Top 7 Tips For Proper Roofing Repair

The roof is one of the most important parts of a home. Although you may not realize it, you utilize your roof more often than any other part of the home. The roof insulates your home and shelters it from a wide range of elements, including falling debris, weather, animals, and bugs. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that you ensure that the roof of your home is properly maintained at all time.

Even though roofs are made to last for a long time, they can be damaged by rust, moisture, weather, and trees. To detect these damages, you need to inspect your roof regularly, and repair it as soon as you detect the damages. When your roof is damaged and incapable of insulating your home against external elements, you need to move fast to fix it and prevent further damage. If your roof requires repair, here are five tips for ensuring that the repair works are done safely and correctly:

Take Safety Precautions

Damaged roofs pose a real safety risk because they’re high above the ground. A single falling object could cause serious injury. If you choose to climb up to repair your roof, ensure that you take precautions to stay safe to reduce your chances of getting injured. The first thing you need to do is to dress well for the job. Put on long pants. Jeans are great for the job as well as a shirt with long sleeves. To ensure that you don’t slip and slide while on the roof, get a pair of well-fitting rubber-soled shoes. This will give you a firm grip on the roof.

In addition to appropriate dressing, pick the right time to fix your roof. The best time to do this is during the sunny season. Your roof will be slippery on a rainy day. The presence of algae and moss just adds to the problem. On a sunny day, your shingles will be dry, allowing your feet a good grip on the roof surface. If it gets windy while you’re working on the roof, ensure that you get off the roof safely.

You’ll also need to pay attention to your surroundings. When you’re up on the roof, there are many things not found on the ground that could cause injuries. These include chimneys, bird nests, trees, powerlines, and TV antennas, among others. Before you start repairing your roof, check your surroundings for these and be aware of their presence and location.

Assess The Roof For Repair And Replacement

Before you start fixing your roof, assess the damage. If all you find are damages in isolated areas, all you need is a quick roof repair. However, there are times when your roof will require a full replacement. If in your assessment, the shingles are curled up and can’t straighten without breaking, your gutters are clogged by shingle dust, and your shingles are old and bare, you’ll need to replace the roof. In such situations, repair will just be a waste of money and time.

Replace Shingles With Matching Ones

When the shingles of your roof are damaged, water passes through, and your home begins to leak. To prevent this, your roofer should either repair your current shingles or replace them completely if there is evidence of extensive damage or wear and tear. Not all shingles may require replacement during repair. Your roofer may only have to replace several of them, depending on the extent of the damage.

If you find that the replacement of shingles is necessary, consider getting those that match the style and color of those that you have. Placing new shingles that differ from the rest might affect your home’s curb appeal because even the slightest difference can be noticed from afar. Replacing damaged shingles with matching ones, on the other hand, enables you to maintain your home’s appearance and does not affect the value of your property negatively.

Save Old Shingles

There are times when it’ll be possible to salvage old shingles and avoid incurring the additional cost of purchasing new ones. Saving old shingles can also keep you from a situation where you’re forced to use shingles that don’t match because getting pieces that match the ones you have can become a challenge. One way of salvaging old shingles is using roofing cements and roofing nails to straighten curled-up shingles. If you have brittle shingles, you can soften them using a heat gun to keep them from breaking when they’re pushed to the roof.

Fix Vents And Flashings Properly

As you repair your roofing and eavestrough, you need to ensure that the vents and flashing are fixed properly to prevent leaks. The flashing should not have gaps around it or be loose. It needs to be secured well to the roof using roof cement or nails. Ensure that the caulk does not have cracks as well. Pay attention to the vents too. Seal the spaces around chimneys, vents, and flashing well to keep them from leaking.

Don’t Expose Nail Heads

When repairing your roof, you’ll need to use galvanized steel or aluminum nails that don’t rust easily. As you fix your shingles, ensure that you don’t leave your nail heads exposed. The best way to do this is to fix the nails beneath the shingle that comes above the one they are in. If you can’t do this, cover each nail head with roof sealant or caulk.

Know When To Hire A Roofing Expert

While you may be confident about conducting minor repairs on your roof, you need to know when the damage is beyond your skills. The best way to get your roof fixed properly is to get an expert roofer to do it. If you come across a roof problem that you don’t have the skill to fix, don’t feel very safe working on it, or you simply have not time to fix it, it’s time to reach out to a roofing professional. You can get a certified roofing expert in Burlington quickly by going to sites like https://dangeloandsons.com/roofing-eavestrough-burlington/. Always check online reviews to ensure the roofer you hire is reliable.

Final Thoughts

Your roof can go for years without requiring repairs. However, there are times that it will require minor or major repairs, depending on the damage sustained. Some people feel comfortable doing small repairs by themselves. If you’re comfortable repairing your roof, apply the tips discussed above to ensure you get the job done properly. Otherwise, get a roofing expert to fix the problem for you.