Hello World! Welcome Friends! Your roof is part of the foundation of your home. While it doesn’t support the structure, it does serve to protect you, your family, and your belongings.
A roof is one of the most expensive parts of your home, with an average replacement costing just over $7,000. You want to make sure that your roof is maintained properly, which can involve some DIY roof repairs.
Read on to learn more about roof maintenance, which repairs you can do yourself, and when it’s time to call in the professionals.
Top Signs You Need a Roof Repair
There are a number of warning signs that indicate it’s time for a roof repair. Most of these signs are apparent when you perform regular inspections of the roof and around your home. You should perform these inspections a couple of times a year and whenever a bad storm hits your area.
Missing or Damaged Shingles
You can take a close look at your roof from the ground. From there, you can spot any missing or damaged shingles that need to be replaced. These are vulnerabilities in the overall integrity of the roof. Once that’s compromised, more damage can occur, like water getting into the structure of the roof. That can lead to mold or rot, causing a major headache. In other words, get that fixed as soon as you can. These are usually easy DIY roof repairs that you can handle.
Water Damage
Are there signs of a leak in your home? Water damage or discoloration in ceiling corners is a sign that you may have a roof leak. Another sign is if you have wet or moldy attic insulation. That means that moisture is definitely getting into your home from the roof. A roof leak can be hard to locate, but a good place to start is by inspecting the roof vent and plumbing vent boots. You may find that one or both of these vents are loose, causing water to get into your house. You can fix these on your own. If you don’t see anything wrong with these areas, call in a professional to inspect your roof and figure out where the leak is.
Energy Bill Increase
A big spike in energy bills can be a sign that your roof isn’t functioning as well as it could. You may have a roof that allows cool air to escape or let hot air in during the summer months. Your air conditioning unit will have to work harder to maintain a steady temperature, which will cause your bills to increase. During the winter, the opposite happens. The roof lets warm air escape and cold air in. In both cases, you need to get your roof repaired. You’ll need to perform a close inspection around the attic and on your roof to see where the air is coming in and escaping.
Tips for DIY Roof Repairs
Roof repairs can be dangerous work for the professionals who know what they’re doing. It’s even more dangerous for the DIYers. You need to put safety first when you are taking on a roof repair project. The most common DIY roof repairs are shingle repair and replacement. These are isolated issues that most DIYers can handle. However, if you have widespread damage, you’re better off leaving the work to the professionals. Here are a few tips to help you repair those shingles the right way.
Shoes with Traction
You’re going to be on a sloped roof, which means that a slight slip can cause a major injury. You want to wear shoes that have great traction.
What’s the Weather?
You never know when the weather will change. Storms and windy conditions can catch you off-guard during a roof repair. You’ll want to check the weather reports before you decide to work on the roof.
Wear a Harness
A safety harness will provide an extra layer of security in case you do a trip or slide on the roof. You want to make sure that the harness is tied to a stable and secure structure that can support your weight.
Be Thorough and Deliberate
You don’t need to rush DIY roof repairs. Take your time and gather all the tools you need to complete the repair before you begin. Take your time while you’re on the roof. You don’t need to rush the job. That’s when mistakes and misfortunes happen.
Call in the Professionals
You will want to leave some of the more involved roof repairs to professionals to handle. This ensures that your roof repair is done correctly. You don’t want to invest time and money making repairs that are beyond your abilities. You’re likely to make mistakes that you’ll have to pay for later on. The first thing you need to check is whether they are licensed and insured to work on your roof. This is critical because you could be left paying for things like medical expenses if one of their employees gets hurt on the job. You also want to ask about warranty coverage for the repairs and check their pricing. It should be clear and indicate what the work will cost and the materials for the job.
Be Smart When It Comes to DIY Roof Repairs
Your roof is such an important part of your home. You don’t want to leave it to chance, but you don’t want to shell out a lot of money for repairs, either. The key to good DIY roof repairs is to know your skills and capabilities. You want to make sure that you inspect your roof regularly and tackle minor repairs like isolated shingle repairs and replacements. For larger issues like leaks or structural damage, you need to leave that to the pros. Just check to make sure that you hire a licensed and insured roofing contractor.
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