Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof will last around 20-25 years, depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials can last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof can reduce or extend the time between roof replacements. If you are lucky, you could end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the attention it requires.
Roof replacement is expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re a lot better off doing routine maintenance and small repairs as needed to extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just hate the idea 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 things to prevent most roof damage before it happens is the cheapest route to increase the lifetime of your roof. Here are a couple of preventative care recommendations for your roof:
Cut branches that hang over your roof. Gusting winds and rain storms can break branches and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their branches right onto your roof if they’re not pruned. Falling limbs damage all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed on top of your gutters to prevent clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning you need 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 company.
Schedule routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be repaired.
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 run off and be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Limited ventilation will result in trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as odors in your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll have to do some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and increase the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these projects at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will limit the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your roof, and it will immediately freshen up the curb appeal. O’Fallon Pressure Wash Plus offers roof cleaning in O’Fallon as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that have to be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months 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 can attach to shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated quickly. Typically homeowners opt to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you tend to them right away, no serious issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident enough doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are able 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 removed from the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain. These asphalt chunks help to protect your roof. If they start coming off, the roof will begin to look worn, but, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s below. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is only superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will 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 the 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 easily damaged. If more extensive work is necessary, replacing the flashing is 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 need to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up buying quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing 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 request that the seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a home, give O’Fallon Pressure Wash Plus a call for professional roof cleaning in O’Fallon to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.