When considering whether to invest in a roof maintenance program, many homeowners think they don’t need it because they don’t have any tree limbs near their roof. But tree limbs aren’t the only roof hazards that can cause major problems. When it comes to roof maintenance, having an expert set of eyes regularly on your roof can save you lots of money.

The case of the mysterious gutter flood

One of our clients who had enrolled in our maintenance program called us to come inspect their roof. Their gutters were clogged and creating waterfalls with every heavy rainstorm, which was flooding their storm shelter. They thought new gutters might be necessary.

When we went to the house, we couldn’t find anything wrong at first. There were no trees near the roof. The gutters had no visible debris in them, and they weren’t cracked or leaking. We eventually found the culprit: an empty 20-ounce Dr. Pepper bottle wedged in the downspout. Once we removed the bottle, the gutters worked as they should.

Drones, nests, and other random hazards

Dr. Pepper bottles aren’t the only strange things we’ve found clogging gutters. This year, we found a crashed drone in a downspout. We’ve also come across various animal nests and creatures. Last year, we spooked a copperhead from a downspout.

Toys and tennis balls also find their way into gutters on a regular basis. And when fireworks go up, sometimes their remains come down into gutters.

Whether by human hands, high winds, or creatures, a variety of debris can block your gutters. A regular roof maintenance program will, however, help your gutters stay clear.

Avoiding insurance problems

In another instance, we were called to inspect a roof that was denied insurance until some identified issues were fixed: loose nails and cracked seals and vent boots. If this homeowner had a roof maintenance program, those issues could have been spotted and easily fixed before they delayed insurance coverage.

Once we were there to repair the nails and seals, we discovered that the roof didn’t have adequate ventilation. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, poor ventilation can lead to many problems with your roof. It’s one more thing that a roof maintenance program would’ve identified before it could cause problems.

Roof maintenance is similar to car maintenance

Think of your roof as you would think of your vehicle. You give your car regular maintenance to prevent small problems from becoming bigger problems: oil changes, fluid checks, tune ups, air filter changes—the list goes on. If you don’t spend $30 to change your oil today, you’ll end up spending thousands on a new engine tomorrow.

If you treat your roof with the same level of care and caution, you can help it last longer and save yourself money over time.