Guide
A year of roof maintenance
Most of what shortens a roof is neglect of things that take twenty minutes: a blocked valley, a lifted flashing, a gutter full of grit.
Get it looked at
Three questions, and up to three Claremont contractors. Free either way.
You are on the list.
No provider in Claremont is taking requests through this service yet. We are lining them up, and yours is kept until one can.
- Nobody gets your details yet. Your request stays with us and is not passed to any company.
- One email when someone can help. When a provider covering your area can take it on, we email you once and ask whether you want that company, by name, to contact you.
- Deleted after 90 days. If nobody can take it on, or you do not say yes, your contact details are deleted 90 days after your request.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
Nobody will call you about this request unless you say yes to a company by name.
Cut back anything touching the roof
Overhanging limbs cause three problems at once: abrasion, permanent shade that keeps a slope damp, and a highway for rodents into the attic.
Twice a year, from the ground
Walk the perimeter with binoculars if you have them. You are looking for missing or lifted material, dark patches, sagging lines, and anything growing where it should not be. Ten minutes, twice a year.
Clear the gutters before the wet season
Blocked gutters back water up under the bottom course of shingles and rot the fascia behind them. This is the highest-value hour of maintenance there is, and here it wants doing before November through March.
Deal with growth properly
Cleaning a roof aggressively does more damage than the growth was doing. Gentle treatment, patience, and a strip at the ridge to stop it returning.
Look in the attic after heavy weather
Check after the first real weather of the season rather than at the end of it. A small stain found in autumn is a cheap repair; the same stain found in spring is not.
Keep the penetrations honest
Pipe boots crack, sealant shrinks, and satellite mounts get screwed straight through the covering. Every penetration is a hole somebody decided to make watertight, and each is worth a look.
In short
Put two dates in the calendar, one either side of November through March. That is the whole programme.
Related questions
Should I repair or replace?
Rough rule: if the covering has more than about five years left and the damage is confined to one area, repair. If it is at the end of its life or you are patching the third leak in two years, you are paying instalments on a replacement.
What warranty should I expect?
Ask for both in writing: the material warranty from the manufacturer and the workmanship warranty from the contractor. The second one is the one that matters in year three, and it is only as good as the company behind it.
How much deposit is normal?
Ten to thirty per cent is ordinary, and is often used to order material. A demand for full payment up front is a reason to walk away.
What is it going to cost?
Free, no obligation, and your details go to no company until you say yes.