Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof lasts 20-25 years, depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials can last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The extent and level 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 could end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the maintenance it needs.
Installing a new roof is very expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re much better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and small repairs as needed to help lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the idea of climbing a tall ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer in Chesapeake to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest way to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a few preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs that hang over your roof. Gusting winds and rain can break tree limbs and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not routinely pruned. Falling limbs destroy 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 over your gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce 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 work to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Chesapeake.
Schedule 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 repaired.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew 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 putting these products on your home, where they will inevitably run off and come in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation can result in trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors inside of your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll have to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these projects at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will freshen up the curb appeal. Chesapeake Pressure Wash Plus offers roof cleaning in Chesapeake as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that have to be removed. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t eliminated quickly. Typically homeowners decide to have a professional do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you tend to them quickly, no major problems should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies in Chesapeake 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 removed from the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain. These asphalt pieces help protect your home’s roof. If they start to come off, the roof will look worn, but, more 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. 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 sometimes leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, plus 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 complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is an easy 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 frequently, you could end up installing a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new house, 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 has the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Chesapeake Pressure Wash Plus a call for professional roof cleaning in Chesapeake to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.