The Ultimate Home Maintenance Guide – Part 5 of 7 – Roof

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If you’ve just bought your first home, sooner or later the question will dawn on you…what do I have to do to maintain it? Or perhaps you’re a long-time home owner and have been blindsided by expensive repairs. Even the wisest among us have been guilty of underestimating the cost of home maintenance and repairs. The changing weather conditions of our amazing location in central Ontario present a variety of challenges you want to stay on top of as the seasons change.

In this seven-part series, we will be laying out the ultimate home maintenance guide (Romana King, Money Sense). Use this guide and feel confident that you have done everything possible to keep your house in top condition, avoid larger costs that result from poor maintenance, and have a budget plan in place so you’re not caught off guard by expensive repairs.

In the fifth installment of our seven-part series, we’re going up top to focus on your roof.

ROOF
“A roof over our head” is a lasting truism for a very good reason! No roof, no house! Extend the life of your roof with regular maintenance routines, and keep more money in your account over time.

Get the ladder out to get a close, visual look at your roof each year. If heights and angled roofs make your knees shake, hire a handyman to check this for you.

Curled and separating shingles indicate the roofing is deteriorating. Is there grit and gravel in your eavestroughs and gutters? That indicates bits of asphalt coming off the shingles during high winds and rainstorms. If there is more than a quarter-inch, it’s time to put on a new roof. Waves or dips in the singles are a sign of rot. Catch it early and solve by adding more roof vents to release humidity.

Annually
Replace loose shingles, re-caulk flashing.
Every 1 to 2 years. $175

Clean and maintain chimney.
Annually. $125 to $200

Check attic insulation for compression.
Annually. $0

As Necessary
Replace asphalt singles.
Every 20 to 30 years. $5,000 to $15,000

Add insulation in the attic.
Every 5 years. $1,500

Add roof vents.
One-time. $300

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