4 Tips For Maintaining Your Asphalt Shingles

While asphalt shingles aren’t weak, they aren’t exactly indestructible. Yes, they’re expected to last for 20 to 25 years, but this is only if they’re properly maintained.

A number of different factors can contribute to the early deterioration of these shingles, including falling branches and poor weather, just to name a few. To keep your shingles thriving for as long as possible, you must counteract these factors.

Maintaining Those Asphalt Shingles

Trim up your trees

As noted above, one of the biggest dangers to your shingles is falling branches. When limbs break off of trees and slam down onto your roof, they can take a handful of shingles down with them. For this reason, you need to do everything in your power to prevent branches from falling onto your roof.

Your best bet is to trim up any trees which sit in close proximity to your home. Trimming will not only remove these branches from the proximity of your roof, it will strengthen them as well, ensuring that they don’t break in the future.

Inspect for algae growth

Nothing does more to ruin the aesthetic of a roof than algae. When the weather gets warm and the humidity rises, algae preys upon asphalt roofs, leaving them with an unattractive green appearance.

If you act fast, you can remove algae, but if you don’t, it can take over your entire roof, removing the grit from your shingles in the process. It’s important to be cognizant of this algae so it doesn’t reduce the lifespan of your shingles.

Clean your shingles regularly

The best way to prevent the buildup of algae on your roof is to be proactive. Being proactive involves giving your shingles regular cleanings with water and bleach.

At the very least, you should be cleaning your shingles once a year. However, the more residue you can keep from coming into contact with your roof, the longer your roof will last. Cleaning on a consistent basis will allow your shingles to maintain their color, and will slow down the deterioration process overall.

Keep your gutters clear

Apart from strong winds and physical trauma, nothing is more damaging to shingles than water. When water stands up on a roof, it seeps down into the shingles, causing them to warp and deteriorate.

For this reason, you need to do everything you can to prevent standing water from making an appearance on your roof. For the most part, this entails keeping your gutters clear of leaves and other debris. If your gutters are clear, water can pour into them and off of your roof.

Need Help Maintaining Your Asphalt Shingles?

Don’t have enough time to look after your roof? Rather leave the task in the hands of a professional roofer? If so, we here at Central Bay Roofing & Restoration can help you.

We’ve been serving both Alameda and Contra Costa County since 1978, and know exactly what it takes to keep asphalt shingles thriving.

Contact us today for a free estimate!