Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof will last around 20 years, more or less depending on storm damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials will last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof can shorten or increase the time between roof replacements. If you are good about maintaining your roof, you could end up only having to install a new roof on your home once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the attention it needs.
Installing a new roof is expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re a lot better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as needed in order to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just can’t stand the thought of climbing up a ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is by far the cheapest way to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a few preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs that hang over your roof. High winds and rain storms can break tree limbs and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their branches right onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs damage 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 you have to do and prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Schedule routine 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 like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a pro can let you know if there’s an issue that should be resolved.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish the oils from shingles so they don’t dry out, making 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 coatings on your home, where they will inevitably run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in excellent condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors in your home. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll prevent leaks and extend the lifespan 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 nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will freshen up the curb appeal. Hialeah Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Hialeah as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your rain gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that should be cleared. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it probably means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t removed fast enough. Most homeowners decide to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you take care of them quickly, no serious issues should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident enough doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers are certified 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. These asphalt chunks help to protect your home’s roof. If they start to come 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 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, and sometimes 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, and it is easily damaged. If more complicated work is necessary, replacing the flashing is also a simple 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 lifespan of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will likely only have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up replacing quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When purchasing a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can also include the price of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or ask that the seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When trying to sell a home, give Hialeah Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Hialeah to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.