Your roof is perhaps the most important feature of your home, and yet, you may not give it much thought on a daily basis. A roof’s job is to provide protection for everyone and everything inside of a house. Your roof is the most important barrier against the exterior elements that extreme weather brings your way. Weather plays a key role in decreasing a roof’s life span, so check out these professional tips on how to extend the longevity of your roof.
Unique Challenges
A roof never gets a break from the weather as it’s constantly exposed to a variety of conditions. Over time, the integrity of your roof can become compromised. Whether it’s strong wind, rain, hail, ice, snow, searing heat, or high humidity, the elements can cause considerable destruction. Hail alone can weaken the roofing system and cause visible damage, depending on the size of the hail falling. You can’t stop Mother Nature, but a roofing specialist can assess the damage, make repairs, and offer recommendations to take proactive measures.
Roofing Material
Roofs don’t last forever, and when wild weather strikes, you hope your roofing system can handle the elements. The roofing material often determines the roof’s life span. Most asphalt shingle roofs can last for 15 to 30 years. Metal roofs can serve a home well for 40 to 80 years while tile roofs often have a life span of more than 50 years. Homeowners in regions where the weather can get stormy are often advised to choose a roofing material like metal or tile to withstand harsh conditions.
Powerful Winds
Many people figure that hail and snow do the most damage to any roof, but strong winds can rush in like a silent killer. For example, strong, direct wind pressure can instantly tear off roofing materials or bend flashing. Powerful winds can also attack the roof’s edges and corners, breaking or detaching shingles and joints.
Even the sun’s UV radiation can “eat away” at a roof’s chemical bonds, causing brittle shingles. Metal roofs can be particularly impacted by UV radiation because the sun can break down their protective coating.
Roof Maintenance
The weather certainly isn’t going anywhere, so a well-maintained roof is the best solution. If a homeowner spots visible damage, such as leaks, broken or missing shingles, or sagging ceilings, the damage should be repaired immediately. Roof replacement may also be advised based on the extent of the damage.
How’s Your Roof Doing?
If you’ve been neglecting your roof, it can come back to haunt you when the weather turns severe. If you live in Richmond, VA, reach out to the industry’s finest at Pyramid Roofing for roof replacement services.
