Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts around 20 years, depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other roofing materials will last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The extent and quality of care you give your roof along the way can shorten or extend the time between roof replacements. If you are good about maintaining your roof, you might end up only having to replace your roof once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the maintenance it requires.
Installing a new roof 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 roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the thought of climbing a ladder – you can call a licensed, certified roofer to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent roof damage before it happens is the cheapest way to extend the lifetime of your roof. Here are some preventative care recommendations for your roof:
Cut tree limbs that hang over your roof. Powerful winds and rain can break tree limbs and even knock over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their branches right onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs damage all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed over your gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you have to do and prevent rain flowing into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
Schedule routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing pro will 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 run off and come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation systems are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation will result in trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors throughout your home. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll want to complete some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and extend the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these things at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your roof, and it will immediately renew the curb appeal. Milpitas Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Milpitas as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that need to be cleared. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it probably means that your roof is too shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Many homeowners decide to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but as long as you tend to them right away, no major issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers are certified to complete these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in optimal condition.
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 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 superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also need to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes leak, allowing mold and mildew into your home, plus pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in gaps on the roof where it is difficult to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks, and it is very easily damaged. If more complicated work is necessary, replacing the flashing is also a simple project for roofers 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 around 20 and 30 years, you will likely only have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up replacing quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can also include the price of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or ask that the home seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a home, give Milpitas Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Milpitas to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.