Do It Yourself

Keeping Your Roof, Your Home and Yourself Safe

Custom home builders chesterfield, Things your customer should know

Roof punctures

Like many areas of the home, regular roof care and maintenance is an important step in maintaining roof safety and an overall safe home. Wear and tear can be detrimental to your roof and shorten its roof lifespan. For example, the cold will make shingles more brittle, while the heat will soften them. Both temperatures weaken a roof.

While we would suggest leaving more of walking on your roof to professionals, it’s important to know what roof safety precautions to take should you ever have to be up there. Falls are, after all, the leading cause of construction worker fatalities per year; and despite their broader exposure to walking on rooftops, it’s still worth noting to keep you as cautious as possible while on your roof to clean or carry out other simple maintenance tasks.

Do everything you can to:

  • Avoid unnecessary risk. Never use a pressure washer o your roof. It might work for the driveway, but on a roof it can loosen shingles and shorten its lifespan. Never use bleach on your roof. Not only can the corrosive elements damage your roof itself, but they can run off and get on the yard, down the gutters and enter groundwater.
  • Spot the damage early on. Types of roof damage include cracked caulk or rust spots on flashing; shingles that are buckling, curling, or blistering; and worn areas around chimneys, pipes, and skylights. Be mindful of the season and weather conditions so you can visually inspect your roof when necessary.
  • Utilize products that promote durability. Take fiber-cement for instance. Fiber-cement products are a durable, low-maintenance alternative to wood and vinyl. They’re also very strong and nearly bullet-proof. They’re highly resistant to fire, wind, insects, impact, and moisture. Fiber-cement siding even nets an 86.7% return.

    • Roof safety might seem obvious for those of us who manage to get up and down from one without falling off. However, the truth is, the more you learn about maintaining your roof, from a professional roof inspection or otherwise, the more you will learn what can be an unnecessary detriment to your safety and the overall durability of your roof.

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