Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof lasts 20 years, depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The extent and quality of care you give your roof can shorten or extend the time between new roof replacements. If you are good about maintaining your roof, you might end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, just as long as you give it the care it requires.
Installing a new roof is expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re better off in the long run doing maintenance and small repairs as they arise to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just hate the idea of climbing up a tall ladder – you can hire a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the most affordable way to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a few preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. High winds and rain can break limbs and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches onto your roof if they’re not routinely pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed over your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Have regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of aging like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing pro can let you know if there’s an issue that needs to be resolved.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew 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 coatings on your home, where they will inevitably run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will ruin 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 in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these chores at least once a year 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 building nests on your home’s roof, and it will freshen up the appearance of your home. San Bernardino Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in San Bernardino as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that need to be removed. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of quickly. Many homeowners decide to have a professional do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but as long as you take care of them right away, no major problems should result. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident enough doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are more than willing to tackle these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in optimal condition.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt pieces attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain. These asphalt pieces help protect your home’s roof. If they start to come off, the roof will start to look worn, but, most 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 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, and sometimes 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 on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is also a simple project for roofers and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is one of 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 install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up buying a lot of roofs during 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 one is needed – in the closing costs or request that the seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a house, give San Bernardino Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in San Bernardino to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.