Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20 years, depending on storm damage and wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or lengthen the time between roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you might end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the attention it requires.
Roof replacement is expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re much better off doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order to extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the thought of climbing up a ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is by far the cheapest route to lengthen the lifetime of your roof. Here are some preventative care recommendations for your roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain can break tree limbs and even knock over whole trees. Rotting, 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 gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job 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 aging such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a pro can let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be handled.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish the oils from 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 coatings on your home, where they will run off and possibly come in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in excellent condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of 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
Here and there, you’ll need to complete 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 things at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your roof, and it will freshen up the appearance of your home. Clearwater Pressure Wash Plus offers roof cleaning in Clearwater as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that need to be removed. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it likely means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots attach to shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Typically homeowners opt to have a professional 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 major problems should result. If you are a handyman, you might feel confident enough doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers are able to tackle 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 removed from the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain. These asphalt chunks 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 superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the part of your roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will need to be replaced. The fascia can 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 on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more complicated work is necessary, replacing the flashing is an easy task for roofers and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is typically the most expensive home maintenance costs. With the typical lifetime of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will probably only have to install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up installing quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can include the price of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or request that the home seller has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Clearwater Pressure Wash Plus a call for professional roof cleaning in Clearwater to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.