6 Foolproof Maintenance Tips to Extend the Life of Your Roof

Replacing your roof is one of the most expensive things you will do for your home. Yet if you don’t replace your roof when it’s time, you’ll be putting your home at risk of serious damage, which can end up costing you even more. By maintaining your roof, you can extend its life, putting more time between your roof replacements and saving you a lot of money.

You don’t have to do anything extraordinary to keep your roof in good shape. Here are six foolproof maintenance tips from a top-rated Glendale roofing contractor to extend the life of your roof:

Limit Roof Accessories

Any time you have to cut into your roof, you increase the opportunities for water to get inside and cause damage. Flashing and other materials are used to protect your roof and provide a watertight seal against your shingle or tile, but flashing is usually the first to fail on your roof. Weakened flashing is often the culprit when you have a leak.

You can maintain the integrity of your roof by limiting your roof accessories. Think twice about whether the benefits of that skylight will really outweigh the risks and the maintenance you will have to do, or whether you really need that advanced antenna. Or talk to a qualified roof repair company near Glendale before taking this step.

Minimize Foliage around the House

Leaves, branches, and other organic debris can gather on your roof and in your gutters, causing a lot of problems for your roof. The leaves and other matter can clog your gutters, forcing water to push under your shingle or tile and damaging your roof and your home. Leaves and other matter can also settle on your roof, composting into the materials and causing them to break down.

You can minimize this problem by keeping the foliage around your home to a minimum. Cut back tree branches near your house, or thin the number of trees on your property.

Keep Your Gutters Clean

You may not be able to eliminate the foliage problem completely. So, you’ll be getting leaves, pine needles, and other debris in your gutters. If you don’t take care of your gutters, they will become clogged before you know it, and you will risk severe damage to your roof and your home.

Clean your gutters at least once a year to make sure the water can move freely away from your roof. If you get a lot of leaf fall or other debris, you should increase your cleaning schedule to twice a year or ask about gutter cleaning services from your Glendale roofer.

Clean Carefully

The development of stains on your roof usually isn’t just an aesthetic issue. It may be that you have mildew or moss starting to form, or you may just have dirt set into the grooves, which can continue to eat into your roofing materials if left alone. Cleaning your roof can preserve its look and prolong its life.

Yet you can’t use just any cleaner to clean your roof. You should avoid harsh cleansers like bleach, and you should never use a pressure washer, which can tear away roofing materials as you clean. Use a soft-bristled brush and a cleanser made specifically for roofs.

Ensure Proper Ventilation

Without proper ventilation in your attic, moisture can build up, damaging your roof from the inside. You can’t assume that because your house was built by the professionals you have proper ventilation. Even the professionals can make mistakes, and things may have changed in your home over the years that require adjustments.

Have a roofing contractor in Glendale inspect your space to make sure the ventilation is still adequate for your home’s needs. Your roofer will recommend any changes that are necessary to protect your roof and your home.

Get an Annual Inspection

A lot of things can go wrong with your roof that you can’t spot yourself. As time goes on, those problems will get bigger and bigger, and you may not even realize it until you are spending a lot of money in repairs.

Getting an annual inspection from a local, experienced Glendale roof repair company will help you learn about problems in their earliest stages. By getting repairs done as soon as you can, you can protect your roof and help to prolong its life.

Sticking to a routine maintenance schedule can help protect your roof and keep you from investing in a new roof installation before you really need to do so. Work with an experienced roofing contractor to develop a plan to protect your roof and your home. Your roofer will also help you identify when it’s the right time to consider re-roofing so that you aren’t throwing good money after bad trying to keep up with repairs.

Allstate Roofing is a trusted Glendale roofing company that will help you keep your roof in top shape. We provide timely roof repair and maintenance to prolong the life of your roof. Our experienced roofing contractors work on shingle roofing, tile roofing, and other types of popular roofing in and around Glendale. When the time is right, our contractors can also help you identify the best options for re-roofing. Contact us in Glendale today to schedule an estimate for your roofing needs.