Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts around 20 years, more or less depending on damage and wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The extent and quality of care you give your roof can shorten or lengthen the time between roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you could end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, so long as you give it the maintenance it needs.
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 to help lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just don’t like the idea of climbing up a ladder – you can always find a licensed, certified roofer to give you a hand with all your maintenance and repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is by far the most affordable route to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. High winds and rain can break tree limbs and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not pruned. Falling limbs damage all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed on top of your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you need to do and help prevent rain flowing into your yard. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Have routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing company will let you know if there’s a problem that should 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 lifespan. There are regular and plant-based options so you can feel safe about applying these products on your home, where they will run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or too little 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 inside of your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll need to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifespan of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these projects at least once every 12 months 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 freshen up the curb appeal. Mesa Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Mesa as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters often, especially if it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that need to be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots will attach to shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Typically homeowners choose to have a professional service do this so no 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 occur. If you are a handyman, you might feel confident enough doing minor 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 pieces attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain. These asphalt pieces help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will look worn, but, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s below. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is only superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the part 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, allowing mold and mildew into your home, and sometimes pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in gaps on the roof where it is difficult to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks, and it is 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 lifespan of a roof being between 20 and 30 years, you will likely only need to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move often, you could end up installing quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. 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 Mesa Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Mesa to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.