Roof Repairing Guide

There are all kinds of roofs. If your own happens to be quite flat, and your house is a one-story building, so that you can reach the roof by using an ordinary ladder, there is little danger in venturing out on it, but if you have to crawl through a window and claw your way around on a steep roof, you will do much better to stay away from it. However, there are a few basic rules for safe roof work which every homeowner should be familiar with.

Many people do not realize they have a problem with their roof until the inevitable happens…..roof leaks. More often than not, that is when a roofer receives a call to perform a roof repair – only to find that the whole roof needs replaced. Some are frustrated when they are being apprised of this situation and believe the roofer may be trying to “sell” them something they may not need. Be aware that roof repairs cost more on a hourly basis then replacing a roof. It would take “only” approximately two days of doing roofing repairs to equal the same amount paid in labor for an entire week when replacing your roof.

If a leak is recognized, clear the area of any home belongings, for instance electronic equipment furniture, etc. Place a bucket to collect the water for the time being. Once you can clearly see where the water is dripping from the ceiling, take a ladder and look at the roof in that area. You might easily see a part of the roof that has a broken shingle; you might also see debris, loose flashings, etc.

The Roofing Process

A moderately sized roofing job might take only 3 or 4 days.

• Remove all existing shingles, deposit them in a roll-off, and remove.
• Begin to make minor repairs on roof if in good condition. If not, replace bad wood with plywood or 1″x6″ boards, whichever is applicable to your roof.
• Install the “ice dam,” which is an ice and water barrier made of plastic to prevent backed up ice in the gutters from working itself under the shingles.
• Lay down asphalt paper.
• Apply the shingles – starting at the eaves and working upward.
• Apply flashing around all areas where leaks might come into the house – against the chimney, stack vents, etc.
• Install the ridge vent.

We need to cover a few things before starting any roofing project. These include:

• Get Proper Information: Be aware this is a construction project and there will be noise and debris. Children love to watch what’s going on with their house but they must be kept away from the perimeter of the worksite, ladders and equipment.
• Share Properly Your roofing Condition with Roofers: Roofers generally do their best not to drop debris into shrubbery or flower beds but it is sometimes unavoidable. Inform roofing company if you have delicate flower beds or shrubbery that needs special protection.
• Point out sprinklers: that heads along driveways and sidewalks to help us prevent damaging them.
• Roofing is a noisy job, including hammering and power equipment. In most instances we will finish the job, including a thorough cleanup, in less than two days.
• Hanging Items on walls should be removed: Loosely hung items on walls should be removed. Also, bring in flower pots or other yard objects close to the perimeter of the roof.
• Inspect your building condition completely: If you have wood shingles, be aware that dust and debris particles will fall into the attic during the tear off process. You may want to cover some items in your attic with protective cloth or plastic.

Many roofing problems, including shorter than expected life spans, are the result of improper material selection in the first place most roofing decisions are made on the basis of first cost or appearance and local climatic conditions are often given too little consideration. Hail, wind and freeze/thaw cycling are particularly hard on most roofing materials. Start by understanding the local climate your roof must deal with.