Your home roof keeps your home's contents and your family safe from the elements, and it needs to be well maintained to keep it working well. After a stormy winter of ice and snow build-up, it is a good idea to check the integrity and condition of your roof and its components to make sure your roof is working properly and water can drain appropriately from your roof through its drain system. Here are some recommendations to help you in making some repairs and maintaining your roof and its accompanying draining system.

Repair Damaged Shingles

When you notice any damage occurring on your roof's shingles, you should take action to repair them as soon as possible. Shingles which are cracking, peeling upward, or missing completely will allow water to get beneath the layer of shingles and seep into your roofing deck. Here, water will cause moisture damage to the roofing deck plywood and leak into your home's interior.

You will need some simple supplies and some nice weather to complete shingle repairs. Be sure to complete work to shingles when the weather is warm so the shingles are warm and pliable and your roof is not wet or slippery. Doing shingle work in cold weather will cause your shingles to be hard and brittle and can cause them to crack further, and wet weather can make your roof dangerous for you to climb upon it.

Shingle Replacement

If any shingles are missing from your roof, you will need to replace them, even if part of a shingle is missing or the shingle has begun to curl up. When a shingle curls upward, it means it has become weather damaged and will not properly protect your roof from moisture. Use a pry bar to carefully pry up the shingle immediately above the missing one. You will need to remove the four nails holding the above shingle in place, as they were attached through the missing shingle. Remove any shingle fragments and the four additional roofing nails left behind from the missing shingle.

Place a new shingle in the missing spot and use four roofing nails to attach it onto the roofing deck. If you don't have any extra shingles, you can buy a pack of matching or near-matching shingles at most roofing supply or home improvement stores. With your hammer, secure the nails just below the seal down strip across the middle of the new shingle. Next, restore the shingle above to its position and replace the four roofing nails to secure it and the new shingle into place. 

Shingle Repair

To repair any shingles that have cracked, you can repair them with some roofing cement. Lift up the damaged shingle and apply some roofing cement under the area where the shingle is cracked. Press the shingle down into place and apply additional roofing cement onto the crack. Smooth the roofing cement over the crack to seal it closed. If the damage is extensive to the shingle, you can also replace it with a new shingle.

Maintain Gutters and Downspouts

It is important to maintain your gutters and downspouts, as they aid in the drainage of water from your roof and away from the foundation of your home. Without properly-functioning gutters and downspouts, water will fall onto the soil at your home's foundation and seep into your foundation and basement, causing damage and leading to mold growth.

Make sure your downspouts are connected to the gutters and your gutters are free of debris. Clean them out throughout the year to maintain their flow. Patch any holes in your gutter with roofing cement after cleaning the area thoroughly with a wet cloth. Fill any leaking gutter connections with a silicone-rubber caulk. 

Make sure your downspouts deliver water at least five to ten feet away from your home foundation. You can buy a downspout diverter at most home improvement stores. It can also be helpful to build up your landscaped soil around your foundation so it slopes downward and away from your foundation to additionally help keep water from flowing into your basement.

Follow these recommendations to keep your roof and its drainage system working well. And contact professional home roofing companies, like A-1 Roofing Inc, for more information and assistance.