Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof will last around 20-25 years, depending on storm damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof can shorten or extend the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you could end up only having to install a new roof on your home once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the maintenance it requires.
Installing a new roof is very expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re better off doing maintenance and minor repairs as they arise to extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just don’t like the thought of climbing a ladder – you can call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it occurs is by far the cheapest route to extend the lifetime of your roof. Here are a few preventative care tips for your roof:
Cut tree branches hanging over your roof. Strong winds and rain can break tree branches and even push over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not 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 that can be installed over your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Schedule regular inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after only a few years, and metal roofs will be dented or start to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing pro will let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be repaired.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish the oils from roof 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 options so you can feel safe about spraying these coatings on your home, where they will inevitably run off and be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in excellent condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation will lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors in your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll have to complete some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll prevent leaks and extend the lifetime 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 good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will limit the risk of pests building nests on your roof, and it will immediately freshen up the appearance of your home. GPW Coral Springs Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Coral Springs as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that should be removed. Most companies 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 will attach to roof shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t removed quickly. Many homeowners choose to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you tend to them right away, no serious problems should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers are able 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. These asphalt chunks help protect your roof. If they start to come 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 only superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the part of your roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will have to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes 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 difficult to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks on a roof, and it is very easily damaged. If more extensive work is required, replacing the flashing is a simple project for professionals and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is typically the most expensive home maintenance costs. With the typical lifetime 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 could end up installing quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can include the cost of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or ask that the seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a home, give GPW Coral Springs Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Coral Springs to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.