Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof will last 20-25 years, more or less depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality 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 on your home once in your lifetime, so long as you give it the care it requires.
Installing a new roof is very expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re better off doing maintenance and small repairs as needed to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing abilities – or just don’t like the thought of climbing up a ladder – you can find 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 occurs is the most affordable way to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care recommendations for your home’s roof:
Cut tree branches hanging over your roof. Strong winds and rain can break tree branches and even knock over trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not 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 prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you have to do and prevent overflow into your yard. 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 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 pro can let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be taken care of.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew 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 options so you can feel safe about spraying these coatings on your home, where they will run off and possibly come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in prime condition. Too much or not enough 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 in your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other home 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 in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and increase the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
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 reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your home’s roof, and it will instantly renew the curb appeal. Greensboro Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Greensboro as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters often, especially if it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that should be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots will attach to shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of quickly. Most homeowners decide 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 major issues should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are able to complete 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 knocked off 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, 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. Occasionally, the section of your home’s 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 the gaps on the roof where it is hard to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks on a roof, and it is very easily damaged. If more complicated work is necessary, replacing the flashing is a simple 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 lifetime of a roof being between 20 and 30 years, you will likely only have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move several times, you might end up installing quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can include the price 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 Greensboro Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Greensboro to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.