Anything that gets regular maintenance is sure to last long and that is the same thing with your slate roofing. It will help preserve the weather resistance and durability of your slate roof if you give it regular maintenance. You can have it checked annually by a slate roofing company or a professional and see if there are damages on the edges, ridges, valleys, vents, flashing, and chimney. There should not be any broken or missing slates because this is going to make your roof unstable. Aside from that, there are a lot of things that you can do to keep your slate roof in good condition.

Slate Roof Maintenance

• Clean it properly – When you are cleaning the roof, avoid harsh cleaning and use a brush with medium roughness to keep it gentle. You can use a normal household cleaner for this and make sure to thoroughly rinse away the soapy water when you are finished. It is not good to use a pressure cleaner or any harsh cleaners used for industrial purposes because they can cause damage to the slate. It is also crucial to remember that it is never a good idea to walk on a slate roof so don’t do it. If it is necessary to walk on it, use shoes with soft soles.
• Check the gutters – This is one of the most ignored parts of the roof and it is pivotal. If you allow your gutter to overflow with debris and gunk, it is going to put a lot of pressure on the roof. Since the tiles are durable, nothing is going to happen right now, but if you leave it like that, the roof will become weaker after a few years. If you think that the gutter is struggling because of the weight, hire roof repair contractors to fix it.
• See if there are any leaks – You have to take care of leaks once you see them before the problem gets too bad. Do not think right away that it is the slate roof’s fault. You might also have to check the flashing so you need to check on that also. The flashing and guttering are the weakest parts of the roof so remember to check on them 1^st.
• Winter time – If you plan to inspect the roof before the winter, make sure that all debris and any foreign matter gets removed off the roof. If you do not to this, ice can form on your slate and you will have cracked tiles. Ice dams are going to form if there is melted ice and then it will freeze further down, which prevents a run-off. To keep this from happening, especially if you are living in a very cold area, use a heating cable on the gutter and eaves so the problem can be eliminated.
• Check your slate’s quality – Constantly check your slate roof if it is the highest quality and this is something that you can do on your own. Whenever you have time, and when it is not dangerous, get a scaffold or ladder and climb to your roof’s edge and check across it. The wisest time to check your roof is after winter season. If you see anything that is not good, you will know right away by talking to a professional to solve your problems.
• Look inside – There are times when you know there is something wrong with your slate roofing because of what is happening inside your house. You will see water drips, there are dips or leaks inside the roof, and these are important signs that your roof has problems. Check the ceiling and see if there are problems that you need to fix.
• Contact a professional – There is no issue with contacting a roofing professional to come and inspect your slate roof. They have very good eyes and can see right away if there are problems developing in your roof. Upon checking, they can give proper advice on what needs to be done next.

It is important to always maintain your slate roof to avoid a lot of further damages in the future. Otherwise, you would have to call roof repair contractors to get the job done for you.