Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20 years, more or less depending on damage and wear and tear. Other roofing materials can last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof can reduce or extend the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you could end up only having to replace your roof once in your lifetime, so long as you give it the attention it needs.
Installing a new roof is very expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re much better off doing maintenance and small repairs as needed in order to help extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the thought of climbing a ladder – you can always hire a licensed, certified roofer in Winston-Salem to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks to prevent most roof damage before it happens is the most affordable way to extend the lifetime of your roof. Here are a couple of preventative care tips for your roof:
Cut branches hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain storms can break branches and even knock over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees will also drop their branches onto your roof if they’re not routinely pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed on top of your gutters to prevent clogging. They can limit the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and help 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 Winston-Salem.
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 company will let you know if there’s an issue that should be resolved.
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 spraying these coatings on your home, where they will run off and possibly come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation systems are in good condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation will lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors throughout your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other materials, damaging your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll have to do some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and extend the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these chores at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your 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 roof, and it will immediately freshen up the curb appeal. Winston-Salem Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Winston-Salem as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters regularly, especially if it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that need to be removed. Most companies recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Typically homeowners choose to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you take care of them right away, no major problems should result. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Winston-Salem are trained to tackle these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in good shape.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt pieces 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 roof. If they start to come off, the roof will look worn, but, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s below. Only a small section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is only 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 need to be replaced. The fascia can leak, allowing mold and mildew into your home, and sometimes pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in gaps on the roof where it is difficult to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks, and it is very easily damaged. If more complicated work is required, replacing the flashing is also an easy 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 have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up replacing quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or request that the seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Winston-Salem Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Winston-Salem to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.