Spring is here, and your roof may be showing some signs of wear from the long, cold winter. You know it needs to be replaced, but you may need to wait a few months, either for financial or scheduling reasons. How can you ensure your roof does not start leaking or suffer any more serious damage in the meantime? Here are some ways to help the ailing roof last through the summer.
Put temporary patches over areas that are missing shingles
Actually replacing missing shingles is a pretty involved endeavor since this involves lifting the remaining shingles and then putting them back into place so they properly overlap the ones you just added. If you're having the roof replaced in a few months anyway, it's not really worth the effort to replace any missing shingles now — but you do need to make sure those missing shingles don't cause any leaks. A good fix is to just nail some shingles right over the top of the area where the shingles are missing. Cover the nails with some glue or tar so water does not seep in around them. This won't look very nice, but it's an easy temporary repair.
Clean out your gutters
You should always keep your gutters clean, but if you're like most homeowners, you often slack in this regard. This year, you can't afford to slack. Your ailing roof needs to drain in order to prevent leaks and additional damage. Clean any fallen leaves and debris out of the gutters right now, and then check them again in a month. Keep checking monthly until you get a new roof.
Make sure the vents are clear
Climb up into your attic, and check the area around all of your roofing vents. Make sure that insulation has not gotten pushed in front of them. (This is pretty common.) Also make sure there are no boxes or other stored items blocking your roof vents. The vents' job is to let heat escape, and this is very important in the summer. If heat builds up in the attic and the ailing shingles get too hot, they may suffer even more damage, which they really can't afford right now.
By temporarily patching the really bad areas, cleaning your gutters, and clearing your vents, you can help that roof make it a few more months. Do make plans for a roof replacement, though. These tactics will get you through summer, but winter is a whole other beast. Reach out to a local roof repair professional for more information.
