Category: Home Improvement

Front view of moderm house with balcony and metal roof.

A Simple 5-Step Plan For The Proper Metal Roofing Decision

What will be your starting point when choosing your new roof? We know that this isn’t something you are heavily familiar with and so making a good choice can be tricky. Therefore, we have created a 5-step plan to assist homeowners in choosing a metal roof that will last them for nearly a lifetime.

Begin with determining your needs and then figuring out how to fulfill them in the best way possible. It’s very important that you implement the right steps before making your decision instead of letting your contractor determine these steps.

5-Step Plan For Making The Best Roofing Decision

What are your needs? The first step is all about determining your buying criteria to find the “essentials” of your roof.

Find the product. The next step would be to choose a product that best matches your set criteria. For example, you can choose between a conventional vertical seam or products like shake, tile, slate, and shingles.

We advise you to utilize the “Metal Roofing Alliance” to explore the best product choice for your home from a reputable brand.

Make sure that your decision is compatible with your home’s needs. Once you have selected a product, send some pics of your home and existing roof to the manufacturer to validate if their product matches your home’s structure.

A frequent mistake we notice is applying good products to the wrong space. You can avoid this by seeking the manufacturer’s expert opinion. Trust us, no one else will know better than them how their products work.

Arrange to meet with a roofing expert. The final step would be to arrange a meeting with the contractor and note the following:

  1. Do they dedicate considerable time to identify the special needs of your home or are the following a “one-size-fits-all” mentality?
  2. Do they carry out a thorough inspection of your attic, looking for any circulation or other issues that may affect the health and functionality of your house?
  3. Do they offer references and inform exactly about the members of their crew that you will work with?
  4. Do they address all your relevant questions and share with you a systematic plan of how your roofing task will be executed?
  5. Do they inform you about your funding options if necessary?
  6. Do they validate the skills and qualifications of their roof installers?

The aforementioned steps will help you make the best choice for you and your home, and make sure that a qualified roofing contractor is executing the project. Ideal installation is essential for the success of a general roofing project–more than product quality itself.

House with shingle roof

What Can I Do If My Roof Is Leaking?

Seeing your roof leaking is not a pretty sight. However, you better take prompt action once you notice a leak to stop any further and costly problems in the future from occurring.

Initial Steps To Take If Your Roof Is Leaking

When you spot a leak, the first step to do is to get a bucket to collect all the falling liquids. In case the leak is major, you should grab a second bucket replacing the first, once it is full. To remove this annoying water dripping sound, attach a board up in the bucket.

Once your bucket is in place, the next action would be to get rid of the leftover moisture as quickly as possible. You may use an old mop or cotton towel to absorb all the water coming off the leak. You may also use a fan to blast the area with air and dry it out quicker. Plus, you’ll prevent mold from developing this way.

Call A Roofing Expert To Inspect Your Leaking Roof

Once you have followed the above initial steps, you have managed to control the damage that your leak may have caused, however, you better call a roofing expert to evaluate and fix the source of the leakage. If your insurance company is willing to cover any relevant damage to your roof, you may get a quote from the roofing contractor for all the fixing work before you finally close a deal with them. If your insurance provider finally accepts your claim, they will cover your repair expenses.

In case your roof is inspected by a roofing expert, they won’t just inspect your roof but will take a closer look at your home’s underside structure, to find any leakage spot.

Why You Shouldn’t Postpone Leaking Repairs

If you notice a leakage in your roof, it’s best to act promptly. A leaking roof won’t simply fix itself and will only get worse with time. Even if the leakage is minor, it may expand and lead to further major problems in the structural integrity of your home in the future–not to mention the high costs that come with it. Therefore, treating a leak as soon as you spot it, will save you lots of cash and energy afterward as you won’t bother with future costly repairs.

Periodic Roof Checks Are Your Best Way To Stop Leakage

To prevent any leaks or minor damage from happening to your roof, it’s best to hire professional roofers for regular inspections or maintenance work if necessary. Just like everything else, “prevention is better than cure”.

Repair or Replace? Getting The Proper Roofing Solution

Some homeowners notice and leak and start to worry or panic, seeing it as a sign to replace their entire roof. The good news is, however, this isn’t always true.

In the present report, we are going to guide you on the ways to inspect your roof and find if it needs a fix or a whole replacement.

Checking Your Roof

Firstly, carry out a visual check from the ground with a pair of field glasses. Do a quick focus of the lenses and inspect every spot of the roof, aiming to go through every angle. Watch out for indicators of deterioration such as cracks or loose shingles and holes. Give special emphasis to the vent pipe, valleys, and all points that break or link the roof. The boots and flashing should also be unharmed and in their original placements. Following a similar pattern, the roof’s edge should like flat with no indicators of damage from heavy winds.

Another thing to do is to jump into the attic and inspect the current state of the wood components e.g trusses and underskirt of the roof deck. Check if they are visible and not layered by foam insulation. Also, no watermarks or signs of warping should appear. Check if there are any clumps in the foam or wafted insulation layer as these are a sure indicator of water impairment. Note down your inspection results.

Signs That You Require A Roof Fix

Initially, you have to ask yourself: are the problems focused in one particular spot? If the damage is not widespread, then this is a sign to go for a partial roof repair. This could be a small puncture caused by heavy wind or a large body of waste. However, keep in mind that just because this is a fairly small problem, it doesn’t mean that you can postpone the fixing work for later. If the exposure to heavy weather elements is repeated, it won’t take long for the tiniest hole to get bigger and cause major damage.

Signs That You Need To Replace Your Roof

The age of your roof is another aspect to consider to make your decision. Tar/asphalt roofs, for example, reach their end cycle after 20-30 years. Extensive impairment e.g. curling or broken and loose shingles are indicators of aging. The shingles may bear empty spots where the granules are loosened. If you also see some tiny holes of light while in the attic, you will need to contact a roofing expert for a full inspection.