Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof lasts around 20-25 years, depending on storm damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials can last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof can reduce or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you could end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the care it needs.
Installing a new roof is very expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re a lot better off doing maintenance and small repairs as needed in order to lengthen the lifetime of your roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just don’t like the idea of climbing up a tall ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest route to lengthen the lifetime of your roof. Here are a few preventative care measures for your roof:
Cut limbs that hang over your roof. Gusting winds and rain can break limbs and even push over trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their branches right onto your roof if they are not pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed over your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Schedule regular inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of aging like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing company can let you know if there’s a problem that should be repaired.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from roof shingles so they don’t dry out, making your roof last 5 years or more beyond its expected lifetime. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about applying these products on your home, where they will inevitably run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in prime condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation can cause trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors throughout your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these projects at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will limit the risk of pests building nests on your roof, and it will immediately renew the appearance of your home. Auburn Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Auburn as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your rain gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that have to be removed. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots will attach to roof shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t eliminated quickly. Typically homeowners choose to have a professional do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you take care of them right away, no serious issues should result. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are able to tackle these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in optimal condition.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt pieces attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain storms. These asphalt pieces help to protect your roof. If they start to come off, the roof will begin to look worn, but, most importantly, it won’t protect what’s underneath. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is only superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also need to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, plus pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in the gaps on the roof where it is hard to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks, and it is very easily damaged. If more extensive work is required, replacing the flashing is also an easy task for professionals and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is one of the most expensive home maintenance costs. With the typical lifetime of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will probably only need to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up installing a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can also include the cost of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or ask that the home seller has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Auburn Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Auburn to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.