If you are a new homeowner here, be aware that roofing maintenance is a big deal in southwest Florida. Homeowners in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater and Fort Myers enjoy an average of 248 sunny days per year. While Florida is the sunshine state, the weather can take a toll on your home. High humidity, scorching temperatures, torrential rainstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes make our region hazardous to structures and particularly their roofs.
These events prove that a strong, solid roof to protect your home is a top priority. The team at Classic Roofing & Construction wants to keep you and your family safe and sound during storm season.
Our advice to homeowners in Pinellas county is to prepare every year. Keeping an eye on your roof can save you money and keep you and your family safe. If minor issues become major, then you may need a whole roof replacement, and your family could be in danger.
A well-maintained roof, in contrast, keeps your family safe while lasting longer. It’s a win-win. Simply put, a roof that protects your home from the elements provides peace of mind.
Let’s dive into the top five ways you can get some of that peace of mind when storm season comes a-calling.
1. Look at Your Roof
Whenever you arrive or leave your home, look at the roof. Simple strategy. But this attention to detail is where it all starts. Has anything changed? Are shingles damaged or missing? Is there wind-blown debris after a storm? Are all gutters accounted for?
2. Keep It Clean
The team at Classic recommends homeowners clean their roofs quarterly. Lack of cleaning can increase damage to the roof, causing the roof to wear and leak prematurely. If you are unable and unwilling to perform this task, contact Classic Roofing & Construction for assistance. It’s a great way to get to know our team.
Quarterly visits from our team are surprisingly affordable. Our highly trained professionals will keep all debris off your roof and gutters, as well as remove invasive algae. Algae retains moisture and will cause damage to shingles, underlayment and, ultimately, your home. In Florida’s humid environment, algae cannot be permitted to thrive on your roof.
Classic Roofing & Construction offers GAF algae-killing shingles through the StainGuard Plus Algae Protection Limited Warranty. This product provides a powerful way to protect your investment with a 25-year limited warranty that protects against blue-green algae infestation and discoloration.
This time-release, algae-fighting technology is proprietary to GAF. Specially engineered capsules are infused throughout the shingles with thousands of copper microsites. These cutting-edge capsules release algae-fighting copper efficiently, over time, for long-lasting algae-fighting power.
In hundreds of surveys, GAF found that protecting their roof from blue-green algae was very or extremely important among 87 percent of homeowners.
3. Maintain Your Landscape
Most of us who call Southwest Florida home hire a guy, or several guys, to keep the jungle that is this area’s flora and fauna at bay from around our homes. With our ample sunshine and abundant rain, landscape maintenance is a constant need. This includes tree trimming to help protect your roof.
Overgrown tree limbs and branches can easily damage your roof during a storm, thanks to the high winds we routinely get here. Since overgrown foliage can also make it easier for pests to enter your home, you will have to instruct your landscaping crew to keep trees and other landscaping trimmed back from around your home. Doing so will lessen the chances that your home’s roof will become structurally compromised.
4. Prioritize Regular Inspections
Having your roof inspected regularly by the professionals at Classic Roofing & Construction is one of the best ways to protect the investment in your home. Ideally, our team at Classic should perform a roof inspection every six months. (Or at minimum, at least once before the storm season.)
Keeping gutters clean is a critical roofing maintenance step in Southwest Florida. Blocked gutters can lead to mold and mildew damage to the soffit and fascia, damage to the siding on the exterior of your home, as well as other water damage. Regular inspections will keep minor damages from becoming major repair projects.
5. Visit Your Attic
If you aren’t retaining professional inspection services as part of your roofing maintenance, then it’s a good idea to have eyes on your attic at least two times a year. During a rainstorm, venture into your attic with a flashlight and paper towels. Leaks can sometimes be nearly invisible, so paper towels can help spot any problem areas. When the storm subsides, you can look for ways to stop any water incursion.
While experienced DIYers may tackle roof repairs, here at Classic we encourage homeowners to engage professionals for any needed roof repairs. Getting on a roof is inherently dangerous. While we admire those who want to fix their own home, if you don’t have the right tools and talent, sometimes DIY efforts can do more damage than the original problem. When in doubt, call a professional roofing company.
Call for Roofing Maintenance
Here at Classic, we have been helping homeowners with roof repairs and remodels for more than 20 years. The entire team at Classic is certified Master Elite residential roofing contractors through the GAF roofing academy. In North America, less than 2 percent of all roofing contractors have earned this designation, so you know you are getting the best of the best. Homeowners can have peace of mind when choosing the team at Classic to work on their homes. Call us at 727-732-3495 in Tampa or 239-932-5225 in Fort Myers, or click here to schedule a free consultation.
