As December rolls through, and the rooftop reindeer have come and gone, we hear the same problem year after year. People call in for roof inspections after finding shingles on the ground and hoof prints up top. We have a small list of things to look for, that way Santa has a clean landing and doesn’t damage anything by accident.
As much as Santa loves seeing houses decked all around, you must be careful to leave room for him to land on your roof! Rather than just throwing all your lights and decorations on the roof, try to plan for a lighter roof load. Keep your lights in straight lines, creating a lane for Santa to land in, and avoid keeping too many stand up decorations on the roof (should one of Santa’s reindeer knock them down caught in your shingles).
If you have a chimney, make sure you clean it nice and good. The last thing Santa will want is to slide down a grimy, soot-filled chimney to deliver. Additionally, try to keep the front of the fireplace clear so Santa has a clean exit!
It’s safe to say that you’ll be on the “Nice” list this Christmas if you’ve been cleaning your gutters. If you have not cleaned them out recently, you’ve still got a few days before Christmas to get them squared away. Clogged gutters can cause damage to your exterior walls, or to the foundation of your home. If Santa notices damage, he may not have a safe place to land!
You may leave out a nice treat for Santa every year, but what about for his trusty delivery partners? A nice snack could be some leafy greens carrots or an apple if you want to really treat them!
Check your yard for anything that may hinder Santa on the busiest night of the year. Trim any overhead branches, make sure any large piles of leaves are raked and thrown out, replace any of your broken or missing shingles, and make sure your lights are all active (just to give Santa some more illumination). If you are in Northern Arizona or anywhere else that experiences snow and harsher conditions, make sure your roof is clear of snow and break any ice dams.
Of course, if you want to have the safest conditions and some peace of mind, the best thing you can do is to get a proper roofing inspection. Fortunately for you, Mikku and Sons works with Santa year-round inspecting roofs for his arrival. If you want to make sure you’re ready for Santa and his reindeer, give us a call today!
Here in the Southwest, we tend to ignore our roof. One of the most critical features of our home, because we have so many days of sunshine every year. Then the monsoon season comes and all of a sudden we regret not doing our routine maintenance because we have a big, expensive problem with roof maintenance during winter.
You can only expect your roof to last about half as long as it should if you don’t regularly maintain it. Your roof accumulates damage every day from the elements – rain, the hot sun, even pests and people walking on it. Pile on to that the even more intense heat and periodic heavy rains from the monsoon season and it’s a disaster waiting to happen. You could have a big roof repair just waiting to happen and you’re completely ignorant of it.
Before the monsoon season begins, at least once every year, you should have your roof inspected – especially if its a flat roof and its over 15 years old. Our roofs here in Arizona get hit the hardest during the winter rain between December and February and the monsoon season between June and September. When it rains here, we have drops in temperature that happen suddenly, causing thermal shock, compromising your roof’s surface.
In your roof’s warranty, it probably has a clause that voids the warranty if you’re not properly maintaining it, so its critical to keep up with regular maintenance, schedule routine inspections and fix any necessary problems as soon as possible.
If you’re not scared of getting on your roof, here’s a couple things you can do to increase your roof’s lifespan. Take the correct safety steps if you do, because one of the leading causes of serious accidents around a home is falling off a ladder. Also, be careful walking on it, especially if its older. You can cause some serious damage and weaken your roof if you do.
There are some roofing issues that you should leave to a professional roofing contractor. Find an experienced, licensed, professional roofer like Mikku and Sons Roofing if you find any of these problems:
The monsoon season will quickly be upon us. When you’re outside your house, you’ll feel like you’re inside an oven. But the rain eventually comes and helps to cool things down a little and give us some relief. However, those rains also turn into monsoon storms that can flood your property and damage your home. Monsoon storms usually include heavy rain and strong wind, both of which can damage your property and put you in critical need of a professional, experienced roof repair contractor. Here are some tips to get your roof ready for monsoon storms.
In these circumstances, your roof will probably take the worst beating. The intense summer heat can break down the shingles or tiles and the underlayment below them. Strong rain and wind can tear your tiles and shingles off your roof and damage other parts of your roof, leading to potentially expensive repairs. Preparing your roof for the storm season can help it survive with as little amount of damage as possible. However, once the damage has happened, you will need a licensed, experienced roofing company to inspect the damage.
Before the monsoon season gets started, call a recommended roofing company and have your roof completely inspected. The roofing contractor will look for signs of any loose or missing shingles or tiles, gaps or cracks around any flashings, also checking for deterioration in sealants or the underlayment. Any problems can make your roof susceptible to the strong rain and wind that come with the storms.
If your roofer finds any issues or signs of potential problems during the inspection, have the repairs taken care of before the monsoon season picks up. You will be making sure your roof is in the best shape possible to fight off tears and cracks that can lead to moisture leaks. Make sure any loose tiles or shingles are fastened or replaced. Update the seals around flashings and other roof elements. Make sure that your roof is strong and provides a strong barrier between your home and the coming violent storms.
Strong monsoon winds and rain won’t just beat on your roof. They’ll also pick up objects and toss them against your house. Big sticks and branches, small rocks and loose personal items can all become flying missiles in a strong monsoon storms. You can keep the risk low by keeping your yard clear of debris and personal items. Pick up all debris on a regular basis. You won’t be able to completely eliminate the risk since monsoons can pick up items from nearby properties and toss them against your property, but taking this simple precaution can reduce the potential damages.
Is your roof ready for the heat? Phoenix has a lot of wonderful attributes, but the searing Summer heat isn’t one of them. Not only do we have intense heat but the monsoon storms can be extremely intense with strong winds. Combine these two and there’s definitely a yearly threat to the condition of your roof. It’s extremely important that you prepare your roof so that it might survive the weather with minimal damage.
Tall trees near your house can cause damage to your roof when swaying or falling during summer winds. At the least, they could cause leaks in your roof, but if the branches are big enough, one could literally crash down right through it.
When planting new trees, don’t plant too close to your home and with existing trees, hire a professional tree trimming service to clear away any branches that might have the potential to cause damage to your roof before the storm season starts. Trees that look unhealthy or might be dead should be removed. They could snap off at the trunk in a strong wind and threaten to crash down on the house.
If you have gutters and/or downspouts, make sure they are clear of debris before the monsoon season begins. If they’re clogged, they wont be able to divert water from heavy rains away from your roof and foundation, which could lead to water pooling on your roof, or near your home, potentially causing damage to shingles, tiles flat roof systems and your foundation.
Before the monsoon season starts is the perfect time to get your roof inspected by a professional roofing company like Mikku and Sons Roofing. Your roof may have cracked shingles, damaged or misplaced tiles, and possible underlayment damage caused by last year's storms that you don’t know about. If these exist, you could have more damage and roof leaking from the new season’s storms.
It will give you an opportunity to make any necessary minor repairs before the storms turn them in to major ones. You don’t want to learn the hard way that you have some previous damage in the middle of a major storm that causes water to start pouring through your ceiling.
Not only can our extreme heat be tough on your roof, it dramatically increases your cooling costs. If you have an older roof, you might want to think about a phoenix roof replacement and go to a cool roof system. These types of roofs are designed with materials that do a better job of reflecting, absorbing and redirecting heat to help keep your home cooler and your air conditioning bills lower. They can also be coated or painted with insulating materials that help with this task. Give a professional roofing company a call to discuss your options here.
