When it comes to residential roofing, there are few types more popular or with such a good reputation like asphalt shingle roofing. Asphalt shingle roofs are a number one pick among homeowners for a lot of reasons, but mainly because of the long lifespan these roofing materials can provide. If you have an asphalt shingle roof installed on your home, you should easily get at least a few decades out of it. Unfortunately, there are some things unwitting homeowners do that compromise the lifespan of their asphalt shingle roof. Take a quick look at these few reasons why an asphalt shingle roof will fail long before it should. 

You are not attentive to the gutters on your home. 

There is a really good reason why paying attention to your gutters affects the lifespan of your roof. Gutters are essentially part of an overall roofing system because they have the important responsibility of wicking water away from the roof and routing it to the proper drainage point. If you rarely clean your gutters or they are not functioning properly, it can mean over exposure of moisture for the roofing shingles around the gutters. This can lead to problems with water damaged shingles that are brittle and fall apart long before they should. 

You see a damaged section of shingles and just let it be. 

The asphalt shingle roof may be made up of hundreds of individual shingles, but each of these shingles work together for adequate protection from the elements. If one section of shingles is damaged, it can easily affect the rest of the shingles and the material beneath them. Therefore, if you spot damaged shingles, even if it is only a few, it is best to have a roofing contractor come to your home and make some quick repairs. 

You allow trees to grow over your rooftop. 

Trees make an excellent feature for residential properties, offering everything from shade to protection from the wind. However, it is never a good idea to allow big trees to grow unkempt over the roof of your home. Long branches can be at risk of breaking off during a storm and coming down with brutal force on your roof. Even if the roof's structure can support such blows, it is not at all uncommon for a few shingles to be damaged or knocked off in the process, which is never a good thing.