Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof will last around 20 years, more or less depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof can shorten or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you could end up only having to replace your roof once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the maintenance it needs.
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 minor repairs as they arise to help extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just can’t stand the idea of climbing up a tall ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer in Tamarac to give you a hand with all your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the cheapest route to lengthen the lifetime of your roof. Here are a couple of preventative care recommendations for your roof:
Cut tree limbs that hang over your roof. Strong winds and rain can break tree limbs and even push over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their branches right onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and 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 you need to do and help prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Tamarac.
Have regular inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs will be dented or start to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s an issue that needs to be taken care of.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew 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 options 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 system are in good condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Limited ventilation will cause trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these things at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your roof, and it will renew the appearance of your home. Tamarac Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Tamarac as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that need to be removed. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Most homeowners opt to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you take care of them quickly, no serious issues should result. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Tamarac are certified to complete 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 strong rain. These asphalt chunks help to protect your roof. If they start coming off, the roof will begin to 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. Occasionally, the section of your roof that sits 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, 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 most common 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 probably only need to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up buying a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can also include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or ask that the seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a house, give Tamarac Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Tamarac to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.