Tip of the Month: Maintain Your Roof and Gutters
John F. Kennedy said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”
Sometimes it’s easy to forget about the areas of your home you don’t see everyday, but that’s exactly when problems arise. Stay ahead of repairs by regularly inspecting them to avoid worse problems later.
The roof and gutters on your rental property can be easily neglected, but with a little proactive maintenance you can protect your rental and avoid costly repairs.
Maintenance Tips for Roof and Gutters
- Replace curling, buckling or cracking shingles
- Ensure no gaps in the flashing around skylights, vent pipes and chimneys
- Seal all seams and joints properly, and block small entry holes used by pests
- Ensure gutters are secured and sloped correctly for proper drainage to prevent standing water
- Clean gutters and downspouts to prevent leakage and back-up
- Clear debris from roofline valleys and other build-up areas
- Trim branches near or overhanging roof
Fall is a great time to inspect your roof and rain gutters on your rental property in preparation for the rainy or snowy season. Your Real Property Management office can assist you in evaluating your roof to avoid problems so that you aren’t left with a major repair in the spring.
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I just had a roofer come and give me an estimate on replacing my roof. The roof does need to be replaced, but I still wish that I had taken better care of it because it may have lasted longer. Oh well, lesson learned. I’ll keep your tips in mind and make sure to trim the trees around the house. Thanks.
Thanks Ian, good luck to you and your new roof!
Thanks for the tip about making sure that gaps are sealed to keep the roof well maintained. I will have to see about getting up on my roof and seeing if everything is doing well. I will also have to see about finding some good roofers to fix the roof if there are problems.
Nice tips, worth reading this article. looking more from your end
Some great tips here! I really like how you say to take care of the minor problems in the fall so you aren’t left with a major issue in the spring. Thanks for sharing!
My husband and I just started renting a house and so we are trying to make sure that we are doing our part to take care of it. We have noticed that some of the shingles up on the roof are curling and so that has been a slight concern for us. However, do you think that replacing them is something that we should ask our landlord about before we go ahead and do it? Also, I’m curious to know more about how to know whether or not the shingles need to be replaced or if the roof needs to be redone altogether.
Hi Faylinn,
Before doing any major repair to a rental property, you should always consult with your landlord or property manager. As for advise on your roofing issues, I would encourage you to talk to a roofing professional.
Where I live, we tend to have cold and rainy fall. I’d like to take the advice you provided and take care of any problems in my roof now. I currently live in a rental home, and I’m not entirely sure what is my responsibility and what is not. Do you know if I should call a repair service or if I should inform whoever owns the building?
Great question, Brooke. Tenant and landlord responsibilities should be clarified in the Lease Agreement. Normally the roof would be an owner’s responsibility, so I would recommend contacting the homeowner, or the property manager as may be the case. Good luck,
Great tips for maintaining your gutters. Keeping debris off of your roof is a good start for sure. Once those gutters are clogged up it gets that much harder to clean them out.
It is a true principle that the smalls things are what tend to build up and cause the most problems. That really ties into the good quote you posted. I will be honest, my roof is very neglected. Right now I’m looking into how I can fix everything that needs to be done. My consensus is that I need a professional to repair the damage.
These are really some excellent points. Each and every step mentioned above is equally important in roof installation and replacement.
I also think it is wise to inspect the roof for potential issues in the fall. Winter would be a rough time to have to schedule roof repairs because of the snow and cold. Plus, if there is a leak, freezing temperatures could expand any areas that are letting in water.