6 reasons why you need a roof maintenance program

Whether it’s due to wear and tear or direct damage, your roof will eventually need a replacement. While your homeowner’s insurance policy may cover replacement costs for sudden damages, it doesn’t cover everything. In fact, many roof damage insurance claims are denied because improper roof maintenance was found to contribute to the damage.

But what exactly is roof maintenance, and why is it so important? While many homeowners don’t consider roof maintenance necessary, proper cleaning, inspection, and repair are essential to helping your roof last for its full lifespan.

That’s why roof maintenance programs exist. Reputable roofing companies know that taking care of your roof is important, and they are willing to provide those maintenance services on a regular basis for a monthly fee. Most roof maintenance programs can also include extra perks that make being a customer more enjoyable.

You may be thinking, “Is paying for roof maintenance every single month really necessary?” While you could do it yourself or ignore it altogether, opting into a roof maintenance program run by roof experts can offer much greater value to your home than any alternative. Let’s dive into the six main reasons why a roof maintenance program is essential for preserving your roof.

1. Your roof is always exposed to weather

There are a lot of things that could damage your roof, but weather is the most common contributor. While the odds of a tree falling on your roof are relatively low, you want to be prepared if and when it happens. Even more common in the Midwest are things like hail storms and ice dams that can severely damage your roof in a short period of time. Sudden damage like this can be a major shock, especially if your insurance company says they won’t pay for full repairs.

When you’re part of a roof maintenance program, you’ll often receive discounts on repair projects, which can lighten the financial burden of bringing your home back up to code. Having that assurance in your back pocket can help you face damage from harsh weather with confidence.

That said, it isn’t just extreme weather (like tornadoes or hurricanes) that damages your roof. Constant exposure to heat, wind, rain, and ice can cause your shingles to deteriorate without proper maintenance on a regular basis.

With a roof maintenance program, you’ll receive regular roof inspections as a part of your membership. This is the best way to prevent small instances of damage from becoming big problems later on.

2. It provides insurance on your roof investment

The cost of installing a new roof is likely to be fairly high in the first place. But keep in mind that a new roof isn’t just an expense — it’s an investment that can provide tangible value to your home for many years if properly maintained. A roof maintenance program acts like a form of insurance that prevents general wear and tear from destroying your roof prematurely.

Proper roof maintenance services can include:

• Inspecting your roof (inside and out) for damage
• Sweeping leaves and debris away from shingles
• Cleaning gutters
• Cleaning skylights
• Preventing (and removing) ice dams
• Sealing exposed roofing nails

Failing to maintain your roof can leave it vulnerable to long-term damage and general wear and tear. Heat, debris, and even minor cracks or tears can quickly turn into major leaks if not dealt with quickly. By investing in a roof maintenance program, you can rest assured knowing that your roof is being taken care of on a regular basis.

Beyond that, consider the types of damage your insurance policy won’t cover. Roof maintenance programs rarely have the same stipulations when offering repair discounts. If you accidentally damage your own roof or you experience a situation that isn’t covered, you can still save money on the ‌repairs.

In this way, a roof maintenance program is like a second layer of insurance on your roof — preventing the need for future repairs and offering discounts if you need them anyway.

3. Roof damage isn’t always obvious

How often do you go into your attic? How often do you inspect your roof vents or your flashing? And if there was a problem with any of these, would you know what to do?

Looking at your ceiling or inspecting your roof from the ground isn’t enough. If you don’t take a detailed look at your roof on a regular basis, you may not notice if a small part of it has been compromised. Some roof leaks only go as deep as the plywood decking, but may leak into walls and electrical systems before they ever hit the part of the ceiling visible from within your home.

Even if you decide to do your own full roof inspection, a professional roofer with a trained eye is always a safer choice than doing it yourself. Because they have more experience repairing and replacing roofs, they can spot damage and forecast future issues better than most homeowners. They also have special safety equipment that helps prevent them from slipping or falling off your roof.

As part of your roof maintenance program, you’ll often receive regular roof inspections from a professional roofing contractor. During the inspection, they will look for details like:

• Sealant cracks
• Hail damage
• Missing granules / missing shingles
• Small tears in shingles
• Holes in plywood decking
• Roof sagging
• Deteriorated soffit / fascia
• Exposed nails
• Broken flashing

If any of these damage spots go unrepaired, they can cause major damage and leave you with a much more expensive roof replacement project in the end. However, a reputable roofing specialist will compile a report, recommend the best options, and estimate the price for the repairs as necessary.

4. You don’t have to maintain it yourself

Climbing onto your roof is dangerous. But even if you can safely perform a DIY inspection or repair, it still isn’t convenient. A roof maintenance program can take care of all that for you.

If you aren’t physically able (or willing) to climb onto your roof and clean off leaves, replace shingles, or fix caulk on a regular basis, your roof will accumulate debris and moisture. Over time, that debris and moisture (combined with constant UV rays and temperature changes) can warp and corrode your shingles. This compromises the integrity of your entire roof. Not to mention that a dirty roof may leave your home in direct violation of your neighborhood’s HOA requirements.

This regular upkeep is even more important if you have a vacation home or rental property you only visit a few times out of the year. You don’t want to constantly travel or waste valuable vacation time cleaning or maintaining your roof. Let your roofing company take care of the maintenance, ensuring that your roof is in good shape even when you’re not visiting.

Cleaning and maintaining your roof takes valuable time out of your day. With all the other responsibilities involved in taking care of your home, do you really have time to climb around on a roof with a broom or nail gun? With a roof maintenance program, someone will take care of all the maintenance and inspection work for you so you can spend your time on other things.

5. Roof maintenance programs include perks

In addition to regular inspections and tune-ups, a roof maintenance program will often include additional perks that make doing business with your chosen roofing company more enjoyable.

For example, Baltic Care Club members enjoy multiple benefits, such as:

• Discounts – Members receive 10% discounts on all roof repairs and reduced service fees.
• Priority as a customer – As a Baltic Care Club member, you get front-of-line access when you call our office to set up an appointment. You can expect us to arrive at your home within 24 hours of your call.
• Additional guarantees – All roof repairs are guaranteed for the life, as long as you are a member of Baltic Care Club.

When you consider the long-term protection a roof maintenance program already offers, these benefits only make the membership more valuable over time. No matter what you need done on your roof in the next few years, a roof maintenance program will make sure you receive the best service possible from your roofing company.

6. It proves your roofing company is dedicated to you

If your roof material comes with a great warranty, you may not be all too concerned with roof maintenance. But material warranties don’t protect you against improper installation.

If you hire an unprofessional roofing contractor, you probably won’t end up with a high-quality roof installation. Think about it — a “chuck in a truck” roofer knows they probably won’t see you again, so they may decide to do poor quality work on your roof and take off with your money.

How does a roof maintenance program prevent this?

For starters, the fact that a roofing company offers this type of program at all is a sign that they care about your roofing investment‌. If they care about maintaining your roof after the installation, they are more likely to take care to install it correctly in the first place. On the other hand, unprofessional roofing contractors may not care about future roof maintenance (if they know anything about it at all). You may find that key details in your installation are overlooked because they don’t matter to cheap roofing contractors who just want to get their money right away.

Membership with a roof maintenance program also helps you form a relationship with your roofing company. If you invest in a roof maintenance program at the same time as a roof replacement project, this signals to your roofer that you plan to do business with them into the future. It puts you and your roofer in a place of equal understanding that this isn’t just a one-time sale — it’s a partnership. This incentivizes them to install your roof correctly the first time because they know they’ll be the ones taking care of it in the years to come.

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