Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof will last around 20-25 years, depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof along the way can shorten 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.
Roof replacement is expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re a lot better off in the long run doing maintenance and small repairs as needed in order to help extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just hate the idea of climbing up a tall ladder – you can always find a licensed, certified roofer in Durham to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the most affordable way to lengthen the lifetime of your roof. Here are a couple of preventative care measures for your roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Strong winds and rain storms can break limbs and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their branches right onto your roof if they’re not pruned. Falling limbs destroy 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 over your gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and help prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Durham.
Have regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a roofing company will let you know if there’s a problem that has to 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 options so you can feel safe about putting these coatings on your home, where they will run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation will result in trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors throughout your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these projects 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 limit the risk of pests building nests on your roof, and it will immediately renew the curb appeal. Durham Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Durham 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 cleared. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t removed quickly. Typically homeowners opt 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 result. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident enough doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Durham are able 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 removed from 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, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s underneath. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is only superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your 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 sometimes leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, let alone 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 necessary, replacing the flashing is also 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 install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up replacing quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can include the cost of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or ask that the home seller has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a house, give Durham Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Durham to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.