How to Check and Maintain a Tile Roof Following Damaging Weather Events
Queensland storms can be devastating, hitting every summer and damaging the environment, roads, buildings, and more. During storm season, it’s important for all homeowners to take roof checks and cleans seriously. Clearing debris so the roof can function properly, roof cleaning, fixing any leaks or broken tile repair, and keeping an eye out for potential issues increases the roof’s lifespan. This protects our homes and families.
Today, we’ll discuss some tips about what to do after a storm – but if you’re unsure about any damage or need help with tile roof repairs, always contact a professional roofing contractor.
Why is it Important to Maintain Your Roof After Storms?
We recommend always doing roof checks for tile roofs following storms to help keep your home and family safe. Benefits of completing these checks and maintenance jobs include:
- Damage Identification: Sometimes, issues in the roof that occur due to storms, like loose shingles or cracked tiles, may not be obvious if you aren’t looking properly. When these go unmended, the roof is in danger of further damage.
- Leak and Mould Prevention: When water seeps into the home, water damage can be devastating to the structure of the building as well as harmful to your family’s health when mould grows.
- Structure Saving: When storm damage weakens the structure of the roof, the entire house can be compromised. One more storm could cause major problems.
- Cost Savings: Smaller cleans and mending reduce the risk of major damage down the line, which can be not only costly in terms of saving the roof, but can trickle into the home or even impact your health.
Is it Possible to DIY Your Roof Inspection?
The first step is a simple visual inspection, which can be performed from the ground. You may also choose to climb a ladder or go on to the roof for a better look, but only do so if it is safe and you’re confident in your ability. Even from the ground, especially for single-storey homes, you can get a good look at the debris on the roof. Are the gutters full or blocked? Are there branches covering the tiles? You might even use binoculars to get a better look at tiles and shingles, making sure they’re intact and none are missing.
Don’t forget to inspect inside your home. Signs of leaks can look like stains on the ceilings and walls, or, of course, dripping water. You may also go into your roof cavity inside the home, climbing up to check for damage within. If there are any issues that seem dangerous, like a drooping ceiling, make sure to contact professionals immediately and don’t stay in the house in case of injury.
Further tips:
- Don’t walk on a wet/slippery roof
- Don’t walk on areas that appear unstable
- Don’t try to fix things yourself if you aren’t an expert
- Take images of damage for potential insurance claims
Can You Safely Remove the Debris from Your Roof?
Once you’ve identified debris like branches and leaves, it’s important to clear what you can, if you’re confident doing so. Using a stable ladder, with someone to spot you, climb up to the roof. You may bring an outdoor broom or a leaf blower to help remove debris, but only use equipment if you’re comfortable with it and aren’t at a risk of falling when using it.
Sweep, blow, or use your hands to start at the top of the roof and work your way down, clearing debris. Make sure to fully clear and unclog gutters and downpipes so your roof can effectively drain water, reducing risk of damage and leaks. If anything is stuck, avoid pulling on it, as this could damage tiles – in complicated cases like this, or if you feel your safety is at risk, please call professionals.
How Do You Clean Your Tile Roof?
With debris cleared, you can now see your roof more clearly, and it may be necessary to clean. Do you see any mould, lichen, moss, or algae growth? This can happen when moisture is trapped beneath debris on the roof, meaning cleaning is an important step in maintaining your roof. Simply use a soft brush or broom and a mild cleaning solution (like dish soap and water) to gently scrub away any debris or growth from the tiles. We don’t recommend pressure washing to non-experts, as this can be damaging especially to more delicate roof tiles.
Contact Us
If you spot any damage or are uncomfortable inspecting the roof yourself, contact qualified roofing professionals like us at Bayside Roof Repairs and Restorations. We can do everything from inspecting the roof to cleaning, to performing any necessary repairs like replacing damaged tiles or mending leaks. We can return for regularly scheduled maintenance through the storm season and beyond to protect your home.
We offer metal roof cleaning , tile roof cleaning and tile roof repair for single-storey homes with roofs up to 2.4 metres to the gutter line.
Want to know more about how we can make your roof the envy of the neighbourhood? Contact us today online, or give us a call on 0409 643 468 or 07 3820 6510.
We also offer tile roof insurance work, tile roof painting and metal roof painting, with information on roof painting cost, roof maintenance, and tile roof restorations and info on tile roof restoration costs for roofs that need extra TLC to keep your home, family and belongings safe. On the commercial side, we offer commercial roof restoration and commercial roof painting.
