Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof will last 20 years, depending on damage and natural wear and tear. Other roofing materials last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The extent and quality of care you give your roof can reduce or extend the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you might end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the attention it needs.
Installing a new roof is very expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re much better off doing routine 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 can’t stand the thought of climbing up a ladder – you can hire a licensed, certified roofer in Glendale to give you a hand with all your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it occurs is the most affordable way to extend the lifetime of your roof. Here are a few preventative care projects for your roof:
Cut tree limbs that hang over your roof. Gusting winds and rain can break tree limbs and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their branches onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even 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 help 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 Glendale.
Have routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s a problem that should be resolved.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish the oils from shingles so they don’t dry out, making your roof last 5 years or more beyond its expected lifespan. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about putting these products on your home, where they will run off and be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation will lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other 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 regularly, you’ll help prevent leaks and extend the lifespan of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these projects 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 and rodents building nests on your roof, and it will immediately renew the appearance of your home. Glendale Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Glendale as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters often, especially if it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that should be removed. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it probably means that your roof is too shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots can attach to shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Typically homeowners prefer to have a professional do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you tend to them right away, no major issues should result. If you are a handyman, you might feel confident doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Glendale 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 bits 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 roof. If they start coming off, the roof will begin to look worn, but, most importantly, it won’t protect what’s underneath. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the part 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, letting mold and mildew into your home, plus pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in gaps on the roof where it is impossible to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks on a roof, and it is very easily damaged. If more complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is an easy 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 lifespan of a roof being between 20 and 30 years, you will likely only need to install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up buying a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When purchasing a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can also include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or ask that the seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Glendale Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Glendale to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.