Roofers have a tough job. They work at heights, carrying heavy shingles and nailing them to the roof's surface. In addition to working hard, roofers are also very knowledgeable. They can recommend the best roofing material to fit your budget and preferences, and they can make repairs, as needed, to ensure your roof continues to keep your home safe. There's a lot to learn about roofing. We are not professionals, but we consider ourselves to be well-informed, and we share the information we know on this website. As you read, you will learn more about roofing as a profession, and you may also pick up some roofing tips you can use on your own home.
If you are like many other homeowners, when you focus on your roof, you may concentrate most of your attention on worrying about the possibility of leaks and making sure that you can't see any signs of damage or other issues that need repairing. However, your home's roof is one of its most exposed parts, and this means that there is a chance that it can increase the likeliness of your home catching fire if you don't know how to recognize and decrease the fire risks that are looming over your roof. Here are some things that you want to know about with regards to your roof and the possible fire risks you want to have immediately dealt with.
Some roofing materials are safer than others
If you live in an area where there is a higher risk of large fires near you, such as drought areas and heavily wooded areas, you want to know your roof is made from a material that is considered to be fire-safe. Some of the safer roofing materials with regards to fending off hot ash and decreasing the likeliness of the home catching fire from the roof down include clay and slate tiles, concrete tiles, and asphalt shingles. If your roof is made from plywood or wood shingles, you may want to consider having the roof replaced with one of the safer options.
Have tree branches cut far back
You don't want the leaves from tall trees to collect on your roof where they can dry out and catch fire if a hot ash from a nearby fire lands on them. You also don't want the roof to be at more of a risk because there are a lot of branches over it that could catch fire and fall onto the roof. This is why you need to have the branches cut as far back as possible while still maintaining the integrity of the tree. If a tree is a real problem, consider having it removed.
Keep the gutters cleared out of debris
In the rainy seasons, the gutters full of debris can be a problem for a whole other reason, the water won't move through them as it should, and this can cause roofing and structural issues. However, once the fire season approaches, there will be a whole other set of worries with regards to the gutters full of dead leaves and tree twigs. The gutters will harbor a lot of tinder that can easily catch fire due to things like hot ashes or even due to a reflection of the sun being magnified by something, such as metal or glass that is somewhere. Your best bet is to just keep the gutters clean all year-round.
Contact a company like Golden Spike Roofing to learn more.