Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof lasts around 20-25 years, depending on damage and natural wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The extent and quality 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 could end up only having to install a new roof on your home once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the attention it needs.
Installing a new roof is very expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re a lot better off in the long run doing maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order to help extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the idea of climbing up a tall ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer to give you a hand with all your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent roof damage before it occurs is by far the cheapest way to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care projects for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain storms can break limbs and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their branches onto your roof if they’re not regularly pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed over your gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and help prevent rain flowing into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Have regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a pro will let you know if there’s an issue that needs to be taken care of.
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 products so you can feel safe about putting these products on your home, where they will inevitably run off and come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation systems are in good condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation will cause trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors in your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll want to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll help prevent leaks and extend the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these things at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking good:
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 curb appeal. Columbus Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Columbus as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that should be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it probably means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Many homeowners opt to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but as long as you tend to them right away, no major issues should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you may 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 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 home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will begin to look worn, but, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s below. Only a small 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 have to be replaced. The fascia can leak, allowing 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, and it is very easily damaged. If more extensive work is needed, replacing the flashing is also an easy project 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 likely only have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up installing a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can also include the cost of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or ask that the seller has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Columbus Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Columbus to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.