Okay, picture the scene. It’s a cold, wet, and windy winter’s day. The rain is really coming down outside, it’s bitterly cold, and you suddenly hear the dreaded ‘drip, drip, drip’ coming from your ceiling. You look up, and your worst fears are confirmed – you’ve got yourself a nasty leak in your roof.
Homes, like anything else, require a great deal of care and maintenance. If you neglect them, they fall into disrepair and this not only causes a great deal of stress, time, and effort, it can also cost you a great deal of money.
Now, you certainly don’t need us to tell you just how expensive seemingly everything is these days, which is why every dollar matters. The last thing you want is to be wasting money, yet if you allow your roof to fall into a state of disrepair, that’s exactly what you may as well be doing.
Maintaining your roof is not only important for peace of mind, it’s also important for your bank account as it prevents minor issues from becoming major. Here’s a look at why regular roof maintenance saves you money in the long run.
Roof Maintenance Prevents Water Damage
Often, when you’ve a damaged roof, you don’t actually notice leaks or water getting into the home until the damage is really severe. Beforehand, water will get into the roof and will collect. Overtime, this can cause wood to rot and paint to become discolored.
Before water starts getting into your home, you’ll probably notice staining to your ceiling. Suddenly, your brilliant white, smooth ceiling is stained a nasty brown color and has cracks running through it. Then you need to deal with the water.
Water damage not only discolors ceilings and walls, it can also cause wood to rot and can lead to mold, damp, and other problems that will only continue to worsen.
Maintaining Your Roof Can Reduce Energy Bills
Another reason to regularly maintain your roof is to help save money on your energy bills.
If your roof is leaking, this means that there is a hole in there. If rainwater can get into your home, so too, can cold air from the outside. And do you know something else? As well as allowing cold air into the home, a leaking roof will also allow warm air to escape from your home.
This means that your energy bills will increase as you’ll be spending more money on heating your home, and thereby using more energy and fuel. You’re literally losing out twice because not only will you let cold air into the home, but you’re also allowing warm air to escape, which means you’re effectively wasting money. In today’s economy, that’s going to be a huge problem.
Roof Maintenance Will Add Value to Your Property
Another reason to regularly inspect your roof and take care of any leaks or signs of damage, no matter how small they may be, is because doing so will add value to your property.
If you do decide to sell your home down the line, the better its condition, the more it will be worth, and the more you can charge. If valuers can see that the roof is in great condition and has been regularly maintained and looked after, they will take this into consideration when valuing your home.
Failing to Maintain Your Roof Will Reduce the Value of Your Property
If you have made the mistake of neglecting your home’s roof and allowing minor issues to become more serious, this could cost you a significant chunk of money down the line. Why? Because it could cause the value of your home to fall.
If you were looking to buy a home, if you walked in and saw that there were signs of damp, mold, and water damage, and that the roof leaked every time it rained, would you still want to buy it for market value? Probably not, as this would mean you’d need to spend more money on repairing these issues.
Regular Maintenance Can Prevent Leaks
They say that prevention is better than cure, and if you take care of your roof, have it inspected regularly, sweep the gutters, and keep an eye out for any signs of damage, or issues that could cause damage down the line, you’ll find that your roof will last decades.
On the flipside, if you notice your roof looking old, tired, and worn, and do nothing about it, don’t be surprised if it develops a hole, which then causes a leak.
A leaking roof is extremely stressful and frustrating, and it often happens at the most inconvenient times. A leaking roof costs a lot more to repair than one with only minor signs of damage so if you act early and take care of any issues before they escalate, you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.
Roof Maintenance Can Prevent Structural Damage
Finally, if you still think that roof maintenance is a waste of time if there’s nothing wrong, you may change your mind when you discover how dangerous a leaking roof can be in terms of the structure of your home.
Leaking roofs allow water to get in, and water causes wood to rot. It may not be instant, but over the course of years, decades even, this rot will only get worse. The more the wood rots, the weaker it becomes.
With many roofing beams being made of wood, if it rots and weakens, this could potentially cause it to collapse. This will of course cost a great deal more money to put right than simply patching up a minor leak.
Regular Maintenance Will Prolong the Longevity of Your Roof
Finally, if you maintain and look after your roof regularly, this will not only keep it in full working order, but it will prolong its lifespan. The longer it lasts, the more money you’ll save as it will not need to be replaced or have any major repairs carried out.
