The Secrets to Maintaining a Great Roof On Your House

If you've ever looked at your roof and wondered how it got into the condition that it's in, this article is probably for you. It's easy to look at a neighbor's roof and admire the condition that which they've maintained it, but it's harder to take responsibility for your own roof. What kinds of actions can you take on a regular basis to either restore your roof or prevent it from looking poor or even cluttered? How can you repair roof damage? What kind of habits will help you maintain a great roof? Let's look at a few of them.

• First, make sure your roof is properly sealed and laid out.

  The first key to maintaining a great roof is actually making sure that you have a great roof to maintain in the first place. If your roof is old and in serious need of repair, it might be time to hire some contractors to totally re-do it. If you don't have the money for that, you can at least ask a contractor for a little bit of work and even some tips for making some key improvements. For new homeowners, this is not usually a consideration, as the home will probably have a modernized roof that will be in great condition for a few years to come. At the very least, check your starting point and work your way towards a great roof from there.

• Second, make sure that your drainage is flawless.

  If a roof is capturing water and not removing it from the environment, you've definitely got a problem. Captured water can lead to wood rot and even make repairs extremely difficult. You'll want to not only make sure that your roof is totally waterproof, but that the rain falling on your roof is totally removed and directed where it needs to go. This means installing or maintaining a good gutter system that puts water in the right places. Don't only make sure that your gutters can handle a sturdy rainstorm, but that the water ends up harmlessly flowing out somewhere on your property. Use a rainstorm as an opportunity to inspect this system and show where you might need some changes.

• Third, install a leaf guard on your roof if you have trees nearby.

  One of the most annoying things to maintain on a great roof is clear gutters. Many gutters will collect not only rain, but the debris that falls onto your roof, clogging them and backing up your drainage system. That's why a leaf guard on your gutters will collect only water and leave debris somewhere else, making your roof easier to maintain.

Photo Credits: vm2827

Originally posted 2009-08-11 05:16:25.

gutters, rain, rainstorm, roof damage, roof drainage, roofing, wood rot

Handyman, How to Fix

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Posted by Fix Handyman on March 13, 2010 in Handyman, How to Fix

Four Tips for Typical Lawn Problems

One of the frustrating things about growing a lawn is that even if you work hard on it, unforeseen problems can arise that simply stump your landscaping knowledge. Instead of overworking yourself and burning out, you'll want to simply increase your range of knowledge so that you know how to address these typical lawn problems when you see them. That's why this article will explain some common lawn problems and some easy tips to help fix them.

Tip #1: Take out bare spots through aeration and repair.

Bare spots in your lawn can mean a number of problems, but often it means that your grass may be fighting off a disease and losing the battle. If you need to reinvigorate one particular area on your lawn, make sure to treat that spot specifically. Aerate the area to loosen the soil, perhaps add some fertilizer and make sure that there are enough seeds to allow grass to grow there again. If one area of your lawn is stepped on a lot, it can mean compacted soil, which can lead to poor grass.

Tip #2: Avoid weeds by cutting your grass high.

There are a few reasons for cutting your grass high, but one of this is quite simple: clipping your weeds at their high point will help avoid weeds. First, longer and healthier grass will have stronger and deeper roots, starving out the weeds by taking up most of the nutrients in the area. Short grass won't need as much strength, and this will allow weeds to spring up by using up all of the soil. Mowing your lawn high will clip the weeds and allow your grass to simply starve them out.

Tip #3: Water deeply and less frequently.

You might have noticed how healthy lawns can look after a really wet rainstorm. This is because deep watering can promote healthy grass by forcing roots to go deep in order to soak up all the moisture that they can. Deep, infrequent watering will support your longer grass and help build up their strength, making grass look healthier and making sure that there are less nutrients for the weeds to use up.

Tip #4: Make sure to test your soil at the start of the season.

Testing your soil - even in different areas - can help you understand what potential problems you might be potentially running in to. If you must, test your soil after you've noticed a problem, and see if the problem is being caused by an issue with your soil.

Photo Credits: chippenziedeutch

aeration, compacted soil, deeper roots, fertilizer, lawn problems, lawns, nutrients, rainstorm, seeds, short grass, typical lawn, weeds

How to Fix, Landscaper

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Posted by Fix Handyman on July 24, 2009 in How to Fix, Landscaper