Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof will last around 20 years, depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other roofing materials will last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The extent and level of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or increase the time between roof replacements. If you are lucky, you might end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the care it requires.
Installing a new roof is expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re much better off doing maintenance and small repairs as needed to extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just don’t like the idea of climbing up a ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest route to extend the lifetime of your roof. Here are a few preventative care measures for your roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. High winds and rain can break tree limbs and even push over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their branches 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 over your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you need to do and prevent rain flowing into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Schedule routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing pro can let you know if there’s an issue that should be resolved.
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 lifetime. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about putting these products on your home, where they will run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as odors in your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll have to complete some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll prevent leaks and extend the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these things at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your 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 roof, and it will immediately freshen up the appearance of your home. Garden Grove Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Garden Grove as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your rain gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that need to be removed. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it probably 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. Typically homeowners prefer to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you tend to them right away, no major issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are certified 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 heavy rain. These asphalt pieces help to protect your roof. If they start coming off, the roof will look worn, but, most 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 roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also need 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 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 extensive work is required, replacing the flashing is also a simple 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 between 20 and 30 years, you will likely only need to install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move often, you might end up replacing quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When purchasing a new home, 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 request that the seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a home, give Garden Grove Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Garden Grove to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.