Are you ready to replace your home’s existing roof? If so, your roofer may suggest using wood shakes. After all, the durability of wood shakes makes them an attractive option. Also, because they are a natural material, they add quite a bit of aesthetic appeal to the home.

Kansas City is no stranger to adverse weather conditions and wood shakes are great for standing up to storm or wind damage, including hail. If you want to extend the life of your shakes; however, you need to ensure they are properly maintained. Some tips to help you with this can be found here.

Maintaining Your Home’s Wood Shakes

Properly maintaining your roof’s wood shakes will help to protect them against rot and weathering. While they can resist quite a bit of the weather that occurs in Kansas City, at some point, the weather is going to cause the shakes to break down and begin to deteriorate. Also, clumps of leaves and other debris on the roof’s surface can retain moisture and encourage the growth of fungus and moss, which can further deteriorate wood shakes.

Five things you can do to protect and maintain your home’s wood shakes include:

  • Use chemical solutions to help prohibit the growth of fungi, molds and moss. You can have your roofer apply this when the roof is initially installed, or you can do it at a later date, if preferred.
  • Clean away any pine needles, leaves and other debris off of the roof before the weather becomes too wet. This will prevent the moisture from collecting under the piles of debris.
  • Trim away any low hanging branches to help provide proper air circulation and sunlight to dry up any moisture that is on the roof.
  • Ultraviolet absorbers and pigments can reduce the damage that is caused by sunlight.
  • By applying a replenishing oil, you can restore the wood’s natural oils and maintain its structural integrity. Keep in mind, there are some oils that can act as a source of food for fungi, mildew and mold so it is a good idea to use a fungicide as well as the replenishing oil. Keep away from any petroleum based oil, since it may make the wood more flammable.

The Importance of Regular Roofing Inspections

With regular roofing inspections, a roofing technician can determine the condition of your wood shakes. If problems are detected, they can make the proper repairs or replace the parts of the roof that are not in good condition. This will ensure your roof remains in good, protective condition year after year.