When to Contact the Pros If You Need Roofing Work
5 min read
One of the most important roofing tips that roofers Marietta GA will give you is this: leave the important stuff to the professionals. The roof of your home may be its most critical facet, after all, it’s the very thing that provides much needed shelter for you and your family. You want to ensure that it’s in the best shape possible at all times.
However, we also understand that anything related to the roof can get pretty costly when it comes to repairs and replacements. Therefore, it’s understandable that some homeowners will try to find ways to save money anytime the roof has a problem that must be addressed urgently. But that does not mean you should be doing everything on your own, no matter how confident you may be in your do-it-yourselfer skills.
It’s just a fact that some jobs are best left to the experts, that is if you want the job done right. That’s because many roofing projects can be complex and even hazardous for those who don’t know what they’re doing. Forget the fact that you’re also hanging around on the roof of your house, a fall from that height could result in serious injury. But if you do the work incorrectly, you could end up paying more in the long run anyway to fix the problems you caused by trying to fix the problems with your roof.
So, let’s consider many common roofing jobs that homeowners will face and discuss which of these can be done without help and which ones require professional attention:
Roof Shingles
When a major storm hits, it comes with high winds and heavy rains. These can both be very hard on your roof shingles and you may notice that some of them are a little worse for wear once the clouds part and the sun is out.
That’s why it’s a good idea to do a visual inspection of your shingles, to determine if they have sustained any damage. You’re looking for shingles that have been cracked or fractured, broken or curled up, even shingles that have been dislodged out of place or maybe a few have gone missing. All of these are potential vulnerabilities that can leave your roof exposed and prone to water damage and other impacts. Conducting that visual inspection is something you can do all by yourself and it should be done after a storm.
But only a visual inspection, if you do find any evidence of damage or missing shingles that’s when it’s time to call the professionals.
A professional roofing service has the skill, experience, and the proper equipment to conduct a far more comprehensive inspection of the roof shingles and they can replace those shingles that are missing or have become damaged. This is the type of work you must leave to the pros because a common do it yourselfer simply does not have what it takes to recognize any other issues that might be apparent due to the condition of your roofing shingles.
These issues might entail loose hardware or damaged flashing in need of repair or even replacement. You won’t be able to look for additional problems that may require your assistance because you won’t be able to identify them. Not only that, you will need to have the shingles themselves repaired and/or replaced. This is also something you cannot and should not do all on your own.
Roofing Leaks
One of the most common indications that you have a roof issue is that its leaking. You may find signs of water damage in the walls or ceiling of your home or notice an accumulation of moisture in the attic. Perhaps even a musty odor emanating in multiple rooms of the home. Even the exterior of the house could be showing signs of moisture penetration.
If the roof is your culprit and there is a leak somewhere, you need to act immediately. One leak in the roof of your home could total hundreds if not thousands of dollars in damage and repairs. The sooner you fix the problem the better. But you can only do so much when you discover a leak. You’ve found the problem and now it’s time to call the professionals to rectify the matter.
For starters, a professional roofer can find where the leak or leaks are coming from as water can be very deceptive. You may notice the leak in one area when it’s actually originating somewhere else entirely. That’s because water travels very easily, it does not always leak directly vertical from its place of origin. It can run along pipes, beams, and other surprising routes to pool up some place other than where the leak has been seeping inside.
A professional has the expertise to trace the origin of the leak from where the water is getting in. If you try to do this yourself, you’re not only going to have a hard time but you could allow the leak to continue unabated long enough so as to increase the severity of the water damage.
Roof Inspection and Replacement
A leaky roof could be the sign of a larger, more pressing concern. This, along with other factors, might be telling you that the time has come to replace the roof completely. A complete and thorough roof inspection should be conducted first to determine just how bad off the roof is at this point in time and whether or not repairs or replacement are appropriate.
Neither of these things can or should be done by you. A roof inspection is a technical and complicated affair that requires highly-skilled know-how as to identify the condition of the roof and all of the materials used in its construction. Only pro can really tell you what’s going on.
If that expert deems your roof irreparable and you need to replace, that is also best left up to the professionals. A roof replacement is not a weekend DIY project. This is a component of your home that is intended to last for decades to come and must be done a professional with his or her specialized equipment.
