The old adage, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” might apply to a few things, but roofing is not one of them. The install-and-forget way of keeping a home isn’t completely true even if you have a particularly sturdy roofing material.
Roof replacement is a fact of homeownership if you buy an old house with a damaged roof or one that’s not a long way from damage, or if you intend to live in your home for a long time. In either case, you might experience replacing your roof at least once in your lifetime.
Whatever the condition of your roof, it’s not acceptable to use the old saying above as your mantra for maintaining that roof. Maintenance is a part of homeownership, as well, and it’s something you should do regularly. Otherwise, you might face one or a few of the following problems:
Replacing Your Roof More Than Once
That’s a lot of money on something that you should only replace the one time. With proper maintenance, you can extend the life of your roof so you won’t have to replace it often. Use roof repair to your advantage. An asphalt shingle roof should last up to 20 years. Sometimes, you can even extend that to 25 and beyond with good maintenance and no significant storms in your area. Without proper maintenance, however, you’d be happy with 10-15 years with the same roof.
Structural Damage
It’s not just your roof you’re maintaining; it’s also what it protects underneath. Neglecting your roof is almost a guarantee that you won’t notice a leak until it’s become obvious, and by that time, it will have caused significant damage to the structure of your roof and not just the shingles.
Damage Away From the Roof
When your roof is compromised and you don’t even notice because of a lack of maintenance measures, chances are the rest of your home would be affected before you notice anything, such as growing stains on your ceiling, which signal a leak that’s either too big or has been undetected for too long.
Liabilities
Manufacturers and contractors typically declare a warranty as void if they are able to prove that the homeowner has neglected their home. Home insurers can also do the same.
Sometimes, neglect is obvious and homeowners’ associations also frown upon that because one poorly maintained home can affect the prices of houses in the entire neighborhood.
A leaky home also presents slip and fall risks. In a worst-case scenario, a neglected roof may even collapse, which can lead to even bigger dangers.
Nip a problem in the bud by scheduling regular maintenance with a professional. Redemption Roofing is the contractor you can rely on. We also offer storm damage repairs. Call us today at (936) 321-3733 or fill out our contact form for a free inspection and cost estimate.