Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof will last 20 years, depending on damage and wear and tear. Other roofing materials can last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The extent and level of care you give your roof can reduce or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you might end up only having to install a new roof on your home once in your lifetime, so long as you give it the maintenance it needs.
Roof replacement is expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re better off doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order to help extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the thought of climbing a tall 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 most roof damage before it happens is by far the most affordable way to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care projects for your home’s roof:
Cut branches that hang over your roof. Strong winds and rain can break branches and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their branches right onto your roof if they are not routinely pruned. Falling limbs destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even 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 that 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 service.
Schedule regular inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s an issue that should be taken care of.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish 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 products so you can feel safe about putting 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 not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation will lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors throughout your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll need to complete some general maintenance on your home’s 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 chores at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your home’s roof, and it will renew the curb appeal. Irvine Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Irvine as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your rain gutters often, especially if it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that have to be removed. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is too shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Most homeowners prefer to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you take care of them quickly, no serious problems should result. If you are a handyman, you might feel confident doing minor 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 bits attached to them. The texture can be removed from 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 look worn, but, most importantly, it won’t protect what’s below. Only a small section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the part of your home’s 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, allowing mold and mildew into your home, let alone pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in gaps on the roof where it is hard to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is also an easy task for professionals 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 probably only have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up buying a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can also include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or request that the seller has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a house, give Irvine Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Irvine to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.