Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts around 20-25 years, depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials can last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof can shorten or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, 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 care it needs.
Installing a new roof is very expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re a lot better off doing maintenance and small repairs as needed to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just can’t stand the idea 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 tasks to prevent most roof damage before it happens is the most affordable way to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care measures for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs that hang over your roof. Gusting winds and rain can break 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 destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even 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 you need to do and prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Schedule routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of aging like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s a problem that should be taken care of.
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 options so you can feel safe about applying these coatings on your home, where they will run off and be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in good condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation issue. Limited ventilation will lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors throughout your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll want to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and increase the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
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 immediately freshen up the curb appeal. Lehigh Acres Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Lehigh Acres as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that have to be cleared. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it probably means that your roof is too shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t removed quickly. Typically 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 quickly, no major issues should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident enough doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers are trained to complete 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 knocked off the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain storms. These asphalt pieces help protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will begin to look worn, but, most importantly, it won’t protect what’s underneath. Only a small section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your home’s roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will need 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 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 complicated work is necessary, replacing the flashing is a simple project for professionals 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 need to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up replacing a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing 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 ask that the seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a home, give Lehigh Acres Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Lehigh Acres to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.