Your home has been offering shelter for you, your family, and essentials for quite some time. The roof is the most affected by the elements, considering that it is the part that is widely exposed to the weather. Therefore, if you want to be a good property owner, it is time to consider repairing those common roof leaks and other remodeling projects. Some of these roof repair projects are simple, and you can handle them as DIY. Such projects include cleaning the roof and replacing a damaged shingle. Nonetheless, there are those challenging roof renovations that may require you to consider hiring local roofers. Such complicated projects include extensive shingle damage, repairing the previous installation, water damage and roof leaks, and poor ventilation.
Your needs, preferences, and even financial capabilities may differ significantly from those of your neighbors regarding roof repairs. For instance, the cost to repair a metal roof is different than that of renovating a shingle roof. The total cost of repairing a roof depends on the extent of the damage. The cost to fix a sagging roof might be higher than the cost to fix flashing on the roof. The information discussed below will help you understand how you can keep a roof in its best health.
Understanding the Size of a Roof
As a homeowner there are many things one has to be responsible for to ensure their house stays in the best possible shape. Things like a clogged sink or faulty light fixture are simple enough jobs, but what of roofing repairs? Tending to a roof is a big job, not only for the fact that it involves climbing up a ladder and working several feet off ground, but also the importance of professional and precise work to keep the home protected. The following describes how homeowners can keep their roofs in the best possible shape, as well as the importance of professional home repair services in helping to maintain a healthy roof.
We don’t often think about the general expanse of our roofs, nor the amount of roofing materials that would be required to get a repair job done. Understanding this, however, can help a homeowner make a better decision about whether a job is DIY or in need of professional home repair services. To begin with, a roof square is defined as a 10 foot by 10 foot patch; on average, most roofs have 22 to 26 squares in total. This may put the concept of installing a new roof into perspective, considering how big of a job it really is. What’s more, leaks are 95% more likely to happen where the inner membrane has been broken or interrupted. As such, it’s important to understand the exact measurement of the roof slope by taking the ratio of its vertical rise in inches over a horizontal distance of 12 inches. Getting this important measurement exactly right can be difficult without the help of hired handyman roof repair.
Choosing the Right Materials
While four out of five roofs in the U.S. are covered in asphalt roofing shingles there is definitely something to be said for the resilient nature of a metal roof. Asphalt roofing shingles typically last about 15-30 years under the best maintenance and weather conditions, while metal roofs last an upwards of 50 years needing less maintenance and looking more aesthetically pleasing. Further in favor of metal roofs, certain insurance companies will offer homeowners up to 30% premium reductions for installing weather-resistant metal roofs instead. This extremely labor intensive roof installation can and should be done by experienced home repair services.
Replacing a new roof completely requires up to two weeks and the inexperienced may try to cut down on this by placing new materials over old; this can cut down the life of a new roof by 20%. While it’s good for a homeowner to learn basic DIY fix-its, roof repair and installation is definitely worth the investment of good home repair services.
