Roof maintenance

Shingle Roof Care

Today we’re going to talk about asphalt shingles, and maintenance required in order to extend its life on your house’s roof.

Asphalt shingles are the most popular roof in North America because their low cost and good performance. Only last year, 37.5 million squares of Shingles were sold, an increase of 17% to 41% from 2018.

There are several manufacturers in the USA providing different qualities of the product but the same base materials are always used to produce asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles are basically made from fiberglass, asphalt, and granules. Fiberglass is used to provide strength; mineral fortified asphalt, made in different colors, covers fiberglass both sides providing waterproofing; and ceramic stone granules are used to protect shingles from UV rays. When lighter granules are used they can highly increase the roof efficiency allowing less heat to get into your home. Miami-Dade County County require light color granules to be used on commercial roofs to make them more energy efficient.

Some roofing manufacturers offer 20, 25 or even 30 years warranty, but in Florida, reality is different. In South Florida, a high-quality architectural shingle can have a lifespan between 15 and 20 years because high heat during sunny days and intense exposure to UV rays—along with heavy rains and high winds—make a lot of damage.

Here some examples of shingle roofs at the end of its lifespan in Miami-Dade County:

How to take care of your shingle roof in order to extend its lifespan?

First of all, it doesn’t matter what kind of roof your house have, you need to inspect the roof at least one or twice a year to check for damages. A small repair done at the right time will prevent big damages than can’t be repaired, resulting in spending a lot of money to replace the entire house roof. Don’t just repair your roof by yourself—get a maintenance contract with a roofing contractor like Stone House Roofing today.

Some examples of maintenance needed in a shingle roof:

Shingle Roof maintenance tips to consider:

1- Tree branches: Don’t let any tree branches lay over the roof, they can rub the surface allowing the shingle granule to fall off, they also can punch holes in the roof. Squirrels and rats can also climb through the branches and find a way to the attic.

2- Keep your house roof debris free: Clean the roof at least once or twice a year inspecting valleys and flashing, areas around chimneys, skylights, and wall transitions. Check if caulk on counter flashings need to be replaced. These areas are more likely to leak water.

3- Loose Shingles: Checkup for loose shingles and exposed nails. Replace damaged shingles with new ones as soon as possible.

4- Keep your gutters clean: Ensure the downspouts are clear and drain the water properly from the roof away from the house.

Some roof maintenance can be done by yourself, however most of the maintenance and repairs, because their complexity, must be executed by an appropriate license contractor. Roof cleaning is something that you can do, but most of the time only a trained eye can see where a future leak will occur and what to do to prevent it. Call Stone House Roofing—we are Roof contractors professionally trained to inspect your house’s roof for any roof damage, and let you know the best approach to avoid future roof deterioration.

We at Stone House Roofing, operating in the areas of Cutler Bay & Homestead , are committed to help all our customers to preserve one of the most valuable assets in their house. We educate our customers on the way they can extend the life of their roof to the limit. You can contact us for a free estimate for repairs and re-roofing at 305.239.8838. We are here to help you.