Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20 years, more or less depending on storm damage and natural wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The amount 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, as long as you give it the maintenance it needs.
Roof replacement is very expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re a lot better off doing maintenance and small repairs as needed in order to help lengthen the lifetime of your roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the idea of climbing up a ladder – you can always find a licensed, certified roofer in Georgetown to give you a hand with all your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the most affordable route to increase the lifetime of your roof. Here are some preventative care tips for your roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain storms can break tree limbs and even knock over trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they are not regularly pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed over your rain gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and help prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Georgetown.
Schedule regular inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs will be dented or start to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a company can let you know if there’s an issue that should be handled.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from roof shingles so they don’t dry out, making your roof last 5 years or more beyond its expected lifetime. There are regular and plant-based products so you can feel safe about putting these coatings on your home, where they will inevitably run off and come in contact with your children, pets and landscaping.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation system are in good condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors throughout your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and increase the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these things at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your roof, and it will freshen up the curb appeal. GTX Georgetown Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Georgetown as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your rain gutters often, especially if it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that have to be removed. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring months and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss begins to grow, 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 removed fast enough. Many homeowners prefer to have a professional service do this so no damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you take care of them quickly, no major issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident doing small roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies in Georgetown are able to complete 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. These asphalt chunks help protect your roof. If they start to come off, the roof will start to look worn, but, more importantly, it won’t protect what’s underneath. Only a section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the section of your roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also have 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 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 extensive work is needed, 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 between 20 and 30 years, you will likely only need to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up buying quite a few roofs during your lifetime.
When purchasing a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can also include the price of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or request that the seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a house, give GTX Georgetown Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Georgetown to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.