When it comes to being a homeowner, we don’t need to tell you it’s about more than just having a physical roof over your head. Homeowners need to be aware and have a couple tricks up their sleeves when it comes to common household maintenance and repair. This rings especially true when it comes to maintaining your roof!
When it comes to knowing how to maintain your roof, how to find a leak in a roof, how to fix a leaky roof and other roof repairs, we’ve come up with the most common tips and tricks along with common fixes for roof leaks and more below!
Understand when to call roofing repair professionals
When it comes to small projects and minor fixes, doing it yourself is a great option for keen homeowners. With the abundance of online information, how-to articles and step by step video tutorials, anything can seem fixable. But when it comes to projects such as roof repairs, these tend to be out of the usual scope of DIY. Sealing roofs, roof patches and other roof services are better left to a professional.
Some scenarios that are best left to professionals can include:
- Roofs with steep pitches
- Roofs covered in tiles, stones or other breakable materials
- Severe damage like major leaking, recurring leaking or leak you cannot easily locate
Know when to repair and replace
If your roof has small areas of damage, a few loose shingles or minor leaks, these kinds of repairs are more simple to mediate and can be done by homeowners if they want. But keep in mind, at some point in your roof’s lifespan it will need to be professionally replaced. In order to find out if your roof needs replacing, it’s best to have it inspected and evaluated by a licensed roofer. This way you will have all the information you need to decide if your roof needs replacing or repair.
Common repair scenarios can include:
- Small areas that have damage
- Newer roofs still under warranty
- Stylistic roofs that can’t be replicated or replaced
Common situations where its best to replace the roof can include:
- Many shingles are missing or damaged
- An older roof that showing signs of inevitable wear
- A roof doesn’t comply with current codes
Roof leaks are critical to fix
Leaky roofs are nothing to ignore, even tiny leaking roofs can pose significant issues. Dripping water from leaking roofs can cause visible damage in your home like dark spots and drywall damages, but can also cause non-visible damage too.
Water can get into your attic supports, joints, walls, electrical systems or foundation. This can cause serious issues like rotting wood, mould, mildew, electrical fires, and foundation failure.
As soon as you see or hear signs of a roof leak, don’t wait to act. Immediately try to stop the water from coming in, locate the leak, and seal it.
Dress appropriately for any roof repairs
If you’re going to attempt doing a roof repair yourself, it’s absolutely crucial to be dressed properly. Keep in mind only go onto your roof if you feel confident and safe enough to do so. Never risk going on a roof that has major damage or is at risk of caving in. Also be mindful of the materials that your shingles or tile is made of, some may crack under the weight of a person or become slippery when wet.
It’s recommended to wear long, heavy-fabric pants, a long-sleeved shirt as well as rubber soled shoes that have good traction when going up onto your roof.
Use the right shingles
When you replace shingles, you have to exactly match your current shingles with the same colour, brand and precise product. This poses a unique problem since shingles fade and age over time so even exact matches aren’t perfect. It is recommended keeping extra shingles when installing a new roof for future replacements. It’s a good tip to try and salvage any old shingles as long as they don’t have damage.
Flashing and vents cause most leaks
Flashing is the metal strip that goes around windows, vents and chimneys that prevents leaks, but over time flashing and leak guards (such as rubber seals) can crack or separate. This can lead to water leaking in those areas, regularly inspecting your flashing and areas where vents and other breachers are can help prevent major damage
Be cautious of exposed nail heads
Many components of your roof like shingles, flashing, etc. are nailed down, These nailheads can become loose or fall out over time. Exposed nailheads should be hammered back in as soon as you see them and then covered with caulk or a roof sealant.
Learn to how to find and repair small roof leaks
Learning how to locate and doing small roof leak repairs can save you plenty of money and is one of the best preventative measures you can take. Bear in mind, the source of a leak isn’t always directly above where the water is coming from. Cover the access point, wait for the roof to be dry and then repair the site. Keep an eye on the area after the repair to make sure it’s holding as well.
Flatten curling shingles and replace missing shingles to preserve your roof
Shingles show their age by curling up or shedding individual shingles. Heavy rains, wind or storms can loosen and age shingles even on a new roof. If you notice your shingles beginning to curl, you can do some preventative maintenance by applying some roofing cement or tar to help flatten curling shingles so they lie flat. Fallen shingles can be installed to help preserve your roof’s lifespan. Little maintenance like this can help save you the cost of a premature roof replacement.
Repair small holes and cracks
Always make sure to plug any holes or cracks on your roof, no matter how small the hole or crack may be (regardless of how it got there) needs to be repaired as soon as you notice it. Depending on the severity, you may need to call in a professional.
Hiring the right roofer
When it comes to maintaining and prolonging your roof, it can seem intimidating and expensive. But it’s important to bear in mind, your roof is one of the most important parts of your home. Treat your roof as an investment. That being said, don’t trust your roof to just anyone. You should always hire professional, quality, insured and licensed roofing companies to do any work on your roof. A good roofing company will provide you honest inspections, quality roof repairs and other roof services.
When it comes to finding a professional and quality roofing company in the Toronto and GTA area, look no further than Dream Roof! We’ve been serving homeowners and commercial properties in the GTA area for over 20 years and take a high sense of pride in the quality we deliver.