Go up to the roof – check these 6 points
The condition of a water roof should be checked at least once a year. Checking the condition of the roof’s upper surface is a relatively easy task that you can do yourself. If climbing onto the roof worries you, ask someone you know for help or find out whether roof maintenance companies in your area carry out roof inspections.
When you go onto the roof, make sure that safety is taken care of. If your roof does not have proper roof ladders, definitely use a safety harness. Using a safety harness is not a bad idea in any case! Put on shoes with clean soles (no stones or sand) that provide good grip. Do not go onto the roof if it is even slightly damp.
If you are not going to maintain the roof right away, take a marking pen with you and mark the areas that need maintenance. Check the roof systematically in one walk-through. You will notice all the maintenance points if you remember to concentrate. Do not hurry or glance at your neighbour’s new car or garden plantings. Here is a short summary of the things to check.
Points to check on the roof
- Roof safety equipment fixings. Snow and ice can put particular strain on ladders and snow guards.
- Clean and touch up scratches and dents in the paint coating. Suitable touch-up paint can be obtained, for example, from a hardware store. If the paint coating has come off over a wider area, ask a neutral and skilled professional to assess whether the roof can be maintained or whether it should be replaced. A professional can assess the overall scope of the renovation, including the need to repair the structures, and calculate different options for you.
- Roof penetrations. Check the tightness of the penetrations, particularly the silicone seals.
- Replace raised and rusted roofing screws and nails. Also replace a screw or nail if its seal is missing or the seal is broken, crushed or hardened and no longer keeps out water. If water that has run onto the battens has softened the batten, patch the hole in the roof and fasten the roofing sheet with a new screw. Install the roofing screw in a different place on the batten, at the bottom of the roofing profile.
- Cleanliness of the roof. If the roof is heavily soiled (usually the area around the chimney, from the ridge to the eaves, is the worst) or has accumulated growth (usually on the north side and near trees), consider cleaning it. Cleaning a matt paint coating has a shorter-lasting effect than cleaning a glossy one. Cleaning nevertheless always extends the service life of the coating. When you are handling water on the roof, be especially careful about safety and always remain on a dry surface yourself. Use a safety harness and rope.
- Rainwater systems. The need to clean rain gutters and downpipes depends on the coating material, installation and the trees surrounding the building. In a low house, the gutters are usually checked from a ladder while standing on the ground, but in a taller house the gutters are checked (and cleaned) from the roof WITH A WELL-FASTENED SAFETY ROPE.
When everything is in order on the roof, you can be at ease during the autumn and winter rains and storms as well.