Roof Maintenance & Life Expectancy

Maintenance
All roofs should be routinely inspected and constantly maintained. The type of maintenance and frequency varies (i.e., asphalt shingles need minimul maintenance). Built-up roofing should be recoated every 4 to 5 years. The life of a roof can be significantly prolonged if maintenance is accomplished. (The maintenance activity for the various types of roofing materials is included in Attachment “A”.)

Estimated Age
Estimating the age of a roof can sometimes be difficult. On newer homes, the age of the roof is normally the age of the house. You will want to check for multiple layers, which is a good age clue. If the roof has: (a) several different materials; (b) the same material on different exposures; or (c) materials of different ages, each one of the differences should be evaluated separately, you may only be able to 'ballpark' the age number.

Life Expectancy (Design Life)
The life expectancies of various roofs are included in Attachment “A”. Many factors, once installed, will greatly influence the actual length of service. The exposure of a roof to weather factors (i.e., sunlight, wind, hail, freezing) will significantly decrease its life expectancy. A south or west-facing roof very often is in a poorer condition than the north or east-facing surfaces on the same structure. Other major factors in the life expectancy of the roof are slope, shade, color, etc. A well-shaded, low-sloped wood roof on the north side of a property will very often gather moss, mildew, etc. and deteriorate more rapidly than one that is not.

Remaining Life
The remaining life of the roof is not necessarily determined by subtracting estimated age from design life expectancy. It is possible to have a two-year-old roof with an anticipated life expectancy of 20 years, and have zero life remaining due to a product defect such as delamination or granular loss. Many other factors can affect remaining life. They include the manufacturer brand, installation deficiencies, wear and tear, lack of maintenance, etc. The actual condition of the roof at any given moment will determine remaining life.