Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof will last 20 years, more or less depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other roofing materials 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 new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you could end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, so long as you give it the care it requires.
Installing a new roof is expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re much better off doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as needed in order 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 up a tall ladder – you can always hire a licensed, certified roofer in Smyrna to give you a hand with all your maintenance and repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent roof damage before it occurs is the cheapest way to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care ideas for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Strong winds and rain can break limbs and even push over trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they’re not routinely 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 installed over your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and help prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Smyrna.
Have routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a pro will let you know if there’s an issue that needs to be handled.
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 products on your home, where they will inevitably run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in good condition. Too much or not enough 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 in your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will ruin wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll want to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these things at least once every 12 months 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 instantly renew the appearance of your home. Supreme Smyrna Pressure Wash offers roof cleaning in Smyrna as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that should be removed. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, it means that your roof is too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t removed quickly. Typically homeowners prefer to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you tend to them right away, no major issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Smyrna are trained to tackle these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in optimal condition.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt bits attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain storms. These asphalt chunks help to protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will begin 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 only superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the part of your home’s roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will need to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, and sometimes 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 on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is necessary, replacing the flashing is a simple task for roofers 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 install a new one one or two times. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up buying quite a few roofs during 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 have the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a house, give Supreme Smyrna Pressure Wash a call for professional roof cleaning in Smyrna to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.