A note to the manly homeowner:
There’s no doubt that as the man of the house you are absolutely manly enough to watch a few YouTube tutorials, grab the ol’ ladder from the garage, climb on top of your roof and repair it yourself. Maybe you can!
But when we’re talking about your home’s roof, one of the most expensive parts of your home, here’s why we discourage DIY roofing repairs and, without deflating your manliness in any way, ask that you call a professional roofer.
On that note, we’ve also written an article that will help you find a good professional roofer for your roof repairs or roof replacements: Finding A Roofer You Can Trust.
3 Reasons You Should Not Do Your Own Roof Repairs
1. FALLING FROM THE ROOF HURTS
Here’s an all too obvious piece of roofing information: No man who ever climbed on his roof to do his own roof repair or roof replacement was planning to fall down. But here’s what’s not all too obvious and in fact kind of shocking:
In Florida, the average one story home is 10-12 feet tall. The average two story home is 20-25 feet tall. Both are a long way down. Falling from your roof is an impact that’s equivalent of being hit by a car at 25-35 MPH. You said it – “OUCH!”
Every year in America 500,000 people fall from ladders causing injury and over 97% of these falls occur at home or on farms. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, every year 500,000 people are treated for ladder-related injuries, of which 300-400 are fatal.
Now what about those ladders? Again the obvious point. You don’t climb a ladder planning to fall off. But as the old saying goes “it’s as easy as falling off a ladder.”
According to the CDC, “Among workers, approximately 20 percent of fall injuries involve ladders, and among construction workers, an estimated 81 percent of fall injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms involve a ladder.”
We are not trying to scare you but when thinking about doing your own roof repairs or a roof replacement, this one single fact is likely the most important to take into consideration – your safety.
2. YOUR DIY ROOF REPAIRS COULD CREATE MORE DAMAGE – UNDETECTED
Take it from a professional roofer, repairing your roof is not always as easy as repairing a leaking faucet or a broken garage door. By experience, we’ve seen DIY roof repairs turn into more costly situations requiring more extensive roof repairs.
Incorrectly replaced shingles can lead to undetected water leaking into your house that causes further damage. You could also damage the insulation that is under the shingles and not only cause a more extensive roof repair but it could also have in impact on your utility bills. Walking on clay tile roofs can often cause cracks in the clay tiles and sometimes even break them completely. Walking on shingles can rub off the asphalt layers that protect them from Florida’s harsh sun and weather. In some cases, doing your own roof repair can make your roof’s warranty invalid.
These are some examples that we’ve seen when homeowners attempt to do their own roof repairs.
3. DOING YOUR OWN ROOF REPAIR CAN END UP COSTING YOU MORE, MAKING THE PROBLEM WORSE
Not experienced in car engines, would you take apart you car’s engine and try to put it back together after you watched a YouTube video or got some advice from a friend? Maybe you love engines and this example isn’t for you. But the point is that trying to do your own roof repairs when you’ve never done it before can lead to you trying to fix the problem, not succeeding and so making the problem bigger requiring a more expensive roof repair. And yes we’ve seen this a lot.
Even if you seemingly fixed your roof, how do you know you did a good job and that the fix will stick or was done right? A small leak can turn into a flood, a few broken shingles could lead to an entire section of your roof needing repair, and so on.
When uncertain, call a professional roofer to ensure that your roof repairs are done right, not only saving you money but also ensuring your safety.