Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts 20-25 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 amount and level of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or lengthen the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you might end up only having to replace your roof on your home once in your lifetime, just as long as you give it the care it requires.
Installing a new roof is expensive regardless of the type of roof. You’re a lot 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 don’t like the thought of climbing up a ladder – you can always hire a licensed, certified roofer in Hillsboro to help you with all your maintenance and repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent most roof damage before it happens is the most affordable way to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are some preventative care ideas for your home’s roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain storms can break tree limbs and even push over trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their branches onto your roof if they’re not routinely pruned. Falling limbs destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed over your gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you have to do and prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Hillsboro.
Have routine inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a pro will let you know if there’s an issue that should 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 putting 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. Lack of ventilation will cause trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as odors throughout your house. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will wreak havoc on wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
From time to time, you’ll have to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these chores at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your home’s 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 home’s roof, and it will instantly renew the appearance of your home. Hillsboro Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Hillsboro as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that need to be removed. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring 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 attach to shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated quickly. Many homeowners opt to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but as long as you take care of them quickly, no serious issues should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Hillsboro 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 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 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 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 the gaps on the roof where it is difficult 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 also a simple project for professionals 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 around 20 and 30 years, you will likely only have to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move often, you might end up installing a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When purchasing a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your money. You can include the cost of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or ask that the home seller has the roof replaced prior to the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Hillsboro Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Hillsboro to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.