Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof lasts 20 years, more or less depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof can shorten or extend the time between new roof replacements. If you are good about caring for your roof, you could end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, just as long as you give it the attention it requires.
Installing a new roof is very expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order to help 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 always hire a licensed, certified roofer to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is by far the cheapest route to extend the lifetime of your roof. Here are some preventative care measures for your roof:
Cut branches hanging over your roof. High winds and rain storms can break branches and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their branches onto your roof if they’re not routinely pruned. Falling limbs ruin 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 have to do and help prevent rain flowing into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Have routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a few years, and metal roofs will be dented or begin to show signs of aging like rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s a problem that has to be repaired.
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 options so you can feel safe about applying these coatings on your home, where they will inevitably run off and possibly come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in good condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation will cause trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as odors throughout your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll have to do some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll help prevent leaks and extend the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these projects 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 curb appeal. Oakland Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Oakland 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 observe if there are any clogs that should be cleared. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t removed fast enough. Most homeowners prefer 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 quickly, no serious issues should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are trained 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 knocked off the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain storms. These asphalt chunks help to protect your roof. If they start to come 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 only superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the part of your roof that rests 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, 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 most common location for leaks on a roof, and it is very easily damaged. If more extensive work is necessary, replacing the flashing is also 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 lifetime of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will probably only have to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up buying quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can also 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 selling a home, give Oakland Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Oakland to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.