Not only is your roofing one of the most important parts of your home, but it’s also one of the parts that you see and interact with the least. Let’s face it, climbing on top of your roof is not part of your daily routine, at least we hope it isn’t.
Nevertheless, it’s important to keep an eye on your roof to ensure it stays in good shape, and to ensure that any damage to your roof is detected and repaired as quickly as possible.
To help you maintain your roof, we’ve listed seven very common roofing questions and their answers along with some resources for you to work with:
How can I recognize when my roof has a problem?
There are two kinds of roof damage. The first being the obvious roof damage you can easily see because it directly impacts your immediate lifestyle, water dripping from your ceiling onto your couch is a great example. The second kind of roof damage is the one that you can’t see because it’s not immediately impacting your day-to-day life, nevertheless, it’s there and it slowly spreads until one day you need to replace your entire roof.
The best way to avoid both kinds of damage is to call a professional roofer once a year to conduct a professional roof inspection. You might liken this to bringing your car to get serviced every ten-thousand miles. A professional roofer will be able to check all the important points of your roof to make sure that everything is working as it should.
But what about the rest of the year, in between the roof inspections? To help you with this, here are two resources you can use to keep an eye on your roof:
- A roof inspection checklist that you can do on your roof (keep in mind that climbing on top of your roof requires certain safety precautions and we advise you to not skimp on any of them to ensure your safety). View our downloaded-able DIY roof inspection checklist.
- An article that covers some common signs that will tell you that you need to replace your roof. Replacing your roof when you see these signs will prevent further damage to your home and more costly repairs. Read How Do I Know if I Need a New Roof?
What Options Do I Have if I Need a New Roof?
Depending on what kind of roof you have you are going to have one of two main options when it comes to getting a new roof:
- Getting your roof fully replaced or
- Cover your existing roof with a new roof
A complete roof replacement involves removing your existing roof completely and installing a new roof. While this the more costly option, it’s often a very solid option guaranteeing your new roof will last an additional 10-15 years or more.
Recovering your existing roof is more cost-friendly. Essentially, you’ll have a new roof but it will be built on top of the existing roof. Usually, you can only recover your roof once and then will need to replace it.
If you want to decide what your best roofing services option is, a professional roofer can come to take a look at your roof and help you weigh your options.
If My Roof Has a Leak Do I Need to Replace It?
A leak is most likely the most concerning type of roof damage as it directly impacts your day-to-day life and can also cause other damage to your home and your furniture. However, just because your roof has a leak it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to replace your entire roof. Thank god right?!
There are many different reasons that your roof could be leaking. If you spot a leak it’s very important that you call a professional roofer out to do a full inspection to determine the cause of the leak and what can be done to repair it. When it comes to leaks, often the faster they are spotted and repaired, the less damage they do and the less likely it is that you’ll need a roof replacement.
Can I Do Roof Repairs Myself or Do I Need To Call a Professional Roofer?
The answer to this question varies depending on how good your general DIY home improvement work is. Roof repairs differ from normal DIY work because if your roof needs repair and it’s not done right, it could lead to more costly damage. So when doing maintenance or repairs on your own roof, it’s important do a very good job.
If you are used to doing home improvement work and you feel confident that you can maintain and repair your own roof, there is a lot of material online and on YouTube that will help you learn what to do.
If however, you are not generally very successful with DIY type work at home, we strongly suggest that you call a professional roofer to avoid further damage to your roof.
Either way, when doing DIY roofing work at home, it is extremely important that you take all necessary safety precautions. Climbing on top of your roof can be dangerous.
How long will my roof last?
A well-maintained shingle roof can last between 10-20 years. Other kinds of roofs can last longer depending on their materials, build, and so on.
Because of Florida’s climate and weather patterns, to prolong the lifespan of your roof, your roof’s materials and build are very important as well as routine maintenance.
Article by:
Robert Shingletop
Senior Editor, No1 Home Roofing
sales@no1homeroofing.com