Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20 years, depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials can last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or lengthen the time between roof replacements. If you are good about caring for your roof, you could end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the attention it needs.
Roof replacement is expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re much better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as they arise to help 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 up a ladder – you can always hire a licensed, certified roofer in Lakeland to give you a hand with all your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent roof damage before it happens is the cheapest route to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care measures for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs that hang over your roof. Gusting winds and rain can break limbs and even knock over trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their branches right onto your roof if they are not pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce 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 Lakeland.
Schedule regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs will be dented or begin to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a pro can let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be handled.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from 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 come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation can cause trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as odors throughout your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll want to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these things 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 reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your home’s roof, and it will renew the curb appeal. Lakeland Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Lakeland as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that have to be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it probably means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots will attach to shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Many homeowners prefer to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you take care of them quickly, no serious issues should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Lakeland 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 pieces attached to them. The texture can be knocked off the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain. These asphalt chunks help 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 underneath. Only a small section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is only superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the section of your home’s 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 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 difficult to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is necessary, replacing the flashing is also 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 likely only need to install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up replacing quite a few roofs during 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 one is needed – in the closing costs or request that the home seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Lakeland Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Lakeland to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.