Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof will last around 20 years, more or less depending on storm damage and usual wear and tear. Other roofing materials last longer, but they are also more expensive to install.
The extent and level of care you give your roof can shorten or extend 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, as long as you give it the attention it needs.
Installing a new roof is very expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re better off doing routine maintenance and minor repairs as they arise in order to help extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you are not confident in your roofing skills – or just hate the idea of climbing a tall ladder – you can always find a licensed, certified roofer in Corona to help you with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing tasks 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 branches that hang over your roof. Strong winds and rain storms can break branches and even push over trees. Rotting, dying trees will also drop their branches right 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 installed on top of your gutters to prevent clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you need to do and help prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning service in Corona.
Schedule regular 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 regular inspections done by a company will let you know if there’s a problem that needs to be handled.
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 products so you can feel safe about putting these products on your home, where they will run off and be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Ensure your insulation and ventilation systems are in excellent condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation issue. Lack of ventilation will result in trapped moisture. This can quickly result in 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
Every once in a while, you’ll need to complete some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done regularly, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made from.
Do these things at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking nice:
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. Queens Pressure Wash Plus offers roof cleaning in Corona as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are any clogs that should be cleared. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it means that your roof is shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots attach to shingles and other materials and ruin them if it isn’t removed quickly. Most homeowners prefer to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but as long as you tend to them quickly, no major issues should result. If you are a capable handyman, you might feel confident doing minor repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies in Corona are trained to complete these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in good shape.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt bits attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain. 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 below. Only a small 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 also have to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes 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 hard to place roofing material. It’s the perfect location for leaks on a roof, and it is very easily damaged. If more complicated 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 one of 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 install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move several times, you might end up replacing a lot of roofs in your lifetime.
When buying 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 prior to the sale. When trying to sell a house, give Queens Pressure Wash Plus a call for professional roof cleaning in Corona to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.