Owens Corning
Roof Maintenance and Repair
Roofing is a kind of "out of sight, out of mind" material, and many people ignore a roof as long as it is not leaking. There are, however, steps you can take to ensure that you get all the life your roof was designed to deliver.

First, keep the roof deck clean and dry. This means washing the roof occasionally to remove any twigs, leaves or other debris from the joints or keyways between the shingles. Water that is trapped on a roof deck encourages dirt to accumulate and mildew spores to grow. Use a hose nozzle or a pressure washer to clean the roof deck. Companies that do cleaning will power wash the roof for you, if you choose not to do the work yourself.

Trim any tree limbs that overhang your roof. This is necessary to avoid damage from wind-blown limbs, and to let sunshine reach the roofing. At the least, trim tree limbs to thin them so the sun can dry the roof. Roof shingles that are perpetually shaded develop moss and mildew that will ruin the appearance of the roof and shorten the life of the shingles.

Do not climb or walk on a roof when the weather is very hot or very cold. In hot weather the asphalt shingles may soften to the extent that you will actually remove part of the asphalt on your shoes. Walking on an asphalt roof in cold weather may crack shingles that are cold and brittle. Let roof work wait until the temperature is between 50 and 80 degrees F.

Keep in mind too that asphalt shingles are "self-sealing," i.e., they have a strip of shingle adhesive on the bottom edge. This shingle adhesive is softened by the sun and causes the shingles to seal to the shingles below them. If the shingles are applied in cold weather and the protective strip that covers the shingle adhesive is removed, the adhesive may be too cold to stick to the shingle course below. The unsealed shingles will then become windblown in a storm and may be torn from the roof.

Inspect the roof in spring and fall to check for seasonal storm damage. Repair or replace damaged shingles. To replace missing or damaged shingles, lift up the old shingles and reach underneath with a small prybar to remove the shingle remnant and old nails. Then insert the replacement shingle, holding the shingles above it, and renail the new shingle. Cover the nail heads with a spot of roof cement and press the shingle firmly in place against the shingle(s) below.

Written by Gary Branson.
Reprinted with permission. Copyright HouseNet, Inc.

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