The primary function of a roof is to provide protection from all the elements in any climate. There are lot of factors that can affect your roof but here are some major factors that affect your roof life. The sun is the most damaging factor to your roof because it delivers a combination of ultraviolet rays and heat that can prematurely age a roof. The roof is also not spared during the winter months, snow and ice can damage your roof. The melting and refreezing of ice and snow on your roof can push your roofing material up which can lead to leaks in your roof. Rain, moisture, wind algae and moss growth are some other factors that damage your roof. If your roofs are not protected from these factors it will definitely cause damage that only experts could fix. Damages caused by these factors can easily be prevented with enough maintenance.

salt is a factor in coastal regions

I have a new modular built 5/12 roof. The front 26 feet of my roof is a "hot" roof - 2X10 roof rafters sprayed with 2#CC foam to a depth of 7 to 10 inches on the inside of the roof deck, for a cathedral ceiling covered with standard gypsum. GAF Barkwood 30 year roof shingles cover the roof. There is Grace shield over OSB for the decking. The back 20 feet has the same shingle and decking, but has a truss system, a continuous roof ridge, baffles at the eaves end with continuous perforated soffit, and 20 to 24+ inches of blown in cellulose.

What should I watch for and what maintenance should I do to this roof to prevent trouble and get that 30 year life out of the shingles?

-Rosalinda

Here in FL, the sun is the culprit on asphalt shingle roofs. You're lucky to get 15 years before they curl up and die. We are planning a build in SC, and I'm going with metal. With any luck, the roof will outlast me. Shingles are easier and cheaper for DIY, but I don't want to replace the roof when I'm 75 years old!

Rosalinda;

if you are in a northern climate you may get 30 years, but as said previously in the south 15 years would be doing good. A good alternative to regular shingles are stone coated steel, many offer 50- year warranty

I am in the north - Finger lakes region of NYS - zone 5b. My old house has 25 year roof shingles that I installed and are still performing without a problem in year 33, but the old house is not tight at all and does not have the spray foam to contend with. I really love the metal roof, but the Modular company that built the roof did not offer the option. I guess I will just have to hope for the best.

-Rosalinda

It's not clear to me why metal siding is considered low cost and a metal roof is so expensive.

Snow/Ice is basically like having water on your roof, eventually it will melt and cause roof ponding. Water weighs approximately 62.4 lbs per square foot, so if enough water/ice/snow accumulates it could actually cause your roof to collapse. Basically what happened to the Metrodome roof. I agree a good roof management plan will keep your roof up to date, and prevent costly roof replacements, and repairs.

Greenroofing,

When you say "Water weighs approximately 62.4 lbs per square foot, ..." did you mean cubic foot?

Why has nobody yet invented the spray-on roof?  Seems with current materials technology, such a system is possible.  Quicker, easier and with better sealing (no seams); reduced labor would offset potentially higher materials costs.  Sprayed on thick it could even be rolled or stamped to produce a pattern resembling shingles.  Seems it could add mechanical strength to the roof structure and be more hail-resistant.  Perhaps eliminate the need for flashing.

With the emerging crop of spray-on interior and exterior stucco products, how nice would it be to have a contractor show up with three guys and three guns and spray on your roof, exterior finish and interior finish all in one day?  Or renting a gun from a big-box store and spraying everything yourself in a couple days?

Mountain Stone;

spray roofs have been around for 30 years

http://www.dura-foam.com/resources/...superdome/

Chris,

Thanks for the education. A spray foam roof with acrylic coating (dura-foam) seems like a great solution for commercial/industrial/institutional applications and strikes me as the only flat-roof covering that makes any sense. While I like the idea of an inch of closed-cell monolithic structure protecting and insulating my roof, it seems prohibitively expensive for residential applications due mostly to specialized equipment and training (same as spray-foam insulation? - possible market opportunity?). Also, the limited color palette and smooth surface would look decidedly odd on a sloped roof surrounded by other traditional roofs. What I was thinking of was more of a single-layer roofing material that could be sprayed on a sloped roof's sheathing (or old shingles) with the same tools that spray on stucco, to make it possible for DIY installs or quick, inexpensive application by one or two professionals.

Though expensive, I've always wondered how well spray-on truck bedliner would perform as an exterior finish/roofing material...

One major factor that contributes to the life of your roof is the sun. Everyday exposure to the harmful effects of the sun,since we cannot control the weather it is inevitable situation! A yearly inspection/maintenance can be an alternative to last the life of your roof.


__________
SIPs

Squirrels are the most damaging factor to my own roof

Squirrels?  What kind of roof do you have and what are the squirrels doing to your roof?  I am not aware of problems with squirrels other than them dropping nuts on the roofs.

Alton,
Chris must have used hickory nut flavored shingles.

Alton;

they chew the ridge caps and shingles along flashings in an attempt to get into an attic that is not there, until they hit the metal deck, then realize there is no way in. By that time the damage is done, Squirells also like to chew the lead boots on vent stacks

We had squirrels chew through the shingles and the wooden deck to get into our attic here in FL.

Thanks Chris and Jdebree.

Wes, I guess I will have to pick a flavor that squirrels hate since we have so many squirrels in Auburn.  Where I grew up in KY we ate enough squirrels to keep the population thinnned out.  But of course we were poor. Squirrels, rabbits, turtles, fish, and pork kept us up to our daily requirements on protein.

Alton;

it is quite common to have  squirrels or racoons get in the attics around here, they gain entry thru the soffit area, most people don't even know they have a problem until the romex gets chewed up,  but when the get to my house they are frustrated with the solid SIP soffit and try other ways to get in