Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts around 20-25 years, depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are good about caring for your roof, you might end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the attention it requires.
Roof replacement is expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as needed to extend 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 call a licensed, certified roofer in Riverside to help you with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is by far the most affordable route to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a few preventative care measures for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain can break tree limbs and even knock over trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their heavy branches 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 that can be installed over your gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning that you have to do and prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Riverside.
Have regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a roofing pro will let you know if there’s an issue that has to be handled.
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 lifespan. There are regular and plant-based options so you can feel safe about applying these coatings 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 systems are in good condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation will lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll want to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll prevent leaks and lengthen the lifespan of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these chores at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove 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. Riverside Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Riverside as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters often, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that should be cleared. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots attach to roof shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t gotten rid of quickly. Many homeowners opt to have a professional service 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 may feel confident doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Riverside 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 bits attached to them. The texture can be knocked off the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain storms. These asphalt chunks help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming 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 superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the part of your home’s roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will have to be replaced. The fascia can leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, and sometimes pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in the gaps on the roof where it is difficult to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is needed, replacing the flashing is an easy task for roofers and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is typically the most expensive home maintenance costs. With the typical lifespan of a roof being between 20 and 30 years, you will probably only have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move several times, you might end up replacing a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can include the cost of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or request that the home seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a home, give Riverside Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Riverside to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.