Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20 years, more or less depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof can reduce or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you play your cards right, 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 care it requires.
Roof replacement is very expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re a lot better off doing routine maintenance and small repairs as needed in order to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the thought of climbing a tall ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent roof damage before it happens is by far the most affordable route to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain storms can break limbs and even push over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches onto your roof if they’re not regularly pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and prevent rain flowing into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Schedule regular inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs will be dented or start to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a roofing pro can let you know if there’s an issue that has to be repaired.
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 options so you can feel safe about applying these products on your home, where they will inevitably run off and come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in prime condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation can result in trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors in your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll have to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll prevent leaks and extend the lifespan of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these things at least once a year 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 building nests on your home’s roof, and it will instantly renew the curb appeal. CWC Grand Rapids Pressure Wash offers roof cleaning in Grand Rapids as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out 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 need to be removed. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t removed fast enough. Most homeowners decide to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you tend to them quickly, no serious problems should result. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident enough doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies 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 pieces attached to them. The texture can be knocked off the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain storms. These asphalt pieces help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming 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. Occasionally, 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 have to be replaced. The fascia can leak, letting 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, and it is very easily damaged. If more extensive work is necessary, replacing the flashing is also a simple project 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 probably only have to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up replacing a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing 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 ask that the home seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a house, give CWC Grand Rapids Pressure Wash a call for professional roof cleaning in Grand Rapids to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.