It sits over your head each and every day, yet how many times have you given any thought to the condition of your roof? About the only time is during a storm and definitely when a leak occurs.

A roof is an incredibly hardy piece of construction. Think about it for a minute. It bakes in the sun all day, gets dumped on with rain, whipped by wind and occasionally pounded by debris. Through all this, it manages to stay together and keep the elements out.

A roof is able to hold up under these stresses because it is well thought out. It is not just a bunch of shingles. It is a multilayered system. Each system is different, but all have a few common elements.

The roofing on your home performs the same function as the hull on a sailboat. It keeps the water out. With a roof, this is accomplished by layering an outer material over waterproofing. The outer layer is usually some form of shingles.

As with a boat, the areas of biggest concern are those where something penetrates the hull. With our roof, this is often a pile of some form. To keep the water out, metal flashing and sealant goop is used to create a tight seal.

What is the biggest threat to roofs? It is often the weekend warrior. We are a nation that loves DIY projects. Roofing is one area where you should avoid trying to do projects on your own. You can cause hugely expensive problems.

Second, the integrated nature of a roof can make repairs expensive. You are not just fixing the small leak. You have to rip up a chunk of roof in the area to make sure everything is integrated and creating a waterproof barrier.

Roof repairs can be pricey, so making sure you do some basic maintenance is vital. An hour spent now can save you a ton of money down the road. Most small fixes can be done cheaply and are fairly basic.

The first bit of maintenance is to check your roof. If you see broken or missing tiles, replace them immediately. If anything is sitting or rubbing up on the roof like a tree limb, remove it immediately.

Cleaning your roof is the next bit of maintenance. Roofs collect dirt, dust, mold and other organic material. These can penetrate the roof material and cause problems or block natural flow lines. A good cleaning gets rid of them.

Our next step is hated by homeowners everywhere. The gutters are part of the roof. Backed up gutters mean backed up water. This water can penetrate the under edge of the roof and cause all kinds of mayhem. Clean them!

That is it. Three simple steps that can be the difference between a roof that lasts 40 years and one that has a wide variety of problems that pop up each time a storm hits. Dealing with leaks during storms is a drag, so do the maintenance.

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