Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof will last 20 years, depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof can reduce or extend the time between roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you might end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, just as long as you give it the attention it requires.
Installing a new roof is very expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re a lot better off doing maintenance and small repairs as they arise in order to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just can’t stand the thought of climbing a ladder – you can always hire a licensed, certified roofer in Garland to help you with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the cheapest way to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain storms can break tree limbs and even push over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their branches right onto your roof if they’re not regularly pruned. Falling limbs damage 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 on top of your gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning that you have to do and prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Garland.
Have routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of aging like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing pro will let you know if there’s an issue that has to be resolved.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from 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 products 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 systems are in excellent condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation will result in trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as odors in your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll need to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll prevent leaks and increase the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these projects 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 and rodents building nests on your home’s roof, and it will immediately freshen up the curb appeal. Garland Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Garland as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters often, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that have to be cleared. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots attach to shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated quickly. Many homeowners choose to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you take care of them quickly, no major issues should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Garland are more than willing to tackle 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 storms. These asphalt chunks help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will start 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 only 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 need to be replaced. The fascia can leak, allowing mold and mildew into your home, let alone 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 on a roof, and it is very easily damaged. If more complicated work is necessary, replacing the flashing is a simple project 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 lifetime of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will probably only have to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move several times, you might end up buying quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or ask that the home seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a home, give Garland Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Garland to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.