Whether you happen to be one of those people blessed with handyman skills or not, when it comes to roof repair, it is always best to go with the professionals. Genuine professionals (not the scam artists) have the experience and expertise and will do the job right. However, there are some jobs that can be done by the DIY in you and of course, this will save you some money.
Assuming you want to save money, the job is not too big, you are good with fixing things and that you do not have acrophobia (fear of heights), then here are some tips on roof repairs that you can try by yourself.
1. Replacing Shingles
Sometimes, during your routine inspections of your roof, you may notice a few missing or damaged shingles. If these shingles are not in different areas, in other words, if they are in one particular spot, then it may be possible to try and replace them. One problem homeowners face is trying to make a perfect match.
You need to try and find shingles that match the ones that need to be replaced and they have to be the same colour and style. If it isn’t, then the difference will be obvious and glaring. This means it could lose some of its curb appeal and if you are hoping to sell your home, that’s not good news. Potential buyers may not be confident. If you do get exact matches, then remove the old ones but make sure to check surrounding ones as well. Use adhesives for the shingles and secure them in place with nails.
2. Partial Reroofing
This is when you remove all the shingles in a particular area and replace it with new ones. Sometimes, you can layer new ones over the old ones. If you were unable to find a match for shingles as mentioned earlier, then you can do it this way. However, keep in mind that you can only layer them like this once.
If you happen to have two layers there already, then you have to remove both of them. This can get a little tricky though, because the new part may not join up well with other sections, causing a hump at the ridge cap. Again, it could lead to loss of curb appeal. If most of your roof is in good shape and only part of it is damaged or missing, attempting to reroof might be a good option.
3. Total Reroofing
Sometimes, you may have no choice but to totally reroof entirely, depending on what the problem is. In this case, you need to strip off all the old shingles before replacing them with the new ones. One good benefit of doing this is that the newer shingles adhere much better compared to older ones.
4. Flashing
In general, flashing problems can be fixed quite easily. Flashing is the aluminum or galvanized steel material that prevents water seepage. If you reroof, you should consider asking your roofers to replace the flashing as well as part of the roof repair.
Take care of any issues as soon as you find it. This way, you can probably handle it yourself before it becomes a major problem. If it does, the best thing would be to call in the professionals.
