Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof lasts around 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 extent and level of care you give your roof along the way can shorten or lengthen the time between roof replacements. If you are lucky, you might end up only having to install a new roof on your home once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the maintenance it requires.
Installing a new roof is expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re better off doing maintenance and small repairs as they arise to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the thought of climbing up a ladder – you can always find a licensed, certified roofer in Wilmington to help you with all your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent roof damage before it happens is the most affordable way to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care projects for your home’s roof:
Cut branches that hang over your roof. Powerful winds and rain storms can break branches and even knock over trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their 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 that can be installed on top of your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Wilmington.
Have routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs will be dented or begin 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 needs to be handled.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish the oils from roof shingles so they don’t dry out, making your roof last 5 years or more beyond its expected lifetime. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about applying these coatings on your home, where they will inevitably run off and possibly come in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in prime condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation will lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors in your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll have to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these projects at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your home’s 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 home’s roof, and it will immediately renew the appearance of your home. Wilmington Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Wilmington as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that need to be cleared. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots will attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Typically homeowners prefer to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but as long as you tend to them quickly, no major issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident enough doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies in Wilmington 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 strong rain storms. These asphalt pieces help to protect your home’s roof. If they start to come 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 superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the section of your home’s roof that rests 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, plus pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in the gaps on the roof where it is impossible to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is needed, replacing the flashing is also 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 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 several times, you might end up installing quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When purchasing 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 request that the seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a house, give Wilmington Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Wilmington to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.