Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof will last around 20-25 years, depending on damage and wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof can shorten or increase the time between new roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you could end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the maintenance it needs.
Roof replacement is expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re better off doing maintenance and minor repairs as they arise to extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing abilities – or just can’t stand the thought of climbing up a tall ladder – you can hire a licensed, certified roofer to give you a hand with all your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it happens is by far the most affordable route to extend the lifetime of your roof. Here are a couple of preventative care tips for your roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain storms can break limbs and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they’re not routinely pruned. Falling limbs destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning you need to do and prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service.
Have regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a few years, and metal roofs will be dented or begin to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a company can let you know if there’s a problem that should be resolved.
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 lifetime. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about putting these coatings on your home, where they will run off and be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Limited ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty 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
Here and there, you’ll want to do 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 from.
Do these things at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your 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 roof, and it will immediately renew the appearance of your home. PRO Baltimore Power Wash offers roof cleaning in Baltimore as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that should be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t removed quickly. Most homeowners prefer 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 tend to them quickly, no major issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies are able to tackle 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. These asphalt chunks help protect your roof. If they start to come off, the roof will look worn, but, most importantly, it won’t protect what’s underneath. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is only 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 have to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes leak, allowing mold and mildew into your home, let alone 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, and it is easily damaged. If more complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is a simple task 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 between 20 and 30 years, you will probably only need to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up buying a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can include the cost of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or request that the home seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a home, give PRO Baltimore Power Wash a call for professional roof cleaning in Baltimore to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.