Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20 years, more or less depending on storm damage and wear and tear. Other roofing materials will last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you might end up only having to install a new roof on your home once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the attention it needs.
Roof replacement is expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re much better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as needed in order to help extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just hate the idea of climbing up a ladder – you can call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest route to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care recommendations for your home’s roof:
Cut tree branches that hang over your roof. High winds and rain can break tree branches and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their branches onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and help prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Have routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a company can let you know if there’s a problem that should be handled.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish 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 options so you can feel safe about applying these coatings on your home, where they will run off and be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in excellent condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Limited ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors in your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these chores at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will instantly freshen up the appearance of your home. Roanoke Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Roanoke as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that have to be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it probably means that your roof is too shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to roof shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Many homeowners choose to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you take care of them right away, no serious issues should occur. If you are a handyman, you might feel confident doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are trained to tackle these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in good shape.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt pieces attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain. These asphalt chunks help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will look worn, but, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s below. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the section of your home’s roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also have 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 impossible to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is required, replacing the flashing is also a simple 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 between 20 and 30 years, you will probably only need to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up buying a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can also include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or request that the home seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Roanoke Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Roanoke to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.