Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof lasts around 20 years, depending on damage and wear and tear. Other roofing materials will last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The extent and level of care you give your roof can shorten or lengthen the time between roof replacements. If you are good about maintaining your roof, you might end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, just as long as you give it the care it needs.
Installing a new roof is expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re a lot better off doing maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order to help lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just don’t like the thought of climbing a tall ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all your maintenance and repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it occurs is the most affordable route to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care measures for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs that hang over your roof. Powerful winds and rain storms can break tree limbs and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their branches right onto your roof if they’re not regularly pruned. Falling limbs destroy 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 need to do and help prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Have 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 such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing company can let you know if there’s an issue that needs to be handled.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from 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 run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in good condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Limited ventilation can result in trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to 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 home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll need to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll help prevent leaks and increase the lifetime 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 good:
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 immediately freshen up the curb appeal. Arvada Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Arvada as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that have to be cleared. Most pros 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 materials and damage them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Typically homeowners prefer to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you tend to them right away, no serious problems should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are certified 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 pieces help 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 section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your home’s roof that rests 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 difficult to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is required, replacing the flashing is an easy task 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 around 20 and 30 years, you will likely only need to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move often, 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 necessary – in the closing costs or request that the home seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Arvada Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Arvada to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.