s most important structure — the roof. Below are a few tips to keep this covering intact and help you avoid costly roof repairs this spring.

How to Maintain Your Roof This Spring

1. Clean the Gutters

Your gutter system plays a crucial role in water drainage. If the gutters are clogged, water will back up onto the roof. Over time, this moisture will warp the shingles and seep into your home. After winter, clear any leaves, branches, and dirt from the gutter system to ensure water can flow through it easily. 

2. Inspect the Shingles

Spring showers can lead to serious water damage if your roof isn’t prepared. Hire a roofing contractor to inspect for signs of missing or curled shingles, loose flashing, or mold growth. If they identify any issues, they can make the necessary roof repairs so your home isn’t susceptible to a leak or pest invasion. 

3. Trim Overhanging Foliage

Overhanging trees are a threat to your roof during periods of heavy rain and strong winds. Excess growth can also attract pests. Trim dead, diseased, and overhanging branches and foliage to prevent them from falling on your roof or utility lines.

Greenawalt Roofing operates every day with the goal of achieving 100 percent customer satisfaction by doing whatever it takes to exceed expectations. We only use the highest quality materials with a precision installation on every job. In fact, we’re so committed to a superior installation that we offer an exceptional warranty on all of our roofing and gutter systems. Contact us today for your FREE estimate, 717-898-6000.

Why Is Gutter Installation Important?

Gutters are an essential component of every property’s drainage system. Like other parts of your roof, gutters direct rainwater away from the home and help maintain its structural integrity. Whether you need a new gutter installation or a simple repair, here are a few benefits to keep this system in top shape.

Why Is Gutter Installation Important?

1. Prevents Erosion

A drainage system is designed to funnel water away from the home. If the gutters do not guide it through the designated irrigation channels and into the drains, the water will erode the dirt around the property. This destroys your landscaping by washing out your lawn or flower beds. It also destabilizes the soil, making the ground unsafe to walk or build on.

2. Protects the Foundation

If water runs down the side of the house and pools around the base of the building, it will leak into the foundation and cause water damage. Large cracks or gaps in the foundation compromise the structural integrity of the home. Walls can bow outward or flex inward, or the entire building can shift, sending destructive cracks to the roof.

3. Avoids Siding Water Damage

Forgoing gutter installation or poorly maintaining your gutters will allow rainfall to run down the side of your home. Though siding is water-resistant, it cannot withstand constant moisture. Water damage is permanent and with many materials, it cannot be repaired. As a result, investing in high-quality gutters will protect your siding investment.

At Greenawalt Roofing Company, we know how important gutter systems are and we use the same care with our gutter & spouting installation as we do with our quality roofing services. We offer a variety of gutter systems in a variety of colors and materials to complement the look of your home.

All of our gutters and spouting systems are available in 35 different colors to perfectly match the existing theme of your home, or to add an element of bold decoration. We also offer highly durable, very attractive copper gutters that are fabricated on-site for a custom fit that eliminates seams and the possibility for leakage. Call today for your FREE estimate, 717-898-6000.

3 Tips to Prepare Your Roof for Warmer Weather

With the winter weather behind you, it’s now time to prepare your home for the warm months ahead. In addition to spring cleaning and gardening, you need to pay attention to your home’s most important structure — the roof. Below are a few tips to keep this covering intact and help you avoid costly roof repairs this spring.

How to Maintain Your Roof This Spring

1. Inspect the Shingles

Spring showers can lead to serious water damage if your roof isn’t prepared. Hire a roofing contractor to inspect for signs of missing or curled shingles, loose flashing, or mold growth. They can help identify any issues so your home isn’t susceptible to a leak or pest invasion. 

2. Clean the Gutters

Your gutter system plays a crucial role in water drainage. If the gutters are clogged, water will back up onto the roof. Over time, this moisture will warp the shingles and seep into your home. After winter, clear any leaves, branches, and dirt from the gutter system to ensure water can flow through it easily. 

3. Trim Overhanging Foliage

Overhanging trees are a threat to your roof during periods of heavy rain and strong winds. Excess growth can also attract pests. Trim dead, diseased, and overhanging branches and foliage to prevent them from falling on your roof or utility lines.

Although gutter maintenance might sound like a tough job, it is actually quite easy to approach. Use this guide to learn what to do and then get started.

HOW TO SPOT WATER DAMAGE

GREENAWALT ROOFING COMPANY EXPLAINS HOW TO SPOT WATER DAMAGE

Just like everything else in your home, your roof also needs occasional checkup and maintenance. The good news is that you can check the status of the roof yourself or hire Greenawalt Roofing Company to do the job. Regardless of your choice, here are five signs of roof damage to bear in mind:

1. Missing shingles

If you discover that some shingles have gone missing – possibly due to a strong gust of wind – you should have those replaced immediately. Missing shingles expose parts of your roof to nature’s elements, which might cause water damage to the exposed wood decking.

Or if you find the asphalt shingles curling up at the edges, it might mean they have already taken some amount of water damage. Get them replaced in both cases.

2. Roofing granules in the gutter

Finding leaves in your gutters is one thing, but finding roofing granules is a whole different story altogether. Sure, it’s natural for any roof to lose some granules but when you find your gutter clogged up from granules, it might be time for a roof checkup. Like shingles, lack of granules also exposes you to various risks.

3. Leaky roof beams

Go up to your attic with a flashlight and see if you notice sunlight shining through the roof beams. If the answer is yes, it means water might or is already seeping in. Have it fixed immediately! If your insulation is also showing signs of mold and moisture, then it means you need to check for damage here as well.

4. Signs of aging

Like everything else, roofs also have a shelf life – that’s just the reality. So, if you think it’s been quite some time since your roof has been just sitting there, doing its job, then it might be time to consider a replacement. An old roof shouldn’t be too difficult to notice.

5. Problems with flashing

Is the flashing around the chimney, rooftop, or vent pipe in top condition? If not, it might lead to water seepage and eventually costly damage. On flat roofs, flashing is often the most common cause of roof leaks, and you should be mindful of that.

Replacing the roof on your home doesn’t need to be a daunting task. Greenawalt Roofing Company will work with you to explain everything you need to know about getting a new roof on your home. Schedule your FREE estimate today, 717-898-6000 or 610-779-3111.