If you think your roof needs repairs, you can do the maintenance yourself to save a lot of time and money. Although you can’t do the job like a pro, small projects aren’t that hard to do. Read on for some DIY roof repair tips you can follow to get the job done.
shingle replacement
If your roof has a couple of damaged or missing shingles, you can replace those shingles. All you need to do is search for the pieces that match the broken ones. The color and design must be the same. Different colored or patterned shingles can negatively impact the curb appeal of your home.
Partial Reroof
For a partial roof renovation, you must remove all shingles from a specific area and put new ones in place. In other words, you need to replace all the shingles in the entire area, which will cover the patches if you don’t have an exact match for the damaged portions.
Total reroofing
If a large area of your roof is damaged, you may want to re-roof the entire roof. For this, you may need to remove the damaged shingles and install new ones in place. Why would you do that? One of the benefits is that new shingles are stronger and more reliable than old ones.
Sparkly
Sometimes it is necessary to repair the flashing, not the shingles. Also, any time you work on a roof renovation project, be sure to replace the flashing as well. You can find flashing around skylights, chimneys, and other parts. If your roof is leaking, the problem may be loose, missing, or damaged flashing.
Tips for doing small DIY roof repairs
If you have a big roof renovation project, make sure you hire the services of a professional to get the job done perfectly. You can get quotes by calling them. However, you can do small repair projects yourself by following the tips below.
- Wear rubber shoes for better rooftop traction
- Replace damaged shingles
- Use some roofing adhesive or chalk to flatten out some of the wavy shingles
- Use a heat gun to soften brittle shingles and prevent cracking.
- Use 6d galvanized nails to fasten the tops of the shingles and cover the tops of the nails with quality roofing cement. To keep the shingles in place, be sure to extend a bit under the shingles.
- Use roofing cement to seal joints
- Use extra roof cement to fill in cracks at seams with a putty knife
Food to go
In a nutshell, you may want to fix problems with your roof as soon as you notice them. To do this, you can either follow a DIY route or hire the service of a good professional in your area. If your roof seems almost completely damaged, it’s time to opt for a new roof. You can follow the tips given in this article to get the job done.