Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof will last around 20 years, depending on damage and wear and tear. Other roofing materials will last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof along the way can shorten or lengthen the time between roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you could end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the maintenance it needs.
Roof replacement is very expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re much better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and small repairs as needed in order to help extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just hate the idea of climbing a ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer in Bloomington to give you a hand with all your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the cheapest route to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care projects for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain can break limbs and even push over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they’re not regularly pruned. Falling limbs damage all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and 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 that you have to do and help prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Bloomington.
Schedule 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 inspections done by a pro can let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be taken care of.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from roof 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 spraying these coatings on your home, where they will run off and possibly be 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 issue. Limited ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as odors throughout your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other home materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and increase the lifespan 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 home’s roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will instantly freshen up the curb appeal. Bloomington Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Bloomington as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters often, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that have to be removed. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it likely means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Most homeowners opt to have a professional do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you tend to them right away, no major problems should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies in Bloomington are more than willing to tackle these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in optimal condition.
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 pieces help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will begin to 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. Occasionally, the part of your home’s roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will have to be replaced. The fascia can 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 hard 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 project 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 lifespan of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will probably only have to install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move often, you could end up buying quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new home, 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 has the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a home, give Bloomington Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Bloomington to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.