Your roof is one of the most important features of your home. It protects the interior from inclement weather, extreme temperatures, and threats from the outdoors. Despite its importance, your roof is usually out of sight and out of mind. That makes it easy to put off roof maintenance until a catastrophe strikes, like when water starts pouring through your ceiling.
Luckily, many emergency roofing situations can be avoided with a little routine maintenance. What does roof maintenance involve? A roofing company will conduct an inspection, maintenance activities, and any necessary repairs. A considerable advantage of a maintenance appointment is that it gives the roofers a chance to catch and fix problems before you even know they’re there.
With proper maintenance, your roof can last up to 30 years. Skipping maintenance can drastically reduce its lifespan, leading to more frequent repairs and costly replacements. Take a look at seven other things you should know about maintaining your roof.
Your Roof Impacts Your Home’s Curb Appeal
When you think about your home’s curb appeal, certain features probably pop into your mind, such as the front door, the porch, and perhaps even the garden. Your roof also plays a huge role in determining how appealing your house looks. Whether you’re planning to sell your home or simply keep it looking nice for your guests, it pays to keep your roof well-maintained.
Patches of missing or algae-covered shingles can make your home look old and run-down. Plus, older roofs may suffer from other issues, like clogged gutters. When your gutters get clogged, they can damage the roof and siding, which only contributes to the dilapidated appearance of your home. Fortunately, you can fix most of those roofing issues with simple maintenance tasks, including debris removal and roof cleaning.
Maintenance Boosts Your Roof’s Lifespan
Roofs don’t last forever; eventually, even the best-maintained roofs will need to be replaced. A standard asphalt roof lasts around 20 years, and maintenance plays a key role in ensuring your roof reaches its full life span. Maintenance can even make the difference between a repair and a replacement. Not only will this keep your roof effective for longer, but it will also reduce unexpected costs in the future.
How often should you have your roof maintained? That depends on a couple of key factors, such as the roof’s age, the roofing material, and the weather conditions. Even if your roof is relatively new and problem-free, roofing companies recommend having it inspected every few years.
Old Roofs Can Hide Bigger Problems
As your roof ages, it encounters more and problems. Some of these problems can even lead to bigger problems in your attic and elsewhere around your home. One of the most destructive — and subtle — issues is water damage. Water can seep through damaged shingles to rot away wooden beams and create a breeding ground for toxic mold. When you start noticing stains on the ceiling, the damage has already been done. By performing regular maintenance, you have a chance to spot issues before you notice any toxic mold symptoms inside your home.
A Failing Roof Can Cost You
When your roof vent fails or is damaged, you can end up with flooding, pests, mold, and increased bills. Roof vents are installed on asphalt roofs to help preserve the health of the shingles. A vented roof will remain cooler than an improperly vented roof, which keeps your energy bills low.
What exactly happens when your roof vent fails? The consequences include high energy bills, heat-damaged shingles, lower roof life expectancy, and extreme indoor air temperatures. When you ignore repairs and skip roof maintenance, you end up paying a lot more money in the long run.
Maintenance Makes Future Roof Replacements Easier
Your roof is much more than just the shingles you see on the exterior. Below that layer of asphalt lies layers of insulation and wooden beams. When a roof is neglected, the underlying components undergo damage. When it comes time to replace the roof, all of that will have to be repaired or replaced before the new roof is installed.
On the other hand, keeping your roof well-maintained means the underlying insulation and carpentry is in good shape. Not only will the roof replacement be faster, but it will cost less, too.
It’s Environmentally Friendly
Did you know that, according to some experts, your roof plays a huge role in your home’s energy efficiency. Shingle health and insulation determine how much heat from the sun your home absorbs. The more your home absorbs, the harder your AC needs to work to cool it back down. This increases your electricity consumption and energy bills. Roof maintenance will give your roof the TLC it needs to maintain energy efficiency.
Your energy bill isn’t the only thing that benefits from roof maintenance. By performing preventative maintenance, you won’t have to replace your roof as frequently. This means fewer asphalt shingles in the landfill.
It’s An Investment in Your Own Peace of Mind
Saving money on frequent roof repairs is important, but your peace of mind is priceless. Maintaining your roof drastically cuts down on stressful emergencies, such as leaks, sagging rooflines, and storm-damage. Instead, you can focus on enjoying the comfort and security of your home. A healthy roof is much less likely to fall victim to storm damage. Plus, by keeping your home more energy-efficient, you won’t have to deal with extreme temperature swings indoors.
Keeping your roof well-maintained is essential to protecting your home and your family. It’s stressful and expensive to deal with major roofing issues, but you can prevent most of them with routine maintenance. Not only will maintenance give you peace of mind, but it will also boost your home’s curb appeal and energy efficiency.
Most important, roof maintenance will save you a lot of money in the long run. From lower energy bills to less frequent roof replacements, maintenance has a high return on your investment.
Having a home with a nice roof is something you’ll want to show off to potential buyers in photographs. Schedule a real estate photography session with us today!
