Spring Maintenance Tips for a Healthy Roof

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Need a roofer? Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free estimate on your roofing project. We’ll be happy to assist you!

Your New Jersey roof may have survived the snow and cold, but now it’s time to survey the damage that winter might have caused.
Spring roof maintenance is a necessary part of lengthening the lifespan of your roof – and protecting your home’s precious interior. So, when it’s time to conduct your spring roof inspection, remember these three areas of concern.

1. Gutters

Your gutter system was designed to remove water from your roof in order to

• prevent pooling and moisture buildup,
• prevent damage to your home’s structure, and
• discourage moisture-related mold growth

Dirty, not properly maintained gutters can shorten the life of your roof, so it’s critical that you check them one to two times a year.
Spring is a great time to check out your gutters and remove large chunks of debris by hand or with a garden trowel. After manually removing debris, use a power sprayer, hose or water bucket to clean out the remaining dirt buildup.
Remember, if you have a number of tall trees on your property—you may need to check gutters more frequently for stray leaves and twigs.
After cleaning out your gutters, it’s important to be proactive about trimming tree overhangs and large branches. Use a chainsaw or hand trimmer to clip branches away from the roof, especially if they appear to be dropping debris into your gutters. Next, check gutters for loose or rusty sections.
Most gutters are easy and inexpensive to replace. If you’re not comfortable making basic gutter repairs LGC Roofing installs and repairs gutters in New Jersey – call us at 609-712-8157 for a Free Estimate.

2. Shingle integrity

After checking, cleaning and replacing gutters, your next step is to survey the shingle field for damage – you will possibly need some basic shingle repairs.
Climb carefully onto the roof, and scan your shingles for missing pieces, peeling areas or grain loss. The small rock and mineral grains on your shingles help to protect your roof from the elements. If shingles are broken or begin to look smooth and “grainless,” it’s time to replace them.
You can replace a shingle by carefully removing the old one (and potentially the two to three surrounding shingles). After removing nails and fasteners, slide a new, same-sized shingle into place and nail it down. Cover each nail with roofing cement to prevent water penetration, and weight the shingle down overnight to ensure a tight seal.

Flashing repairs

Flashing, or the metal strips that seal gaps and prevent water from seeping under shingles, should be checked during each semi-annual roof inspection.
It’s especially important to inspect flashing around your chimney, skylights and valley regions. Those are 3 most common roof leak locations since winter wind and storms may cause flashing to pull away at these areas. Using small roof fasteners, tack down loose flashing and seal tack holes with roof cement. Call the LGC roofing professionals when you have more serious flashing problems.

In Conclusion

While it’s easy to do simple roof inspections and repairs yourself, it’s advisable to hire an expert if your home has an aging roof, or if your New Jersey roof is particularly steep and dangerous. Ready to schedule your spring roof inspection?
Call LGC Roofing today to schedule a free estimate, inquire about repair pricing or arrange a gutter assessment. 609-712-8157.

Gutter Maintenance: From Inspection to Leak Repair

Thanks for visiting! We are LGC Roofing, family owned and operated New Jersey roofer. You can keep track of us via our RSS feed, connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Need a roofer? Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free estimate on your roofing project. We’ll be happy to assist you!

Gutter systems protect your New Jersey home from leaks and moisture damage, so it’s critical that you maintain them properly. When gutters leak or downspouts back up, water may accumulate around your foundation. As moisture continues to seep into the foundation’s surrounding soil, walls and floors may settle or crack and eventually cause costly damage to your home.

Maintaining gutter integrity begins with regular inspections. Twice each year, during spring and fall, carefully climb onto your roof and examine all portions of your New Jersey home’s downspout system.

5 Gutter Inspection Tips

Conduct the following chores during each inspection to keep all gutters optimally functional during rain, wind and snow.

1. While wearing protective work gloves, remove all debris, sticks, dead leaves and pine needles from each gutter section. You may need a small trowel to empty all debris.
2. Using your trowel or a caulking knife, carefully scrape off stuck-on roofing granules and remaining dirt film. Use a garden hose to run water through your gutters for a final cleanout. To fully flush downspouts, increase the pressure of your hose.
3. After properly cleaning and flushing gutters, look for areas where water has pooled. This indicates that they’re not sloped properly, so you may need to adjust their position.
4. Gutter hangers occasionally break, and may wear out over time. Take a handful of new gutter hooks onto the roof with you so you’re prepared to replace aging attachments. If your gutters are hung by straps, it’s difficult to remove the straps since they’re inserted underneath roofing materials. Instead, just add gutter hangers with self-tapping gutter screws to simplify repairs.
5. Look for cracks in the gutters, themselves, and fill them in with exterior silicone caulking. You may need to replace entire sections of your gutter if it has rusted through.

Hire Roofing Professional

If your home is older, consider contacting a New Jersey professional roofer to handle your gutter inspection and possible repairs. LGC Roofing has been handling such projects for the past 25 years.

We specialize in replacing aging gutters with new aluminum, vinyl or steel models, the best gutter solution available on the market today. An additional benefit of many steel gutter replacement systems is a baked-on enamel coating which allows the gutter material to lasts for 30 to 40 years without requiring much maintenance—and you can choose enamel that matches your NJ home’s trim.

Call LGC Roofing to schedule a thorough inspection of your home’s gutter and downspout system, or to inquire about gutter repair pricing.

Don’t wait until you’ve developed foundation problems to start thinking about gutter replacement or economical fixes. We’re experts in gutter and roofing maintenance, offer competitive pricing and comprehensive guarantees.

4 Do-It-Yourself Post Winter Roof Inspection Tips

Thanks for visiting! We are LGC Roofing, family owned and operated New Jersey roofer. You can keep track of us via our RSS feed, connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Need a roofer? Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free estimate on your roofing project. We’ll be happy to assist you!

