Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof will last around 20 years, more or less depending on damage and wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof along the way can shorten or extend 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 so long as you give it the care it requires.
Roof replacement is expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re much better off doing maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order 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 a ladder – you can call a licensed, certified roofer to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent most roof damage before it happens is by far the most affordable route to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a few preventative care ideas for your home’s roof:
Cut branches that hang over your roof. Powerful winds and rain can break branches and even knock over trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not regularly 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 over your gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and prevent rain flowing into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Have routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs will be dented or begin to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s a problem that has to 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 options so you can feel safe about putting these coatings on your home, where they will run off and possibly come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
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 will result in trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of your home. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other home 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 often enough, 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 every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking good:
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 freshen up the appearance of your home. ACE Houston Pressure Wash offers roof cleaning in Houston 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 removed. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it likely means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Many homeowners choose to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you take care of them right away, no serious issues should result. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are certified to tackle 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 strong rain storms. These asphalt pieces help protect your home’s roof. If they start to come off, the roof will look worn, but, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s below. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your home’s roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will have to be replaced. The fascia can leak, allowing 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 difficult 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 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 between 20 and 30 years, you will likely only need to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move often, you could end up installing quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can include the cost of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or request that the home seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a home, give ACE Houston Pressure Wash a call for professional roof cleaning in Houston to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.