If you don't feel comfortable or safe climbing onto your roof, you're not alone. It's totally okay to feel this way. You don't have the training or equipment to climb on a roof safely like roofers do! However, you should not let this keep you from taking care of your roof in general. There are some roof care tips you can follow without ever having to climb on the roof.

Maintain your attic insulation.

Insulation in your attic does more than just keep your house warm. It helps keep the roof from getting too warm in the winter. This, in turn, prevents snow from melting and refreezing on the roof, which can contribute to shingle damage. Every now and then, open up your attic and take a look at the insulation. If it ever becomes compacted, replace it. And if you only have one layer of insulation, consider adding a second one.

Keep your gutters clear.

Clogged gutters can allow water to accumulate on the roof, which leads to shingle damage. You do have to climb on ladders to clean your gutters, in most cases, but you won't have to get on the roof. If you're comfortable doing this, do it twice a year — once in the fall and again in the spring. Pull all of the grime out of the gutters and rinse them clean with some water. If you notice the gutters are sagging or have some holes in them, hire a gutter company to replace them.

Have copper or zinc strips added to the roof.

Call a roofing contractor in your area and ask them to add copper or zinc strips to the surface of your roof. This may seem like a strange idea at first. However, the copper or zinc ions will rinse down the roof every time it rains. The presence of these ions will prevent algae and moss from growing on the roof. With the metal strips present, you won't have to clean the roof or worry about scrubbing away algae.

Taking care of your roof does not have to mean climbing up there. Keep an eye on the attic insulation, clear your gutters out, and have copper or zinc strips installed. You can also contact a roofing company and have them come perform annual maintenance. They'll do all the things that require someone to climb on the actual roof because they have this skill.

Contact a roofer for more information about these and other roof services.