Steps to Clean Your Roof in Spring

While it seems a bit confused, with our early warm weather and recent rain bouts, spring is finally here which means getting outdoors and conduct your spring inspection and cleaning – including your roof - as winter weather can be a shingle’s worse enemy while keeping it clean can extend the life of the roof.

Alpine Roofing has been protecting homes and businesses throughout Toronto since 1974 and are one of the roofing companies Toronto residents trust for superior workmanship and lasting results. In light of this service, and as a gentle reminder to do your own spring cleaning, here’s some tips on what to look for during your outdoor spring cleaning:

• Survey: Before you actually take out your ladder and climb up, it’s a good idea to just do a visual inspection from the ground for obvious signs of damage, blockages, and debris like tree branches. Safety is of prime importance, inspect from the ground with a pair of binoculars or call in a roofing contractor to provide the service if you are uncomfortable.
• Inspection: If you do decide to use a ladder, you can often see enough of the roof surface without going on the roof itself. Take a close look at your roofing material for any curling, buckling, or missing shingles, or any bubbling or blistering on surfaces. These are signs that the asphalt shingles are past their service life and require replacing.

• Remove Debris: If you can do so safely, remove any debris that may have collected on the roof during the winter months. This includes leaves, branches, pine needles, pine cones, or anything else you find that does not belong. This is also a good time to address any mold, mildew, lichen, and algae growth, which can eat away at the roofing material and, ultimately, cause leaks.

• Prevention: Look for any trees that have branches touching or coming within a couple feet of your roof or home, they can easily scrape over the shingles and loosen the protective granules, as well as promote the growth of mildew on the roof.

• Repair: check to make sure water can flow easily through the gutters and fix any loose nails that are preventing the gutters from sitting tightly along the roof line. A complete inspection by an experienced roofing company in Toronto can uncover issues with missing shingles, chimney damage, or flashing around chimneys, vents, or other bends in the roof.

Dealing with these potential issues in a timely manner will allow your roof to stand strong through the next season of weather challenges and for many years to come. For more information on the inspection of your roof, you can always contact one of our team of roofers in Toronto at Alpine Roofing 416-469-1939.