Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof lasts around 20-25 years, depending on storm damage and usual wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials can last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are good about maintaining your roof, you might end up only having to install a new roof on your home once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the care it requires.
Roof replacement is very expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re better off doing maintenance and minor repairs as needed to extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the thought of climbing a tall ladder – you can call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the most affordable way to lengthen the lifetime of your roof. Here are a few preventative care recommendations for your roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain storms can break limbs and even push over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and 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 need to do and prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Schedule routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs will be dented or start to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a roofing company can let you know if there’s a problem that has to be handled.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish the oils from roof 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 come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation issue. Limited ventilation can cause trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll need to complete some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll prevent leaks and lengthen the lifespan of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these projects at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your roof, and it will immediately renew the appearance of your home. Ontario Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Ontario as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that should be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated quickly. Many homeowners prefer to have a professional do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you take care of them quickly, no serious issues should result. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers are more than willing to complete 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 heavy rain storms. These asphalt pieces help 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 small section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is only superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the part of your roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also have to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, and sometimes 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, and it is very easily damaged. If more extensive work is needed, replacing the flashing is also an easy task for roofers 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 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 might end up buying quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can include the price of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or request that the home seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When trying to sell a home, give Ontario Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Ontario to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.