Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof lasts around 20 years, depending on damage and natural wear and tear. Other roofing materials will 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 play your cards right, 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 maintenance it needs.
Roof replacement is expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re better off doing maintenance and minor repairs as needed to help extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the idea of climbing a tall ladder – you can call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the most affordable route to increase the lifetime of your roof. Here are some preventative care projects for your roof:
Cut tree branches hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain can break tree branches and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their heavy branches onto your roof if they are not pruned. Falling limbs damage all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and help prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Schedule regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a pro will 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, helping your roof last 5 years or more beyond its expected lifespan. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about spraying these products 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 systems are in good condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation will cause trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as odors in your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will ruin 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 help prevent leaks and increase the lifespan 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 limit the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your roof, and it will freshen up the curb appeal. Pompano Beach Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Pompano Beach as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are 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 likely means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots can attach to shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t removed fast enough. Typically homeowners choose to have a professional do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you tend to them right away, no major issues should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers are able to tackle these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in optimal condition.
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 pieces help to protect your roof. If they start to come off, the roof will start 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 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 need to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, plus pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in the gaps on the roof where it is impossible to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is necessary, replacing the flashing is an easy task for professionals and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is typically the most expensive home maintenance costs. With the typical lifespan of a roof being between 20 and 30 years, you will probably only have to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move often, you might end up installing a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can include the cost of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or request that the seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Pompano Beach Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Pompano Beach to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.