Maintenance Procedures for Asphalt Roofing Shingles

Asphalt roofing is an amazing choice for a variety of homes. It’s aesthetically versatile, sturdy, and affordable. It’s the whole package! 

Just like other roofing types, asphalt shingles are not maintenance-free. Low maintenance, sure, but every type of roof needs a little TLC now and then. Proper care is essential to get the most out of your new or existing roof!

Didn’t think you’d need to do anything to your asphalt shingles? We don’t blame you – it’s not like homeowners go around talking about it! Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors, your Sauk Rapids roofing contractor, is here to help. 

Follow these tips to keep your asphalt shingle roof looking and working great!

Wrangling Vegetation On Your Roof 

An unavoidable maintenance task when it comes to roofs of any sort is dealing with plants. Whether or not you have trees near your home, leaves make their way onto your roof via the breeze or otherwise. 

Whatever kind of flora decides to land on your roof, you’ll need to take removing it into your own hands – literally. Or hire a pro. 

Leaving debris to rot on your roof is immensely damaging to it otherwise, as we’ll discuss below.

Remove Debris From Your Roof & Gutters Regularly 

Dead leaves crop up quickly, especially toward the fall months. There might not seem excessively dangerous – at first, they make your home cottage-esque!

However, quite a few issues exist with leaves on your asphalt roof and in your gutters: 

• Debris on your roof creates the conditions for puddles of water to accumulate.

• Decaying leaves are a perfect spot for mold to grow on your roof.

• Roof debris makes a welcoming environment for pests to make nests.

The solution? Get up there a few times a year and use a leaf blower to rid your roof of debris. Sure, it might take a while before those gorgeous fall leaves start to cause problems, but waiting around makes no sense. 

If you’re not sure-footed or a fan of heights, you can hire a roof cleaning company to take care of things.

Trim Back Your Trees in the Spring 

Aside from leaves, tree branches are another maintenance task you’ll need to keep up with regarding your asphalt roof. There’s the obvious threat of scraping, and then there’s the issue of storm damage should those branches break off, and the uneven shade they make, like leftover leaves, promotes uneven fading. 

On top of all that, trees function as critter highways, so if you don’t want the neighboring family of raccoons to move in, it’s best to keep them under control. 

So how often should you prune? That depends on the tree! Some need it every five years, while others need it every two. 

Every year, check to make sure the branches of your favorite arboreal friends are far back from your asphalt roof.

Maintain Your Gutters

Gutter maintenance is another important way to handle vegetation issues with your asphalt shingle roof. In fact, maintaining your gutters is key, no matter the type of roofing system your home has. 

As mentioned above, gutters can get clogged with leaves, twigs, and other debris. If this happens, the gutters or downspouts can leak, break, or not work. This can cause water damage through flooding, mold, and more.

So, to keep your asphalt shingle roof in good condition, here are some tips for motivating your gutters:

• Consider installing leaf guards that catch a lot of debris and prevent clogs.

• Request gutter repairs if you notice any issues.

• Upgrade to seamless gutters if your gutters are near the end of their lifespan. 

For more tips, check out this blog on cleaning your gutters. 

Prioritizing Personal & Professional Inspections 

Aside from tree trimming, a professional roofing company should be able to take care of your asphalt roofing needs. It’s a remarkably stable substance with few needs besides those listed here. 

But your asphalt roof can only get the repairs it needs if you prioritize seasonal and post-storm inspection and learn how to spot damage before it snowballs.

Take Care of Damaged Shingles Right Away 

The nice thing about an asphalt roof is that minor asphalt shingles installation procedures can usually clean up any shingle-related storm damage or deterioration. Materials are readily available, and since asphalt is cheap, replacement is easy! 

Look for pockmarks, curling edges, or splits, and get a roofer out there ASAP for a professional inspection if you find them to account for the off chance that there could be something deeper going on.

Maintain Regular Roofing Checkups

It might seem silly to call an asphalt roofing contractor if nothing is, per se, wrong with your asphalt roof, but it’s exactly how you keep things that way. 

A trained and professional eye can spot things the layperson can’t, especially if that layperson isn’t climbing onto the ridge to survey the scene. They’ll also be able to spot things that haven’t become a problem yet, per se, but are heading in that direction, thus saving you money on future repair costs.

We recommend twice-a-year roof inspections at minimum. More won’t hurt, of course! 

You should, for example, call up your preferred storm damage repair company after nasty weather hits your area. 

Responding to Storm Damage 

Regular roofing inspections will keep your asphalt roofing shingles in good shape. With routine inspections, professional roofers can catch any damages and make suggestions to prevent bigger problems, even if you don’t need roofing repairs yet.

Another important part of maintaining your asphalt roof top is knowing what to do in the case of storm damage. All kinds of weather issues, such as hail, wind, and snow, can impact your roofing system. After a major storm of any kind, it’s wise to do a visual inspection on your own. 

For extra peace of mind or if you suspect any storm damage, you should request a roofing contractor to come out and thoroughly report the roof after the storm.

The issues will likely worsen if you don’t address storm damage immediately. It’s better to request repairs right away. 

Homeowner’s insurance covers roof damage in many cases too, but only if you act within your policy’s guidelines!

Maintain a Healthy Roof With Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors

Asphalt roof, metal roofing – you name it- needs care to function at its best. At Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors, we pride ourselves in providing just that. 

We go above and beyond to provide only the best in maintenance and replacement for our customers. Whether you need routine roofing inspections or storm damage repair, we are standing by and ready to help. 

We've always got you covered from siding to roofing to gutters, so call our Sauk Rapids office today at 320-252-9086.