Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof will last around 20-25 years, depending on storm damage and usual wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The extent and quality of care you give your roof can shorten or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are good about caring for your roof, you might end up only having to replace your roof once in your lifetime, so long as you give it the attention it requires.
Installing a new roof is expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and small repairs as they arise to help lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing skills – or just hate the idea of climbing up a ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer in Fullerton to help you with all your maintenance and repair projects.
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 few preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain storms can break tree limbs and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right 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 that can be installed over your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and help prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Fullerton.
Have routine inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company can let you know if there’s an issue that should be resolved.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from 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 putting these products on your home, where they will inevitably run off and be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in good condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation can cause trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors inside of your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these things at least once a year 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 immediately renew the appearance of your home. Fullerton Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Fullerton 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 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 season.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it probably means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots attach to shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Typically homeowners choose to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you tend to them quickly, no serious problems should result. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident enough doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Fullerton are more than willing to complete 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 knocked off the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain. These asphalt chunks help 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 section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the part of your home’s roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will need 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 the 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 complicated work is necessary, replacing the flashing is a simple project 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 lifetime of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will likely only need to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move often, you might end up buying a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can include the cost of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or ask that the home seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a house, give Fullerton Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Fullerton to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.