The roof is your home’s first line of defense from the elements. Because of this, your roof gets more abuse than any other section of your home. Regular maintenance can help prevent problems, or identify small problems before they turn into bigger ones.

Here are a few tips that can help keep your roof in top condition:

• Inspect your roof in the spring and fall. Look for missing, damaged or curling shingles and other signs of wear and tear. Replace damaged or missing shingles.
• Don’t forget the underside of the roof. Look in the attic for signs of leaks or mold. Make sure your roof is properly ventilated. Don’t worry if your attic is cool in the winter – the cooler temperatures keep heat and moisture from building up, which can cause rotting and buckling. It also prevents ice dams from forming.
• Keep your roof clear of debris. The debris can damage the shingles and prevent rain water from running off the roof.
• Clean your gutters and downspouts to allow proper drainage. First clear the gutters of any debris, then flush the downspouts with a hose.
• Trim any trees that are overhanging the roof.
• Look for signs of fungus or algae. If your roof is starting to collect moss or algae, install zinc or lead control strips.
• Check areas with mortar and caulking for signs of wear. Reseal any damaged areas.
• Inspect metal areas for rust. If there are areas of rust, wire brush the rust then prime and paint the metal.

Taking a few preventative measures can keep your roof in good shape and extend its life.

Here’s an important question to consider. If your home was destroyed by fire, or another type of loss covered by your homeowners insurance, would you have enough coverage to rebuild it?

“Insurance to value” is the phrase the insurance industry uses to describe the amount of insurance needed to build a replacement of a home that has been completely destroyed. This value is different than your home’s market value. Replacement value takes into consideration various costs and conditions that probably were not present when your home was originally constructed.

Replacement cost factors
Several factors can impact the cost to rebuild your home, including:

• Demolition and debris removal – Before construction can begin, the damaged portions of your home must be removed. And sometimes even undamaged portions must be removed to allow other sections to be rebuilt.
• Increased cost for building materials – When new homes are built, the contractor often has several homes under construction at once, allowing for the purchase of large quantities of materials. Rebuilding projects don’t benefit from this economy of scale.
• Labor costs – Electricians, plumbers and other construction workers are often assigned by a contractor to work on more than one new home at a time, depending on each home’s stage of construction. This efficient use of labor scheduling is not possible when rebuilding a single home.
• Changes in building codes – Current building codes for wiring and plumbing must be followed if your home is rebuilt. This may mean updating undamaged portions of your house, as well.

Making sure you’re insured to value
Your agent and Allied Insurance work together to arrive at an accurate replacement value for your home. Allied uses the information you provide about your home, plus construction cost data provided by third-party inspection companies.

We recommend you insure your home to 100 percent of its replacement cost. This qualifies you for Allied’s Dwelling Replacement Cost coverage. The coverage offers extra protection against inflation by extending your homeowner policy’s dwelling coverage (Coverage A) to 125% of your home’s stated replacement value.

Regularly reviewing your homeowners coverage is important to ensure you have enough coverage to rebuild your home in the event of a disaster. This is especially important if you have done any remodeling such as finishing a basement or adding a room. Call or visit your Allied agent if you have any questions about whether your home is fully protected.