Every home starts with that roof that’s above you. Clearly, it is extremely important to have a good roof on your house. Therefore, if you own a home, you need to ensure your roof is properly cared for. Read the below article for excellent advice on how to take care of your roof.
While leaks sometimes do come from problems with your shingles, you should also check the foundation of the roof. If you have dry rot on your home’s sides, it can allow water to get into your home. Check all entry points to make sure this doesn’t happen.
You shouldn’t ever try to fix your roof if it’s rainy out, snowing, or if there’s ice around. Wet roofs greatly increase the chances of accidents caused by slips and falls. If you’re making roof repairs, do it when it’s dry and sunny.
When climbing on the roof, it is important that you stay safe. If you aren’t secure, you are in danger of losing your balance and falling, which injures and kills thousands each year.
Prior to putting your name on a contract, ask your roofer a few questions. One question you should ask is, how many nails per shingle they use. Most of the time, more than three nails is going to be required for a good job. Ask them about which techniques they use and be sure you’re happy with their answer. If they don’t answer things right, move on.
Make sure to do your research when looking for a roofing contractor. Don’t simply hire the cheapest contractor you can find. Rather, do a bit of research on all the contractors in your area. You can ask friends and family, use a service or research online.
Try to avoid paying the complete price up front. Paying about 25% should be done if necessary, but anymore than that is not recommended. Some contractors will not consider your roof as a priority anymore once you pay the full amount.
Once you have your potential contractors list narrowed down, ask each what sort of warranties they provide. Find one that is covers you for at least 3-5 years to be safe. The warranty should cover defective supplies and poor workmanship. The contractor should also provide you with manufacturer warranty copies.
Roofing contractors should have full, reliable credentials. Just about every locale requires roofers to be licensed, so check to make sure their license is current and valid. Also check out their insurance and Workers’ Compensation.
The age of your roof can help you figure out if replacement is needed. With most roofing materials, a 20-year lifespan is standard. If you installed your roof above an old one, you definitely need to have it replaced after twenty years.
If you are unable to find where your roof is leaking, try not to become discouraged. You will find the source eventually if you use a water hose, and having a buddy will help as well. If it’s a big house, use cell phones to communicate so that water isn’t flowing into the house unnecessarily as you test different areas to find the leak.
As a responsible homeowner, you must always take care of your roof. While you can ignore sweeping the porch, you can’t ignore your roof. If you use what you have gone over in this article so that your roof is in great shape, you should have no problems later on.