Fix known problems promptly. Repairing damaged and loose shingles or tiles before leaks are detected can ultimately save you serious money. Damaged roof tiles or shingles over time, will eventually expose the underlying water barrier (felt). Once the felt is exposed to the sun, it won't take much longer for this area to "burn" out, and in a relatively short time, you can have water leaking into interior structures. As with many things in life, having a known problem corrected promptly can prevent it from turning into a bigger, more expensive problem later, and this surely applies to the roof on your house.

Keep your roof and gutters clear of debris. Many roof problems start when leaves, pine needles, and other debris accumulates in the valleys and lower areas of your roof. This leads to excess moisture and in some cases, rain water is prevented from flowing off efficiently, and can even get under the shingles and deteriorate the wood sheathing.

Tread lightly. Some roof types are quite susceptible to damage by simply walking on the roof in the wrong way, or with a "heavy foot". Contractors installing satellite dishes or solar collectors can unknowingly cause roof damage while installing their equipment. Cement tile roofs and cedar shakes are prone to this type of damage. The result can be cracked and loosened tiles or shakes which can now shift out of position over time.

Quality and Workmanship Counts. Whenever work is planned for your roof, make sure that your contractor is using high quality materials and methods, and most of all, select a contractor that has a reputation for high quality workmanship. Too many times, workers have been known to cut corners in an effort to save themselves time or money, which ends up costing the homeowners much more when the roof fails prematurely.