Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof will last 20-25 years, depending on damage and natural wear and tear. Other roofing materials can last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof can reduce or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you might 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.
Installing a new roof is very expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re much better off doing maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order to help lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just don’t like the idea of climbing a ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer to help you with all of your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent most roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest route to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care ideas for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs that hang over your roof. Gusting winds and rain can break limbs and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their branches onto your roof if they are not pruned. Falling limbs destroy 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 on top of your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and help prevent rain flowing into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Have routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after only a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of aging like rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a roofing company can let you know if there’s a problem that should be taken care of.
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 products so you can feel safe about spraying these products on your home, where they will inevitably run off and be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty 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 want to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll help prevent leaks and increase the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these projects at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will limit the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will renew the curb appeal. Rockville Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Rockville as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out 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 removed. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it probably means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots attach to roof shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated quickly. Most homeowners opt to have a professional do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you tend to them quickly, no serious problems should result. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are trained 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 strong rain. These asphalt chunks help protect your home’s roof. If they start to come 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 home’s 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 leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, plus 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 very 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 likely only need to install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move often, you might end up replacing a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can include the price of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or ask that the home seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a home, give Rockville Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Rockville to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.