Americans love their roofs! That’s why more than 150,000 people work as professional roofers.
But Americans may love their roofs a little too much. They make repairs that aren’t necessary or don’t resolve the problems they are experiencing. If you are noticing issues with your roof, you need to stop and think about home roof repair mistakes.
What should you do to get the roots of your roof problem? What steps should you take and what materials should you use in roof repair? What repairs should you avoid making yourself?
Answer these questions and you can keep your roof perfect for years to come. Here are eight mistakes you can avoid.
1. Misdiagnosing the Problems With Your Roof
You may have a leak in your home, and you may find a hole in your roof. It is easy to imagine that water is coming into your house through the hole and creating your leak.
Patching the hole up will fix most of the problem. But you need to address what caused the hole in the first place. If a tree branch fell on it, you need to reinforce your roof or add a new layer of shingles.
Do some investigating before you start repairing roof damage. Think about ways to prevent the problem in the future in addition to ways to fix the damage.
2. Forgetting About the Attic
Any extensive repair you make to your roof will affect your attic. Your attic supports your roof, and your attic will get damaged if your repairs fail.
Walk through your attic and take note of any problems in it like holes in the walls or mold. A problem in your attic may be causing the problem in your roof. You may have a burst pipe in your ceiling that is soaking upward onto your roof.
Fix those problems before you turn to your roof. As the roof repair is occurring, you should keep an eye on your attic. After the repair is done, you should look through your attic and see if everything is okay before letting the workers leave.
3. Mixing up Different Shingles
Your roof’s shingles are your most important roofing material. They keep your home dry and they protect your home from falling objects. They also offer aesthetic value, making your home seem more modern or stylish.
Yet you can’t just select any shingles you want, especially if you are looking to replace shingles. Shingles are designed to match the contours of roofs. If you buy two brands of shingles, they may not fit together, and your roof repair may fail.
Take photographs of the shingles you have. Then find exact replicas of them, ideally from the same company.
4. Using the Wrong Materials
You may want to keep your roof repair budget small. Yet this means you will buy low-quality materials that won’t fit together or will fall apart.
In particular, you may be tempted to reuse your flashing in order to save money. But your old flashing can have holes or rust, letting in water and compromising the integrity of your roof.
Even though it will cost money, you should invest in new and high-quality materials like new flashing. The upfront cost of paying for new materials is less than the cost of having to do a full-scale roof repair.
5. Stacking Too Many Layers
Though you should buy new materials, you shouldn’t buy too many materials. Stacking layers of shingles on top of each other or placing new flashing over old flashing can create a lot of weight.
Your roof may collapse in on itself, or an upper layer of materials may slide off. Remove an old layer of materials and then install a new one.
6. Maintaining an Improper Roof Shape
The slope of your roof keeps your home dry and deflects debris away from your home. It’s okay to have a shallow slope as long as rainwater and debris slide off.
Your repairs must conform to the slope and shape of your roof. If you try to change the change with your shingles, the shingles may break.
You can change the slope of your roof, but that is a major repair that requires changing out the roof’s internal materials. You should only do so if you have a flat roof that is letting water and ice sit on your home.
7. Forgetting About Inclement Weather
Fluffy snow weighs roughly four pounds per square foot. Snow mixed with ice or sleet can weigh around 12.5 pounds per square foot.
If the snow or sleet gets concentrated on one area, material in your roof may snap or your roof may fall in. Pay attention to how much weight your roof can sustain and take steps to reinforce your roof. You may also want to move sensitive objects out of your attic so they don’t get damaged during inclement weather.
You should think about how snow and rain will affect your gutters. Flooded or clogged gutters can create leaks and fall off your roof.
8. Making Major Fixes by Yourself
You can own roof repair equipment and make minor repairs like fixing a cracked shingle. You should keep a roof inspection checklist on hand and perform regular roof maintenance.
Any repair that will take a few hours or would change the integrity of your roof requires professionals. You should talk to a roof repair service as soon as a problem presents itself. The longer you wait, the worse the damage may get.
Recognizing Home Roof Repair Mistakes
Home roof repair mistakes are as common as roofers themselves. You need to investigate your home before you make repairs. Check your attic and see how your repairs will impact it.
Find the right materials for your repairs, especially for your shingles. Do not stack layers on top of each other and do not change the shape of your roof.
Inclement weather may be your biggest threat. Perform regular roof maintenance so you fight against inclement weather.
When in doubt, turn to a roofing expert. Amenity Roofing, Siding & Gutters serves the Naperville area. Find a location near you today.
