Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof lasts 20-25 years, depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials will last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof can shorten or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are good about maintaining your roof, you could end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the attention it requires.
Installing a new roof is very expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re much better off doing routine maintenance and small repairs as they arise to extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just hate the thought of climbing up a tall ladder – you can always find a licensed, certified roofer in Gresham to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent roof damage before it occurs is by far the cheapest way to increase the lifetime of your roof. Here are a couple of preventative care recommendations for your roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. High winds and rain can break limbs and even knock over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches onto your roof if they’re not regularly pruned. Falling limbs damage 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 reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Gresham.
Have regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs will be dented or begin to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a company can let you know if there’s an issue 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 come in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in prime condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation can result in trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors throughout your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll have to complete some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and increase 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 roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your roof, and it will instantly freshen up the appearance of your home. Gresham Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Gresham as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your rain gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that need to be removed. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it likely means that your roof is too shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots attach to roof shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t removed fast enough. Many homeowners opt to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you tend to them quickly, no serious issues should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies in Gresham are trained 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 pieces help protect your roof. If they start to come off, the roof will look worn, but, most importantly, it won’t protect what’s below. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your 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, allowing mold and mildew into your home, let alone pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in gaps on the roof where it is impossible to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks, and it is very easily damaged. If more extensive work is necessary, replacing the flashing is also an easy task for professionals 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 have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up replacing a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When buying 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 request that the seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a house, give Gresham Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Gresham to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.