Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof will last around 20-25 years, more or less 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 amount and level of care you give your roof can reduce or lengthen the time between roof replacements. If you are lucky, you could end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, just so long as you give it the care it requires.
Roof replacement is very expensive no matter the type of roof you have. You’re much better off doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order to extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the idea of climbing a ladder – you can hire a licensed, certified roofer in Scottsdale to help you with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it happens is by far the cheapest route to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care recommendations 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 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 installed on top of your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you have to do and prevent rain flowing into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Scottsdale.
Schedule routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs will be dented or start to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing company will let you know if there’s an issue that has to be taken care of.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from roof 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 options so you can feel safe about putting these products on your home, where they will inevitably run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in excellent condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation issue. Limited ventilation will lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors inside of your home. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll want to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll prevent leaks and increase the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these chores 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 reduce the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will renew the curb appeal. Scottsdale Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Scottsdale as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that should be removed. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it means that your roof is too shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and damage them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Most homeowners opt to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you take care of them right away, no serious problems should result. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Scottsdale are able to complete these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in good shape.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt bits attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain storms. These asphalt chunks help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will start to 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. Occasionally, the section of your home’s roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will 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 hard to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks on a roof, and it is very easily damaged. If more extensive work is necessary, replacing the flashing is an easy project for roofers 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 likely only have to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up buying a lot of roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing a new home, 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 has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a home, give Scottsdale Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Scottsdale to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.