Some home improvement projects – painting the bedroom, changing the faucets – can be done with the help of a YouTube video and a home improvement store. Others, though, should be left to the professionals.
Which roofing projects can you handle yourself, and which ones should you only allow experts to handle? Here at Accent Roofing, we prefer you leave all roofing projects to the pros, if only because working on the roof can be a dangerous job if you don’t know what you’re doing. But if you’re gung-ho for DIY, here are four roofing projects you should keep off your Honey-Do list.
Roof Replacement
It should go without saying that you should never, every try to replace your roof yourself. Not only is this backbreaking work, it’s also incredibly specialized. The best roofers have decades of combined experience working on different style roofs with a host of unique materials. Just one misplaced nail can make for years of water invasion, not to mention all the factors that go into considering a roof’s ventilation system. Some things only years of experience can teach you to do properly: roof replacement is one of them.
Significant Repair
It can be tempting to want to repair your roof yourself, particularly if the issue seems clear. Whether it’s a loose piece of flashing or a small drip leak in the attic…where’s the harm in repairing it yourself if you’re reasonably confident you can do so safely? The harm is, of course, that you might miss a much bigger underlying issue in an effort to DIY. Professional roofers understand that where there’s smoke, there’s (usually) fire. They have the tools and the know-how to tell when a small repair is actually pointing to a much bigger problem.
Shingle Replacement
Is your roof missing a shingle or two? Easy, right? Think again. Not only are missing shingles one of the first signs of many serious roofing problems, including the need for a full roof replacement, they’re actually very difficult to replace correctly! Attaching a shingle to your roof in the wrong way could compromise your roofing’s underlayment. What does that mean? That you might actually be unwittingly inviting water into your house every time it rains.
Repairing Hail Damage
Hail damage can be deceptively pervasive. What might look like just a few pock marks from the ground could actually indicate pretty problematic issues underneath. Hail can be very, very damaging to a roof’s structure and ability to repel water; hailstones can knock granules off of shingles, dent and compromise flashing, and even loosen gutter fastening from the sides of the roof system. It’s hard to tell exactly what’s been undermined by a hail storm but an experienced roofer understands how to evaluate a roof for weak spots after a storm.
Roofing projects simply aren’t worth doing yourself. Remember that roofing problems are cumulative, and they get worse over time. One small, undetectable issue now can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs a few years down the road. Using a local roofing professional to complete any work on your roof is the best way to protect one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make in your home.
Professional roofing contractors are professional for a reason. When you need a water-tight roof, you need years of experience to ensure the best possible outcome.
Need an expert opinion? Reach out to your neighbors at Accent Roofing today. They don’t call us the “Leaksmith” for nothing!
Contact us to schedule your FREE roofing inspection today:
Call us at 1-770-769-1808
