How to Fix Roof Leaks & Broken Shingles

As any Roofing repair contractor in Seattle or otherwise would tell you, there is a lot to do when it comes to your roof. While you can simply defer maintenance, every season can add on new problems. Stopping a problem in your roof as early as possible is an excellent way to preserve your roof’s strength. Some repairs can be done yourself, while others should be outsourced to the professionals.

Identify the Problem

The first step in fixing any obstacle is to figure out precisely what it is. In this case, finding out where your roof is leaking is also vitally important. Unless you intend to replace the entire roof, which is costly and very labor intensive, targeting the precise location of your leak is essential. This generally means going up onto the roof and poking around.

The two main things to look for with a roof leak are apparent cracks and weak spots. A soft spot means that water has ended up there, and it can be a good clue as to where the water entered. Sometimes water will flow into a breach in your roof and then flow downward, causing damage below itself. Once you have found a weak spot, you can usually find the leak’s location that much sooner. Check out our full range of roof repair services as we cover everything from minor work to consultation and much more.

Fixing Broken Shingles

Broken shingles can be snapped into two pieces, hanging off of your roof or blown off altogether. In some cases, such as when the shingles are in sections, it may be time to replace the broken ones. If small parts are missing, you may be able to repair them with a tube of roofing tar. In cases where there is a tear at the top where the nail had been before, and the shingle itself is still intact, simply putting in a new nail at roughly the same vertical level. If it’s placed precisely underneath the above shingle, this can solve the problem fairly quickly.

It is important to remember that before you repair or replace a shingle, you check out the decking underneath. If it is too weak, replacing a part of the decking may be required. For the most part, if you catch the shingle issue early, the decking should still be strong enough that it can easily air-dry underneath once the shingles are restored to water tightness.

The Flashing

Flashing surrounds virtually any potential breach point in your roof. This is a point that can fail reasonably quickly, and you may be able to replace it yourself. Flashing is also good because it is easy to find. Flashing usually consists of concealed tar backed aluminum foil or sheet metal. Generally, flashing can be bent into place and secured either via nails or adhesion. Also check our post on “Pros and Cons of Do It Yourself Roof Repair Work“.

When you flash an area, often you will have to remove siding or shingles to get in. This can be very labor intensive, and thus you may want to trust this to a professional. One of the most critical parts of handling a roof leak is determining what you are individually capable of, and what issue should be left to the professionals.

source https://roofingspecialistsnw.com/how-to-fix-roof-leaks-broken-shingles/

Pros and Cons of Do It Yourself Roof Repair Work

Roof repair is potentially expensive and time consuming project that every homeowner must take seriously, especially when it concerns deciding whether or not to do the repairs yourself. As any roof  type project must be approached with caution and a plan in order to avoid injuries and faulty installation, it is very important to consider the pros and cons of doing the roof repair yourself. The pros of doing your own roof repairs, while they do exist, must be carefully considered before you do decide to pursue this project without any professional help.

Do It Yourself Roof Repairs: The Pros

Take the following pros of performing your own roof repairs into consideration before you make the decision of whether or not to hire a professional contractor to do the job:

1. If you do possess the necessary knowledge and skills required to perform the intricacies involved in a roof repair, then the money saved on the potentially expensive labor and hardware associated with hiring a professional service could easily be avoided if you know what you are getting yourself into.
2. By performing the repairs yourself, you can have the added benefit of being in charge of the schedule, deciding when the construction takes place. This is ideal if time is of the essence or if you are concerned about the hours of construction inconveniencing the schedule of your family.

Do It Yourself Roof Repairs: The Cons

On the other hand, here are some of the cons associated with doing your own roof repair:

1. The time commitment for a roof-related project is usually extensive, potentially so time consuming when performing the labor by yourself in fact, that it can actually make more sense financially to hire professionals, as the time you invest could eventually add up to more than what it would cost to seek help.
2. Similarly, if you don’t already have the tools needed for the job, purchasing the appropriate hardware and tools could quickly deplete your budget. Likewise, if you are not familiar with the proper technique of using the equipment, you run another safety risk.
3. As roofing projects typically require a certain degree of expertise and physical strength, it is often wise to leave it to the experts when it comes to such the fine details and extensive manual labor involved in home construction projects.
4. Since a roof is a major investment for your home and any construction on or around it could potentially be a liability, consider the fact that when you do repairs yourself, you are not insured the way a professional roofing company is and should even a minor accident occur, the consequences of not being properly insured could be disastrous.
5. Finally, another drawback to performing roof repairs, like shingle replacements for example, is that warranties on parts of this nature are dependent upon proper installation, something that only a professional company would be likely to guarantee. Shingle replacement and other similar repairs are sometimes best left trusted to a professional for this reason.

If the pros of doing it yourself sound a little too overwhelming, call Roofing Specialists Northwest today. We are here to help you!

The post Pros and Cons of Do It Yourself Roof Repair Work appeared first on Northwest.

source https://roofingspecialistsnw.com/pros-and-cons-of-do-it-yourself-roof-repair-work/

Roof Repair Tips

You’ve got a leak on your roof. You have found the source of the leak and you are now waiting on a Roof repair contractor in Seattle. Really, there are two temporary remedies for a leaky roof that you can use while you wait for the leak to be repaired. Prior to you climb onto the roofing of your house, keep in mind that it is simple to slip, especially on wet tile; there is likewise risk from tree branches, power lines, and ladders. If you are going to climb onto your roofing, wear non-slip, rubber soled shoes and utilize a firmly braced ladder geared up with rubber safety feet.

Repairs are always made from the outside of the roof; a quick way to temporarily fix a leaky roof is by placing buckets under the leaks. Yes, we know that’s not rocket science but these will at least catch the water and prevent damage to your flooring or carpet. Buckets are easy to replace and provide a quick temporary remedy to the smaller leaks. Damage contained!

On the roof, you can use plastic sheeting or tar paper. Plastic sheeting is the most temporary measure to leaks. Take heavy plastic sheets and use roofing nails to fasten them around the hole. You can also use cement blocks or sandbags to hold down the plastic if you are unable to find nails. Again, be careful.

Roofing paper is another temporary remedy to a leaky roof. Roofing paper is also known as tar paper or roofing felt. Roof paper can be applied with trowel grade roofing plastic cement and a trowel; these are best used in overlapping layers. Roofing paper can be found at any construction supply store.

The smaller sized holes might be covered with roofing plastic cement. Utilize a trowel to spread the roofing plastic cement over the holes.

Here is a nice video showing some roof repair tricks:

Aim to resist the urge to get up on a ladder to take a better look at your harmed roofing and use binoculars instead to spot torn or missing shingles. Always remember that stepping on the roof can be very dangerous as you could fall of or through a weak, damaged section of the roof. Leave the hard work to a roof repair specialist such as Roofing Specialists Northwest. Leaks can become a huge hassle; don’t let it be by contacting Seattle Roof Repair specialists at Roofing Specialists Northwest.

Source: https://roofingspecialistsnw.com/roof-repair-tips/