Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20-25 years, depending on storm damage and wear and tear. Other roofing materials will 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 increase the time between new roof replacements. If you are good about maintaining your roof, you might end up only having to replace your roof once in your lifetime, just as long as you give it the maintenance it requires.
Roof replacement is expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re better off in the long run 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 hate the idea of climbing up a tall ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it occurs is by far the cheapest way to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care projects for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. High winds and rain can break tree limbs and even push over trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs damage 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 that you need 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 regular inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of aging like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be handled.
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 lifespan. There are regular and plant-based options so you can feel safe about spraying these products on your home, where they will run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation will result in trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors throughout your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll want to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll prevent leaks and lengthen the lifespan of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these projects at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your home’s roof, and it will immediately freshen up the curb appeal. Boca Raton Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Boca Raton as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that have to be cleared. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots attach to shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t removed fast enough. Many homeowners choose to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you tend to them right away, no serious issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are more than willing to complete these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in good shape.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt bits attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain storms. These asphalt chunks help protect your home’s roof. If they start to come off, the roof will start 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 only 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, let alone pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in 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 easily damaged. If more complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is a simple task for professionals 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 around 20 and 30 years, you will likely only need to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up replacing a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new house, 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 ask that the seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a house, give Boca Raton Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Boca Raton to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.