Extending the life of your roof can be a real money saver. Maybe you just got a new roof, and your beautiful new roof deserves to be cared for like a child. Or maybe you know there’s not that many years left in your tired old roof, and you want to put off the inevitable a bit longer. Well either way, it’s your business; I’m just here to tell you how to get the job done. Whether it’s your brand new part of the family; I mean, part of the house; or it’s your trusted ally who’s kept the rain out all these years, take a couple extra precautions to extend the life of your roof.
First of all, keep your gutters clean. Deep cleaning should be done twice a year at least or more if you’re constantly seeing stuff on the roof (leaves, twigs, neighbors’ trash, whatever). I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping your gutters clean – so I won’t, because dirty gutters are cause for fits of rage. So take care of them, and be vigilant!
This next tip goes hand-in-hand with cleaning your gutters. Or at least, it should be just as obvious. Don’t let any threats around. Those nasty tree branches are out for blood. Wage war on them and cut off any branches that are getting too close or posing a hazard. If the tree is in your neighbor’s yard, take whatever necessary steps you need to keep the danger away. It may not be as easy to just ask the neighbor, sometimes you may have to check your city’s guidelines.
A worn or fallen shingle can be as large of a threat to your roof as a branch. If even one shingle is missing, the exposed roof below is vulnerable to the elements. Letting that slide for a while will end up as an even more costly fix. Repair or replace any shingles that aren’t getting the job done and you can put off a whole roof replacement for much longer.
Adding a roof coating, like a liquid polymer, can make a huge difference in keeping your roof strong. Actually, there are tons of roof coating products out there that do plenty of different things, even reflective ones that help with your energy bills. The main idea is to get something waterproof on there, to avoid any roof damage from moisture.
Even if your roof is brand new, make sure to keep up on regular inspections. Again, being vigilant will extend the life of your roof! If you don’t know what you’re looking for, there’s no shame in calling a professional to inspect it. Maybe they can even tell you what to keep an eye on with your specific roof layout.
If you want to do it yourself, there are a couple key things to look for, other than the obvious gutter buildups and branches. Look for any signs you can find that could compromise your roof’s integrity, and get rid of them.
All in all, your roof protects you so you need to protect it. Keep up with the maintenance of your roof and gutters and maybe your home won’t need a new roof until someone else lives there.