Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof will last around 20 years, depending on damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials will last longer, but they are more expensive to install.
The extent and level of care you give your roof along the way can reduce or lengthen the time between 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 maintenance it requires.
Installing a new roof is expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re much better off doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as needed to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just can’t stand the idea of climbing up a tall ladder – you can call a licensed, certified roofer in Naperville to help you with all of your maintenance and repair projects.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing projects to prevent roof damage before it happens is the cheapest way to increase the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a few preventative care ideas for your home’s roof:
Cut branches hanging over your roof. Powerful winds and rain can break branches and even push over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their branches onto your roof if they’re not routinely pruned. Falling limbs damage all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and even metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed over your gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning you need to do and prevent overflow into your landscaping. You can install gutter guards on your own or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Naperville.
Have regular inspections. Shingles start to lose asphalt granules after only a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or start to show signs of aging such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a pro can let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be repaired.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew 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 options so you can feel safe about applying these coatings on your home, where they will run off and come in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation system are in prime condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly lead to 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
Here and there, you’ll need to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done in a timely manner, you’ll 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 home’s roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof removes debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will freshen up the curb appeal. Naperville Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Naperville as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Inspect your gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are clogs that should 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 shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots can attach to shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Typically homeowners choose to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages happen, but so long as you tend to them right away, no serious problems should result. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident enough doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Naperville 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. These asphalt chunks help protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will start to look worn, but, more 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 section of your home’s roof that sits between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will have to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, plus 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 complicated work is needed, replacing the flashing is an easy task for professionals 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 probably only need to replace it once or twice. Of course, if you move several times, you could end up replacing a lot of 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 necessary – in the closing costs or ask that the seller have the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a house, give Naperville Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Naperville to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.