Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof will last around 20-25 years, more or less depending on storm damage and wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The extent and level of care you give your roof can reduce or extend the time between roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you could end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, so long as you give it the attention it needs.
Installing a new roof is expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re a lot better off doing maintenance and minor repairs as needed in order to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the thought of climbing up a ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer in Escondido 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 occurs is the cheapest way to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain can break limbs and even knock over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your gutters to prevent 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 in Escondido.
Schedule routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs will be dented or begin to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a pro can let you know if there’s a problem that should be resolved.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish the oils from roof shingles so they don’t dry out, making 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 coatings on your home, where they will run off and possibly come in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in excellent condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation can result in trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of your home. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll have to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these things at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your home’s 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 home’s roof, and it will instantly freshen up the curb appeal. Escondido Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Escondido as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that need to be cleared. Most pros 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 too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of quickly. Typically homeowners decide to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you take care of them right away, no serious problems should result. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Escondido are trained 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 removed from the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain storms. These asphalt pieces help to protect your home’s roof. If they start to come off, the roof will start to 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 part of your home’s roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also have to be replaced. The fascia can leak, allowing mold and mildew into your home, and sometimes pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in gaps on the roof where it is impossible to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is required, replacing the flashing is also a simple project for roofers and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is one of the most expensive home maintenance costs. With the typical lifetime of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will probably only have to install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up buying a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can also include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or request that the seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a home, give Escondido Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Escondido to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.