The roof is the shield that protects the rest of your house, keeping out the elements: rain, sleet, snow, hail and the sun’s harmful UV rays. If that shield breaks down, everything else inside the house can be vulnerable to damage. That’s why regular maintenance and timely repairs are so important.
Roof Repairs
Taking care of the roof can seem like a daunting task for homeowners. But not to worry – it’s not as hard or time-consuming as you might think. And it doesn’t have to be done in the middle of a blizzard or an erupting hurricane. The key to keeping your roof in tip-top shape is regular inspections and prompt repairs as soon as you notice anything amiss.
Even if the shingles or tiles on your roof look fine, there could be other problems lurking underneath. Check for moss or lichen growing in the gutters, and make sure that you’re not seeing any bare spots in the shingle layers. These are all signs that moisture is getting into the roof, and that means your shingles or tiles might be deteriorating from age or exposure to the elements.
If you do spot any issues, it’s vital that you act promptly – and not just to avoid expensive structural damage, but also to reduce your energy bills. A leaky or damaged roof will let heat and cold from the outside in, and that’s going to run up your bills. But by repairing the problem, you’ll be creating an airtight seal and protecting the rest of your home from the weather.
Of course, if you wait to do the repairs Roof Repairs Melbourne, it’s likely that more serious problems will crop up and lead to expensive repair costs in the future. If your roof is leaking, that’s a big deal because water can penetrate the insulation and cause rotting in walls, ceilings, floors and other parts of the structure.
There are a few factors that can affect the cost of Roof Repairs, but the most significant is the age of the roof. Many homeowners insurance policies won’t cover a roof that’s over 20 years old. And the older a roof is, the more likely it will be to require replacement rather than repairs.
Having the right tools and knowledge will also affect how difficult it is to carry out Roof Repairs. That’s why tool-handy homeowners sometimes decide to handle their own roof repair work – they believe that by doing it themselves, they can save money. But if you’re not comfortable or don’t have the proper tools, it’s often best to leave any roof repair jobs to the professionals.
The first thing to do when tackling Roof Repairs is to find the issue. That means climbing up into the attic or crawlspace and taking a good look around. Look for piles of grit in the gutters (from asphalt shingles that have worn away), and for black algae stains or masses of moss or lichen (these are all red flags that your roof isn’t sealing well).
Once you know where the problem is, it’s time to start fixing it. For shingles, that’s usually as simple as removing the existing shingle and replacing it with a new one. For other areas such as flashing or chimneys, you’ll need to remove the old metal, and re-bend and cut a new piece of flashing to fit.
