Congratulations – you just bought a new (to you) house! It’s a very exciting time where you can start planning how you’ll decorate and you can pick out some new furniture, but there are a few things you need to know about your house so you can take care of your new purchase as best as possible. One of the biggest, and scariest, parts of being a homeowner is the literally the roof over your head. Here’s what you need to find out about the roof on the home you’ve just bought so you know what you need to do to take care of it.
There are a number of different materials to pick from when it comes to a roof: metal, slate, asphalt shingles, or wood shingles. The material that your roof is made out of will determine how you need to care for it. This will also be important information if you need to call a roofing company for any repairs or maintenance you aren’t comfortable doing yourself.
The lifetime of a roof will be dependent on a number of factors, including the material it’s made out of. A metal roof could last for 25, or more, years whereas asphalt shingles will probably only last about 15 years. If you know when the roof was replaced then you can anticipate when you’ll need to replace it again yourself. This is important because replacing a roof is a large expense and is probably something you’ll need to budget for.
If the roof has been installed recently, or some work has been done, then knowing the name of the company who did this will be helpful in case there’s any issues. Also, if the roof was done well then when it comes time to replace it you know a roofing company that is likely reputable to help you out.
Gutters, over time, will fill up with debris and leaves which can cause issues with water draining properly away from the roof. If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning them yourself then you can hire a company to come and make sure the debris is removed. It’s important to do this about once a year to make sure they don’t back up and cause flooding issues.
Sometimes the current home owners wouldn’t want to disclose that there was a leak, but you can always ask if they’ve repaired any problem areas lately. You can also ask for a home inspector to come in and take a look to see if they can spot any obvious issues. While they may not be able to see underneath the shingles, they can spot any really big problems that you’ll likely have to deal with right away. It might seem scary, but knowing what is going on with the roof of the home you just bought is the best way to tackle any big issues. Ask any questions you want to know, and be prepared that you might need to fix a few issues yourself if the previous owner didn’t take good care of it.
Up next – Advances in roof technology