Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts around 20-25 years, more or less depending on damage and natural wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The extent and level of care you give your roof can reduce or extend the time between new roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you might end up only having to replace your roof once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the attention it needs.
Installing a new roof is expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re a lot better off doing routine maintenance and small repairs as they arise to extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the idea of climbing up a tall ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest route to increase the lifetime of your roof. Here are a few preventative care measures for your roof:
Cut branches hanging over your roof. Strong winds and rain storms can break branches and even push over trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they’re not regularly 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 installed over your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and prevent rain flowing into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Have routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs will be dented or start to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing company will let you know if there’s an issue that needs to be resolved.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish the oils from shingles so they don’t dry out, helping your roof last 5 years or more beyond its expected lifespan. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about putting these coatings on your home, where they will run off and come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in prime condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation will cause trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors throughout your home. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and increase the lifespan of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these things at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your roof, and it will freshen up the appearance of your home. WOW! Wesley Chapel Pressure Wash offers roof cleaning in Wesley Chapel as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your rain gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that should be removed. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots attach to shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Typically homeowners decide to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you take care of them quickly, no major issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident enough doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are certified to complete these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in optimal condition.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt bits attached to them. The texture can be knocked off 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 look worn, but, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s underneath. Only a small section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is 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 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 gaps on the roof where it is hard to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks, and it is easily damaged. If more complicated work is needed, replacing the flashing is an easy project for roofers and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is often the most expensive home maintenance costs. With the typical lifespan of a roof being between 20 and 30 years, you will likely only have to install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move often, you might end up replacing quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can also include the price of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or request that the seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a home, give WOW! Wesley Chapel Pressure Wash a call for professional roof cleaning in Wesley Chapel to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.