The roof is an amazing piece of construction. Wind does nothing to it. Rain cannot flood it. The sun can beat on it every day without a problem occurring. No matter the element, it can sit there and take it.



How does it do this? Well, a roof is a multilayered system. Most people just assume it is a layer of shingles and that is it. While each roof differs in how it is put together, there are some basic components that exist will all of them.

A roof is like an upside down boat. It forms a protective water barrier. It has an outer core, often shingles of some sort, with a waterproofing layer under this to dispose of any water that makes it through.

Perhaps the most critical component of our upside down boat are edges and penetration points. To seal these areas, roofers use metal flashing and waterproof sealants. These essentially act like caps on a bottle of soda.

What is the biggest threat to roofs? It is often the weekend warrior. We are a nation that loves DIY projects. Roofing is one area where you should avoid trying to do projects on your own. You can cause hugely expensive problems.

Second, the integrated nature of a roof can make repairs expensive. You are not just fixing the small leak. You have to rip up a chunk of roof in the area to make sure everything is integrated and creating a waterproof barrier.

Of course, you can avoid much of this by doing a bit of basic maintenance each and every year. Roof repairs are going to be on the expensive side, so it just makes common sense to take small steps to save big bucks down the line.

The initial maintenance step is easy. Walk a lap around your home looking at the roofing. If you see anything on it or tree limbs rubbing against it, get rid of them. Also, have anything that looks askew fixed. Broken shingles are the most common problem.

Cleaning your roof is the next bit of maintenance. Roofs collect dirt, dust, mold and other organic material. These can penetrate the roof material and cause problems or block natural flow lines. A good cleaning gets rid of them.

I hate cleaning gutters. You probably hate cleaning gutters. Nonetheless, gutters need to be cleaned before big storms. Stuffed up gutters result in water pooling back under the edge of roofs. This can cause severe damage to roofs and walls.

If you follow these three basic steps, your roof should stand the test of time. In this case, that means thirty years or so depending on the type of roof it is. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth it for such a long life of protection from the elements.