Though winter is still hanging around, it’s time to begin thinking about readying your home for spring temperatures. Remember, though, that even as the weather warms, spring storms and poor roof ventilation may continue to cause lingering ice dams and ongoing roof leak problems. That’s why it’s important to give your roof some TLC after harsh winter months.

4 Do-It-Yourself Post Winter Roof Inspection Tips

1. On a warm, dry day, inspect your entire roof for loose tiles, curled shingles and detached flashing. Make plans to fasten flashing gaps, and replace compromised tiles and shingles so they’ll weather spring storms. If you notice that harsh winter weather has worn away roof granules, affected shingles may also need to be replaced.
2. Rather than waiting until you have an overflow problem, plan to conduct “spring cleaning” of your rain gutters. Clear shingle debris, tree branches and dead leaves out of your gutters to ensure that water flow isn’t compromised during a heavy rain or spring snowstorm. If it’s warm enough, you may wish to use a hose or pressure washer to more completely clear gutters and downspouts.
3. Remove moss and lichen from your roof by sweeping it off (if it’s dry) or applying a moss-removal chemical and sweeping it off after it has been killed.
4. After repairing roof leaks, tightening/replacing shingles and getting rid of ice dams, you may need to repair interior ceiling stains. Some stains can be repainted, while others require drywall repair to restore the ceiling and wall texture.

Hire a Roofing Professional

Remember to take proper safety measures if you’ll conduct your own spring roof inspection. Make sure someone is home, or let a neighbor know of your plans to climb on the roof.
If you’re uncomfortable examining or repairing your ailing roof, contact the roofing experts at LGC. Our qualified contractors are ready to examine your home for severe roof leaks and necessary materials replacement—and we offer a no-obligation consultation and price quote so you can make an informed decision regarding any roof repairs that might be needed.

Avoiding Leaky Gutters: Fall Maintenance Tips

While you may take your seamless gutters for granted, they’re a critical line of defense for your home. Even if your gutters are covered with leaf guards, they can still become clogged with debris buildup from rain and snow storms, birds’ nests and shingle remnants. Roofing experts recommend cleaning and performing general maintenance on your home’s downspouts during spring and fall to prevent warped gutters and leaky gutters.

Seamless Gutter Cleaning Tips

If you’re tackling the gutter cleaning process on your own, always wear heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands—and remember these helpful hints as you prepare your seamless gutters for fall.

• Examine your gutters and leaf guards by individual sections. Using a small trowel, leaf scoop or your hand, remove pine needles, rocks, and rotting leaves.
• Scrape or scrub the gutter’s sides and bottom, if necessary. Small pieces of asphalt shingles can become caked on your seamless gutter’s interior, and it will probably take some elbow grease to remove it.
• Use a high-power hose or pressure washer to clear remaining goop from seamless gutters, downspouts and leaf guards.

Seamless Gutter Maintenance Tips

After conducting a thorough gutter cleaning, it’s time to assess your downspout system for maintenance needs.

• Evaluate the gutter angle, making sloping adjustments as necessary. If you have warped gutters or sagging portions, it can quickly lead to debris buildup and improper drainage.
• Check the gutter hangers, and install new ones if needed. Over time, gutter hangers can become loose. This may lead to warped or leaky gutters if the straps are not replaced.
• Look for leaks. If you don’t have seamless gutters, your system may begin to leak at aging seams. Use a silicon sealant to repair leaks, if possible—or consider replacing the leaky section altogether.

If the process of spring and fall gutter maintenance seems daunting, contact LGC Roofing. We’ll assist you with general maintenance, warped gutter replacement and leaky gutter repairs so you can protect your home’s structure from water damage.

Selecting Residential Rain Gutters

Rainwater management is critical to protecting your New Jersey home’s structural integrity, including the foundation, siding, paint, landscaping and decking. Unfortunately, residential rain gutters are an often-overlooked construction element. Whether you’re building a new home or restoring your older one, do your homework to determine which gutter material fits your needs and your budget.

Rain Gutter Material Options

When choosing the rain gutter material best suited for your New Jersey residence, consider cost, aesthetics, durability and maintenance. The following is a basic guide to common gutter materials and their features:

• Aluminum: An economical choice for homeowners, aluminum gutters are lightweight and easy to install. Residents appreciate aluminum’s durable, low-maintenance design, and the fact that it’s rust-proof and tolerant of extreme temperatures. Choose from a variety of enamel finish colors to complement your New Jersey home’s exterior.
• Vinyl: Preferred by do-it-yourselfers, vinyl rain gutters are known for their manageable installation, economic value and maintenance-free durability. Dent resistant and impervious to corrosion, vinyl gutters come in dozens of colors. While vinyl is a practical choice for homeowners living in temperate climates, it becomes brittle and may crack if exposed to routine, extreme cold.
• Stainless steel and copper: If cost isn’t a concern, stainless steel and copper are widely recognized as some of the most aesthetically pleasing, durable rain gutter materials on the market. Best when installed by an expert, stainless steel and copper rain gutters will provide your home with exterior polish and years of low-maintenance functionality.
• Wood: If the fine look of your New Jersey home trumps its cost and maintenance, you may enjoy the classic characteristics of fir, cedar and redwood gutters. Less common than the mass-produced materials above, wood rain gutters are a popular, beautiful choice for aging home restoration projects.

The price of rain gutters ranges from $5 to $25 per linear foot, depending on the material, so it’s important to educate yourself before choosing a budget-friendly, visually pleasing and optimally functional system. Contact us today to inquire about gutter options, talk with our New Jersey roofing experts or schedule an installation estimate.