Your home's roof provides a majority of the protection to the inside and outside of your home, including the landscaping and soil surrounding your house. In addition to your roof providing a seal to your home and attic interior, its gutter systems allow for appropriate roof runoff and yard drainage, so it makes up an important element of your entire property and should be protected and kept up with good maintenance. Here are some recommendations you can use to keep your roof in good repair and maintained for optimal home protection.

Consider the Building Requirements

When you replace or make repairs to your roof, it is important that the repairs are made in compliance with local building codes. Local codes are set up to provide the best protection to your roof based on the climate and natural threats in the area. 

For example, some areas of the country are excessively dry or prone to wildfires, and shake shingles are not allowed to be installed on homes. Additionally, if you live in a northern climate, it is essential to have snow and ice protection installed on the edges of your roof below the shingles. Or, as another example, if you live along the coast where hurricanes are common, your roof and its shingles will need to be installed more securely than in other areas of the country. Your professional roofing contractor will have up-to-date knowledge of any new building codes and requirements for your area.

It is also a good idea that you understand how to attach shingles on your roof as a DIY project, especially if you are only replacing missing or damaged shingles. If, for example, you install a replacement shingle and you leave some of the nails exposed to the elements, they will become corroded and erode the shingle and surrounding materials. 

Understand Roof Protection 

Another important part of keeping your roof in good condition is to recognize problems in your roof and handle their repairs or hire a professional to complete the task. Your roof's gutters are instrumental in draining water from the roof and off to an area within your yard. This system protects your roof from backups, ice dams, and organic debris causing rot to your shingles. Keep your gutters cleaned out on a regular basis. You can hire a professional to get upon your roof if you are not able to do so safely. Once the gutters are cleaned out of all vegetation debris and dust, they will continue to drain rainfall from your roof.