Most homeowners know that they need to “take care of” the home’s core structural elements — the roof, the foundation, the windows, the electrical, the HVAC system, etc. But you also must be mindful of your gutters.Even though our climate is not as severe as, say New England’s; the Bay Area gets its fair share of blustery, wet, and wooly weather. You need reliable rain gutters to prevent water from pooling, leaking, and creating the conditions for mold and structural damage.

When gutters break down or overflow due to clogging or mechanical problems, the water can cascade in surprising, yet devastating pathways. For instance, let’s say a clog forms in a gutter above your rec room. Water spillage driven by this constraint, over time, could saturate the wood underneath, giving rise to mold. The decayed, desiccated wood then becomes a target for termites or other pests.

Depending on where this “break down” occurs, you might not even notice the tell-tale signs, such peeling paint, musty odor, missing shingles or wall panels, discoloration, etc., until the structure actually fails or an electrical fire goes off and burns down your house.

That sounds like an extreme scenario, and it’s unlikely. But we want to illustrate vividly why you need to mind your gutter system and to do the installation and maintenance the right way.

Even if you are a hardcore “do it yourselfer,” consult with licensed, experienced experts before installing your gutters. The last thing you want is to spend days of hard labor, only to screw up the installation in some subtle but pivotal way.

For top-caliber assistance with your Bay Area roofing repair needs, get in touch with the team here at Century Roof and Solar for a free estimate. Our reputable professionals are standing by to help make your job simpler.

On the one hand, you need to prep your roof for rainy season to eliminate or at least reduce the capacity for leaks, moisture buildup, mildew, mold, and all other nasty eventualities. On the other hand, at least you don’t have to deal with hail, blizzards, and Arctic cold fronts blasting in from Canada.

To that end, here are 5 tips to prep your roof for the wet weather of winter 2012/2013.

1. Get rid of obvious gunk, debris, and hazards.

Is there a rotting tree leaning dubiously close to your house? Now is the time to cut that tree down, before it falls over on your roof or just rains gunk on it. Do you have other “stuff” that blew onto your roof during the fall – or that could fall onto your roof? Get rid of it now.

2. Identify and fix potential structural issues.

Problematic roofs exhibit tell tale signs. Identify these hazards and deal with them now. For instance: dark spots staining your roof shingles, clogged gutters, moisture seeping through a ceiling or crack above a window — these may all be red flags. They may indicate not only problems in the immediate vicinity but also “below the surface” issues with other parts of the roof or structure.

3. Get your weatherproofing done now.

It’s never a “great time” to weatherproof. Our to-do lists are full-to-bursting as is. But if you wait until bad weather hits to begin the process; by that time, you may need to spend thousands of dollars to repair mildewy or broken “stuff” on top of doing the weatherproofing that you should have done months ago. So get on it ASAP: focus on weatherproofing around your flu, windows, vents, and any areas that have proven problematic in the past.

4. Create a weatherproofing process.

Assuming that you’re going to live in your Bay Area home for more than a year, it behooves you to develop and refine a process for dealing with the vagaries and hazards of different seasons. You might “get through” this season fine, but you don’t want to have to rethink your systems every season and keep rolling the proverbial dice. So write down your systems and maintenance schedule, and calendar them to review as appropriate.

5. Get help.

Unless you’re a homebuilding and maintenance expert – odds are you aren’t – you can benefit a lot from outside expertise. The team here at the Century Roof and Solar specializes in roofing repair, maintenance, and gutter installation and cleaning.  We can provide a comprehensive, free, and no hassle consultation about your weatherproofing and roofing needs. Get in touch with us today to gain control over your big projects!

No matter what materials you use for your roofing – shingles, slate, exotic new materials – you will eventually have to do maintenance and repair to avoid disintegration, mold, leaks, and other nasty business. Adventurous homeowners may attempt their own maintenance. But beware. Disaster lurks even in this most mundane of chores:

1. You could hurt yourself.

You could get electrocuted by touching a power cord or an electric line. You could fall off your ladder. You could get stung by a bee while scrabbling around on your roof. You could even stick yourself in the eye with a tree branch as you try to yank that tree branch free from your roof or other structure. Let’s not forget the less exotic but no less uncomfortable injuries, such as strained backs, twisted knees, and scrapes and bruises of all sizes.

2. You could forget to check crucial areas.

Imagine you spend a whole day clearing off tree branches and leaves after a big storm. You might feel like a champion, and your wife (or husband) might make you a big bowl of warm soup as a thank you. But you may have ignored crucial problem areas that can come back to haunt you. For instance, your flashings may be warped; this can lead to long-term decay and mold. You might overlook debris hiding in nooks and crevices. You might not notice lichen, mold, moisture, or other metastasizing problems that could eat through your roof, cause leaks, and cause other structural damage or warping.

3. You could fail to protect your roof long-term.

Crazy, woolly winter weather can blow tree branches and other shrapnel down on your house. Failure to coat and protect and stain your roof may lead, indirectly, to gross weathering stains and worse. Failure to identify and repair lose shingles can also lead to damage and time- consuming clean up. Etc.

How can you protect yourself against the dangers of inadequate maintenance — these and other common mistakes that cost homeowners thousands and lead to achy backs and worse?

Connect immediately with the team at Century Roof & Solar. Our premier roof system specialists are famous throughout the East Bay area region for providing excellent service, meticulous maintenance, and long-term help.

That’s the reason why we are known as the most trusted name in roofing. Find out more at www.centuryrooftile.com, or call us at 510-780-9489.