Your roof is a key part of your home’s exterior and protects you from damaging weather. It’s also an important investment, so you want to make sure it lasts for as long as possible.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to extend the life of your roof and avoid costly repairs. Read on to learn 5 Useful Tips to Extend the Life of Your Roof.
1. Keep Your Gutters Clean
Keeping your gutters clean and free of debris is essential to the health of your roof. It also helps prevent mold, water damage and sagging that can lead to leaks in your home.
Generally, gutters should be cleaned in the spring and fall. However, there are some situations when you might need to clean them in the summer and winter as well.
For instance, you might need to clean your gutters more often if you live next to trees that shed leaves frequently or if you have a lot of snowfall during the winter. Additionally, you might need to clean your gutters right before a storm in order to ensure that water is able to drain properly from your roof and down the downspouts.
Cleaning your gutters regularly keeps them free of pests such as ants, birds and insects. These insects can nest in clogged gutters and spread diseases such as West Nile virus.
In addition, cleaning your gutters regularly can help you avoid ice dams in the winter. These heavy packs of ice form when water starts to freeze and refreeze. The ice can cause the gutters to sag and create leaks in your roof.
It also reduces the risk of basement flooding due to pools of water collecting next to your foundation.
Lastly, keeping your gutters clean can improve the aesthetics of your home. Gutters that are free of debris will help to keep your home looking pristine, without distracting from the rest of your property.
When you clean your gutters regularly, they will stay clear of leaves and other debris that can be a fire hazard. They will also help to protect your landscaping from erosion and overwatering.
2. Limit Debris
There is a good reason why you should limit the amount of debris that makes it into your gutters. Besides being an unsightly eyesore, a clogged or backed up system is likely to cause leaks and spills, leading to costly repairs in the long run. Using the right type of cleaning products is a must. Likewise, making sure that the area around your home is graded correctly will go a long way toward ensuring your roof stays afloat for as long as possible.
For the best results, you should try to keep your gutters clear of any large limbs and other foliage. Lastly, a top-notch gutter cleaning program can help keep the entire system looking its best year round. The most important step is to schedule regular inspections from an experienced and licensed contractor. To help with this, consider obtaining an insurance policy that pays for a pro to check out your home.
3. Seal Flashings
Flashing is an important element of your roof that prevents water from entering your home. It’s used at all points where the roof meets the walls and corners of your house. It also helps seal off protrusions such as skylights and chimneys that jut out from the outside of your home.
Many roofers use roofing tar to seal flashings, but this can dry out and crack over time. This can allow water to get in and cause rot and other damage to the structure of your home.
When this happens, it’s important to re-seal your flashings to ensure that water cannot leak into the home. There are a number of ways to do this, including using a good polyurethane sealant.
Another way to reseal your flashings is to simply add screws to the base of the flashing. These should be metal screws, preferably made of the same material as the flashing itself.
Once you have the screws in place, take a piece of flashing and set it down onto the base of the screw. This will cover the screw head and help lock it into place.
You can then apply a layer of roofing cement to the flashing and press it into place. Once it’s in place, you can then add a second piece of flashing over the first one.
Finally, you can also reseal the flashings around dormers and other eaves. This is a relatively easy project, but you need to be careful when lifting the shingles that are laid over the flashing. It’s best to wear rubber-soled non-slip shoes to protect your feet and to avoid any injury. Taking the time to re-seal your flashings can make a huge difference in extending the life of your roof and preventing any future water damage.
4. Ventilate
Ventilation is an important process that helps regulate the temperature in your home and prevents moisture damage. It also improves indoor air quality and reduces your energy costs. Even metal roofing experts stress the significance of ventilating your roof.
Roof ventilation systems are designed to draw cool, outside air into your attic and exhaust hot, humid air from it. This balance of intake and exhaust allows your attic to stay cool, comfortable, and healthy year round.
Proper ventilation is necessary for a long-lasting roof and prevents mold, mildew, and rot. When warm, moist air builds up in your attic and then gets trapped in it, it can create a perfect breeding ground for these problems.
Not ventilating your roof can reduce the lifespan of your shingles, wood framing, ceilings, siding, paint, and wallpaper. This will cause your roof to need a replacement sooner than it would otherwise, which could be very expensive.
Ice dams are another risk of not properly ventilating your roof and can damage the structure of your home. When snow melts on the exterior of your house, it can cause ice to build up in the gutter system and eventually lead to leaks in the roof.
Water in your attic can be a danger to your antiques, clothing, or other belongings in the attic. In extreme cases, water can penetrate the insulation and enter your home.
If you suspect that your roof is not venting correctly, call a Des Moines roofing company for assistance! They can provide a thorough inspection and help you determine the best solutions to prolong your roof’s life. They can also recommend ways to improve your home’s air quality and prevent future moisture damage. They’ll even give you tips for preventing drainage pipe discharge.
5. Avoid Drain Pipe Discharge
If you want to keep your roof looking good for as long as possible, make sure you avoid drain pipe discharge. It’s not only an eyesore, but it can be a major problem for your home and cause costly damage.
Clogged pipes can cause a foul smell in your home and even result in bacteria buildup that can be dangerous to breathe. You can easily clean your drains and prevent them from clogging with a mixture of white vinegar and boiling water. For more stubborn clogs, add a cup of baking soda to the solution.
In addition, you need to avoid putting certain types of waste down your drains. This includes food waste and anything that will stick to the pipes, such as eggshells, coffee grounds, and starches. Also, don’t use setting-type joint compound or sand in your drains. Sand is heavy and will settle in traps and pipes, resulting in a clog that’s hard to remove.
Another way to ensure your drains don’t get clogged is to make sure the buried portion of your drainage line is at least double the diameter of the rest of the discharge line. This is to allow gravity to help the water drain more slowly. It’s also important to have an escape path in case of clogging or freezing. IceGuard is one of the best systems available and allows water to escape when a buried line freezes. You can get an estimate for installing this system by calling a contractor. It’s an effective way to prevent a flooded basement and other serious issues caused by clogged pipes. Keeping your sewage lines clear is crucial to the health of your family and the safety of your property.
