Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The typical shingle roof lasts around 20 years, more or less depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The extent and quality of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or increase the time between roof replacements. If you are good about caring for your roof, you might end up only having to install a new roof on your home once in your lifetime, just as long as you give it the care it needs.
Roof replacement is very expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re much better off in the long run doing maintenance and small repairs as they arise to help lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the idea of climbing a tall ladder – you can hire a licensed, certified roofer in El Monte to give you a hand with all your maintenance and roof repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it occurs is the cheapest route to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a few preventative care tips for your home’s roof:
Cut branches hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain can break branches and even push over trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they’re not regularly pruned. Falling limbs damage all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can limit 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 work to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in El Monte.
Have routine 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 regular inspections done by a roofing company can let you know if there’s an issue that has to be resolved.
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 products so you can feel safe about applying these coatings on your home, where they will inevitably run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation systems are in good condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation can result in trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors inside of your home. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other home materials, weakening 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 regularly, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these projects at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove debris, mold and dirt. This will limit the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will immediately renew the appearance of your home. El Monte Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in El Monte as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that have to be cleared. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall season.
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 ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Most homeowners opt to have a professional do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you tend to them right away, no major problems should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident enough doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in El Monte are trained 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 strong rain. These asphalt chunks help protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will 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 part of your home’s roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also need 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 the gaps on the roof where it is impossible to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks, and it is very easily damaged. If more complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is also an easy task for professionals 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 probably only need to replace it one or two times. Of course, if you move often, you might end up buying quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When buying a new home, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can also 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 before the sale. When trying to sell a home, give El Monte Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in El Monte to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.