3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Repair Your Own Roof
As a handy and frugal homeowner, you probably do a lot of things around your house yourself. You might be a pro at unclogging a sink, trimming the trees, and other necessary tasks. You’ve probably even saved your family a lot of money over the years by not calling in the repair guys. And while this may make sense for many projects, roofing is in a category all its own.
For one thing, your roof is your first line of defense against harmful natural elements like rain, snow, and hail. So this means any little error could lead to massive damage. Second, you could end up spending more money than you have to if you don’t know what you’re doing. For these reasons and a few more listed here, it’s almost always better to call in the pros.
It’s dangerous
Professional roofers are trained for safety when it comes to climbing roofs and handling their tools on steep slopes. And if they do happen to get injured, they can contact their own toronto injury lawyer to get compensated through their company. But if you were to be injured while repairing your roof, you’d be relying solely on your own insurance to recoup your costs.
Of course, medical bills aren’t the only problem with injuries. You could be left with lost wages, insurance deductibles, and long-term pain and suffering. It’s never worth it to take on a risky job alone when so many other people can help.
You might spend more money
Contrary to what most people believe, DIY does not always equal savings. A professional roofer knows what to look for in roof damage. They may decide you only need a much more minor repair than what you might have assessed. They know where and how to look for weak spots on the roof that you probably don’t even know about. In other words, if you have to repair it several times because of things you missed, even the cost of a roof replacement mightend up being less than all those repairs.
The other way doing it yourself could cost you is by voiding your warranty. Usually, when your roof is installed or repaired, it comes with a warranty. And these warranties are often anywhere from 20 to 50 years. Since this is such an extended period of time, it’s best to let a professional check it to see whether the repairs will be covered. Not only will this save you the cost of materials for your project, but you might get a completely new roof.
You might miss something serious
No matter how thorough you are, if you’re not a professional roofer, you’re likely to miss something. And this something can be a minor issue with the potential to get worse, or it could be something major you just don’t know how to spot. On the surface, you’ll probably see any missing shingles or holes. But some problems can be underlying that you can’t see. For example, you could have water damage underneath a shingle that you can’t even tell is loose. That damage can lead to mold and rot if not addressed.
But even more concerning is if you have an active leak that could be near electrical fixtures. This is when simple roofing issues can become extremely dangerous. And chances are, you’ll have no idea if this is happening.
But a professional knows where and how to look for even subtle damage. They’ll know how to repair your roof in a way that lasts rather than just making it look good for the time being.
