Peaks and valleys. Life is full of them. Not “literal” peaks and valleys, but metaphors for highs and lows, joys and trials, good times and bad, sunny and stormy days that we experience in life … good times and bad times. Neither last forever … they’re temporary. Sometimes the mountain tops seem only for a moment while the valleys can feel too deep and wide and long. When life throws you lemons, make lemonade. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Tough times don’t last, tough people do. Perhaps the most well-known of the Psalms tells us that even though we walk through the valley of death, we can fear no evil, for the Lord is with us. Take courage friends and be strong …
Following up last month’s article on Public Enemy #1 – Moisture … let’s talk a little about the physical valleys on your roof. I recently inspected a home for a prospective buyer, and the current homeowner had let their roof valleys stay filled with pine needles, leaves, and debris for way too long. To prepare the house for an inspection at the last minute, they cleaned the roof and the gutters, and guess what was uncovered in the valleys?! Holes in the roof … and deterioration to the decking and moisture intrusion that was causing other damage. Then came the negotiation discussions whether the homeowner would totally replace the roof or reduce the price enough for the buyer to have a new one installed. The valley in the roof became a “valley” of despair to the homeowner trying to sell their house. But the damage could have been avoided with simple proper maintenance and cleaning.
Are there little trees growing in the debris in your gutters or in your roof valleys? If so, it’s past time to clean them. Leaves and other items decompose and retain heavy amounts of moisture that just sit there causing rapid deterioration. That moisture can cause tremendous damage in a very short period of time. Enjoying the shade and ambience of beautiful trees in your yard is wonderful, but it comes with the maintenance of not only raking your yard when the leaves fall, but keeping your roof and gutters clean too. Depending on the amount of trees you have and the design and pitch of your roof, some will have to clean their roof and gutters much more often than others. Roofs and gutters are certainly no fun to clean and can even be dangerous, so be careful! You may wish to hire someone else to do it for you.
The ridges or peaks on your roof also need to be kept in good shape. Walking on the ridges can crack the shingles. Inspect the ridges to make sure that no shingles are cracked or missing and keep the nails properly sealed so moisture doesn’t leak in from the top.
Your house will breathe a sigh of relief when the roof and gutters are cleaned. The rain will be able to shed properly OFF the roof instead of INTO any points of penetration in the valleys or flashing and fascia or trim. And oh yes … make sure that your gutter downspouts are in good shape with splashblocks and drainage which effectively directs the water away from the house.
It’s that time of year … all the leaves have fallen, Spring is almost upon us, and trees are already budding again. Get rid of all the old and make way for the new! Take care of your valleys and gutters, and they’ll keep you out of the valley and gutter. Stay clean and dry my friends!
