Asphalt Roofs: Top 6 Things You Should Know

When it comes to residential roofs, there’s no lack of choices. There’s a broad selection that some homeowners frequently find themselves overwhelmed just trying to select a style, a color, or a pattern that will best fit their house. Asphalt roofs tend to be the direction most homeowners lean towards here in the great lakes area. Not only is it a durable choice but these days, the selection is vast and most can find that perfect contract between form and function.

The main reason for the popularity of asphalt roofs is its numerous advantages. Aside from being affordable, they are also hold up in harsh weather, they’re fire-resistant and now a few brands are even mold and fungal proof. They are among the simplest roofing materials to apply and the upkeep is a snap. Unlike metal, slate, and other more expensive and rigid roofing materials, asphalt roofs can usually be mended easily and will retain its form and function with minimal maintenance. To read more in-depth about asphalt roofs and shingles check out Wikipedia’s overview. You can also learn more about the carefully selected brands by viewing our roofing products section.

Even though there are serval different colors, styles, and patterns of asphalt roofs, when it comes down to true differentiation, there are only three standard grades.

1.       Saturant-grade Asphalt, non-oxidized, or oxidized asphalt that’s used to fabricate saturated felt piles to get built-up roof (BUR) systems, organic felt shingles, and other roofing materials.

2.       Coating-grade Asphalt, which can be oxidized asphalt used to make roofing materials for asphalt shingles and polymer-modified bitumen roof

3.       Mopping-grade Asphalt, which is normally melted and employed in the building of this BUR and modified bitumen systems

The single get most of the credit when considering a roof but the true protection lies just below the shingle, it’s called the underlayment. It’s a significant part of your roofing system and is a key factor in keeping moisture at bay, protecting your home’s very structure.

Underlayment comes in various materials but it’s usually in the form of a thin mat or felt roll. It could be made from a wide variety of polyester, fiberglass, polymers, non-asphaltic polymeric coating, and even a mixture of all four. No matter which of these underlayments you choose, as long as it’s properly applied, it will protect your home from those nasty storms well into the future.

Asphalt Roof Maintenance

A proactive strategy for roof maintenance will help prolong almost any roof’s lifespan but with asphalt roofs, this holds even more true. It only takes a few simple steps every year, to prevent from having to spend serious dough repairing or replacing a roof prematurely. If left unmaintained or unattended most roofs only last for 12-15 years. This is primarily due to the fierce hail, wind, and snowstorms we get each year.

Here at Elieff Roofing, our roofs are guaranteed for 20 years and will last even longer and if properly maintained.

Maintenance: Here’s What To Do

There are few things you should do every year and some you should do every 3-5 years but considering this isn’t a dissertation on roof maintenance we will cover a few simple steps to best maintain your roof. Remember, if you are getting up on your roof it’s dangerous and you should take every safety precaution possible.

We encourage you to give us a call and for a nominal fee, we will take care of all these pesky and potentially dangerous tasks for you. However, for all you DYI’er out there here are the top maintenance items to remember to help your roof meet its true life potential. Every Fall tackle these tasks:

• Clear the roof of debris, such as branches, leaves, and other things.
• Reduce or eliminate overhanging tree limbs.
• Clear the gutters completely.
• Scan your roof for any unusual wear, holes, sags, or bulges. Call a Pro if you find any of those.
• Reattach, tighten or fortify any soffit, fascia, or gutter that isn’t firmly fixed to its correct spot.

Maintenance: Here’s What Not To Do

Say No to Pressure

Sometimes asphalt shingles can collect unsightly stains or take on a strange discoloration. Please do not use a pressure washer to try and remove mold, fungus or try and wash off a stain. Because the high-pressure water can penetrate and peel back or even remove the shingle, it can cause serious and irreplicable harm to even the most soundly built roof.

Bye Bye Bleach

Using bleach to scrub your shingles down is a terrible idea and will quickly kill the natural expansion on the roofing surface. Additionally, its residue flows down the roof and in your landscaping, even impacting your backyard plants or burning and discoloring the side of your house. Metal flashing and gutters may also get corroded or loose structural integrity.

Gone With the Glue

Surprisingly we run into this a lot. People tend to think that Superglue, Gorilla Glue, or other super adhesives are a good substitute to a nail for attaching a loose or rouge shingle. Simply put, It isn’t! Although ingenuitive and resourceful, these “Super” fixes will almost always end in disaster.

We are the top supplier of residential and industrial roofing services in the Greater Lansing and Mid Michigan Area. If you want to learn more give us a rin gat (517) 627-7999 or you could complete our contact form below and we’ll put together some materials to send you and reach out to you to set a time for one of our famous free inspections.