Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The standard shingle roof lasts around 20 years, depending on damage and natural wear and tear. Other roofing materials can last longer, but are more expensive to install.
The amount and quality of care you give your roof can reduce or increase the time between roof replacements. If you are lucky, you could end up only having to replace your roof once in your lifetime, as long as you give it the maintenance it requires.
Roof replacement is very expensive no matter the type of roof. You’re much better off doing routine maintenance and small repairs as they arise to help extend the lifetime of your roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just hate the thought of climbing a tall ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer in Oxnard to help you with all of your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent roof damage before it happens is the cheapest way to lengthen the lifetime of your roof. Here are a few preventative care measures for your roof:
Cut tree limbs hanging over your roof. Gusting winds and rain storms can break tree limbs and even knock over trees. Rotting, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches onto your roof if they are not routinely pruned. Falling limbs damage all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers installed over 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 yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the work to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Oxnard.
Have regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a couple of years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of age like rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing company can let you know if there’s a problem that has to be resolved.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from 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 options 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 system are in prime condition. Too much or too little insulation can create a condensation problem. Limited ventilation can cause trapped moisture. This can quickly result in mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors in your home. Besides being a nuisance, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other home materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Here and there, you’ll have to complete some general maintenance on your roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifetime of your roof, regardless of the materials it’s made of.
Do these projects at least once a year to prevent damages and keep your roof looking good:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your roof, and it will renew the appearance of your home. Oxnard Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Oxnard as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out the gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your gutters regularly, especially while it’s raining, to observe if there are clogs that have to be removed. Most gutter experts 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 too shaded and stays very moist. Moss’s roots attach to shingles and other materials and damage them if it isn’t gotten rid of fast enough. Typically homeowners prefer 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 tend to them quickly, no major issues should occur. If you are a capable handyman, you may feel confident doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofers in Oxnard are trained 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 removed from the shingles by debris, hail or heavy rain. These asphalt pieces help to protect your roof. If they start coming off, the roof will 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 sits 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 on a roof, and it is very easily damaged. If more complicated work is necessary, replacing the flashing is an easy project 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 probably only have to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you could end up buying quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When buying a new home, 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 request that the home seller has the roof replaced before the sale. When selling a home, give Oxnard Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Oxnard to improve curb appeal for potential buyers.