Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof will last around 20 years, more or less depending on storm damage and wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials will last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and level of care you give your roof along the way can shorten or increase the time between new roof replacements. If you are good about caring for your roof, you could end up only having to install a new roof once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the care it requires.
Installing a new roof is very expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re much better off in the long run doing maintenance and minor 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 don’t like the thought of climbing a ladder – you can always hire a licensed, certified roofer in Saint Cloud to give you a hand with all of your maintenance and roof repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent most roof damage before it happens is by far 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 that hang over your roof. Powerful winds and rain can break branches and even push over whole trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their branches right onto your roof if they are not pruned. Falling limbs destroy all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed on top of your gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you have to do and help prevent rain flowing into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Saint Cloud.
Have regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after only a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of aging like rust or tarnish. Having regular inspections done by a roofing company will let you know if there’s a problem 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 come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation will cause trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as odors inside of 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 have to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the type.
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 removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests and rodents building nests on your home’s roof, and it will instantly freshen up the appearance of your home. Saint Cloud Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Saint Cloud as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out rain gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that should be removed. Most pros recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to roof shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated fast enough. Many 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 take care of them right away, no major issues should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing minor roof repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Saint Cloud are more than willing 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 knocked off the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain storms. These asphalt pieces help protect your home’s 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 only superficial.
Replace fascia. Sometimes, the part of your home’s roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will have to be replaced. The fascia can 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 hard 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 a simple task for roofers 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 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 time. You can also include the price of a new roof – if one is needed – in the closing costs or ask that the seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a house, give Saint Cloud Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Saint Cloud to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.