Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20-25 years, more or less depending on damage and natural wear and tear. Other 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 extend the time between roof replacements. If you play your cards right, you could end up only having to install a new 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 much better off in the long run doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as needed to help extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the idea of climbing a tall ladder – you can find a licensed, certified roofer in Grand Prairie to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest route to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a few preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs that hang over your roof. Strong winds and rain can break tree limbs and even push over trees. Rotting, dying trees will 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 metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed over your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning that you have to do and help prevent rain flowing into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Grand Prairie.
Have 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 regular inspections done by a roofing company will let you know if there’s an issue that needs to be repaired.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings replenish 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 products so you can feel safe about applying these coatings on your home, where they will run off and come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation will cause trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors in your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, 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 extend the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these chores at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will limit the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your home’s roof, and it will renew the curb appeal. Grand Prairie Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Grand Prairie as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that have to be cleared. 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 shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Most homeowners decide to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you tend to them right away, 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 Grand Prairie 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 knocked off the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain storms. These asphalt pieces help to protect your home’s roof. If they start to come off, the roof will 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 section 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 the 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 easily damaged. If more complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is a simple task 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 around 20 and 30 years, you will likely only have to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move often, you could end up replacing a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When purchasing 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 has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a house, give Grand Prairie Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Grand Prairie to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.