Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof will last around 20 years, more or less depending on damage and wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The extent and level of care you give your roof can shorten or increase the time between 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 care it requires.
Installing a new roof is expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re better off doing routine maintenance and small repairs as needed to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the idea of climbing a ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest route to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut tree branches hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain storms can break tree branches and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their branches onto your roof if they’re not routinely pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed on top of your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Schedule 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 such as rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a roofing company can let you know if there’s an issue that has to be repaired.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from roof shingles so they don’t dry out, helping your roof last 5 years or more beyond its expected lifetime. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about spraying these coatings 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 systems are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as odors in your home. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll prevent leaks and increase the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these chores at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove debris, mold and dirt. This will limit the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your home’s roof, and it will instantly freshen up the appearance of your home. Brandon Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Brandon 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 observe if there are clogs that have to be removed. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it probably means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of quickly. Many homeowners opt 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 occur. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers are more than willing 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 heavy rain. These asphalt chunks help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming 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 superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the part of your home’s 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, let alone 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 on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more complicated work is needed, replacing the flashing is also an easy project 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 likely only have to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move often, you might end up buying quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or ask that the seller has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a home, give Brandon Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Brandon to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.