3 Easy Tips For Maintaining Your Wood Shingle Roof

Did you know an unprotected wood shingle roof could decay in as little as 10 years? Alternatively, if given proper care and attention, these roofs could last as long as 30 years.

Unfortunately, wood is prone to rotting and can be damaged by both weather and insects.

So, we wanted to provide you with sterling advice to help keep your roof in perfect condition.

Let’s get into it then.

Treat Your Wood Shingle Roof

You need to protect your roof using a treatment. These are usually available in most hardware stores.

You must follow the exact instructions provided by these products. This will usually require you to either dip the shingles in the product or to paint it on using a brush.

If you live in a humid climate, make sure you cover your shingles once every three years with a stain that contains a wood preservative and sealer.

Repair Cracked Shingles as Soon as You Can

It’s much easier to repair smaller cracks as they start to appear than replacing the whole shingle.

Our advice on fixing cracks under a quarter inch is as follows;

1. Remove loose splinters.
2. Nail the large pieces without forcing the nail heads into the shingles surface.
3. Immerse the broken shingle and nail heads with roofing cement and leave to dry.

Keep Your Roof Clean

Brush Away Dirt

To adequately maintain a wood shingle roof you need to keep it free of dirt and vegetation. Both are prone to absorbing moisture which will undoubtedly lead to rot.

Using a stiff brush is by far the easiest way to clean a wood shingle roof.

TOP TIP: The drier the dirt, the easier it’ll be to remove. So choose the day to clean your shingles wisely. Usually, a few days of dry weather will suffice.

Repeat this annually.

Get Rid of Overhanging Branches

Try to remove all overhanging branches. These usually shade the roof which increases the time it takes for it to dry. Plus, leaves, twigs and other debris is more likely to litter the roof and absorb any moisture which will inevitably lead to rot.

Keep Your Gutters Clean

Gutters take water away from the roof. If the water isn’t able to drain away, this will result in excess water harboring on the roof; again this will speed up the process of rot.

Remove all Moss

Occasionally, there will be so much moss that a pesticide will be the only solution to tackle the growths effectively. Most trusted pesticides are available from general hardware stores.

TOP TIP: Try wetting dried moss before applying the pesticide this usually improves its effectiveness.

Want More Information?

If you want more information or assistance maintaining your wood shingle roof, we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact us, and one of our friendly team of experts will be more than happy to help.

Alternatively, please feel free to peruse our blog for more handy hints and tips on roof maintenance.