How to Extend the Life of your Roof
One of the very important things on a building is the roof. A good roof will definitely make your house look good. When a house is having a very new roof it looks so perfect, you can only wish that it stays like that forever, however, any material will undergo wear and tear, so for how long should your roof stay intact before it gets worn out? Everyone asks about the lifespan of the roof, well, this is entirely dependent on the type of the roof you are choosing. The life span of clay tiles is not the same as the asphalt or the wooden roof, the durability of the material used is the determinant. But why do the same materials, on different houses have different lifespan? This is due to difference in the techniques used in the maintenance of the roof, if you want your roof to stay intact for long, you will need to have a good strategy. In this article, I will be taking you through the important tips that you need to use for you tom increase the lifespan of your roof.
Trim overhanging branches
This is the very first important thing you need to keep in mind. The trees might be very important in giving then shade for your home; however, they might have a great effect to your roof’s durability. First there is high possibility that the heavy branches leaning to your roof might break and fall on your roof causing a very big damage which might result into a serious repair or even tearing apart your roof completely forcing you to replace it, this is the reason it is better that you trim them. Another damage the hanging branches will cause to the roof is the leaves they drop to the roof, these leaves will accumulate on the roof which will in turn hold water when it rains or hold up moisture which will then cause rusting if you are having metal roof and also cause moulds on other roofing materials hence the branches should be trimmed as regular as possible.
Ensure good attic ventilation
This is one of the most important things to do to a roof. Ventilation makes sure that there is enough air circulating in the roof, if there is no ventilation, there will be accumulation of warm air in the roof which when it condenses will form water droplets. The water droplets will cause rotting of the roof support especially if it is made of wood, and if it is made of metal trusses, they will rust which poses a big problem to the roof, apart from the damage to the roof support, the moisture will cause the development of moulds in your roof that will temper with the insulation and the roof. For you to achieve proper ventilation, you will need to install enough soffit vents in the attic to make sure that there is enough circulation of air where hot air moves out and the cold air moves in.
Get inspections done regularly by an expert
Knowing the condition of your roof is very important and necessary to know where to maintain just before there is a real damage, this should be done by an expert because if you decide to do it yourself, you might not know where to check, there are some hidden places where only professional roofers can identify a problem and the solution for them. Regular inspection will; help you to know when you need to repair so that your roof can stay for long. If you don’t inspect your roof regularly, you will find out the problem on your roof when it is already beyond repair which will need you to replace the whole roof, hence it is even cheaper to make the inspections regular.
Keep the gutters in good shape
Most people neglect the gutters not knowing that they have a very big effect to the roof. You should always clean your gutters to avoid clogging which will cause a pool of water which will then be forced into the roof because there is nowhere else the water can go, the water in the roof will cause rusting of the metal sheets and the metal trusses used hence damaging the whole roof, also the water can cause rotting of the wooden trusses if they have been used instead of metal trusses. To keep your roof safe and free from rusting so that it can stay for long you have to make sure that you are unclogging clogged gutters every time so that there is no water that is pooling in the gutters to cause overflow to the roof.
Insulate your attic
This is especially when you are living in the areas which are very hot or it is during summer. Most of the materials used in roofing do absorb heat from the sun, this is the reason you will need to have an insulation in the attic to prevent excess heat from reaching this area and in the house; the reason for this is that the heat can be very dangerous to the roof in general, it will heat up the air and when it condenses droplets will be formed which are dangerous to the materials used in the construction of the roof support and the roof itself. This is the reason it is very important tom insulate the attic to prevent such damages and your roof will last for a longer time.
In conclusion, it is very important to lay down strategies that will help you to increase the lifespan of your roof. If you maintain your roof well, you will have a very strong and a very durable roof that will go for a long time before it gets any damage that needs repair or replacement.
In Awe Roofing Limited is an Award-Winning, family owned and operated Vancouver Roofing Contractor with over 17 years of roofing experience. We serve the entire Lower Mainland area, from Whistler to Chilliwack, employing a team of professional staff members. Our team has won numerous awards including Best of Homestars for the last five years, and Three Best Rated six years in a row. Learn more
