When you have a great roof, your home is much safer from the hostile effects of wind and water. If your roof isn’t doing what it is supposed to, it can cause damage to many other ares of your house. When you understand your roof, you can better care for it. Review the advice that follows to ensure that you are ready for anything.
If you notice that your roof is leaking, wait until the area is dry to start fixing it. There is no quick fix for roof leaks, and it is very dangerous to climb on a wet roof. Therefore, don’t climb on your roof until it quits raining and it is completely dry.
Keep your climate in mind before getting any roof work done. Clay roofing is a great material if the area that you live in has a dry climate; it can help maintain a comfortable temperature inside the house. But, if you use clay in a rainy area, you can have roof deterioration very quickly. If you are unsure, you can always ask.
Mow your lawn the day before your roof is replaced. Major roof work will inevitably scatter some nails on your lawn, and close-cropped grass will make it easier for you or your contractor to recover them. Short grass, combined with magnetic nail finders, makes locating nails even simpler.
Always research the contractor that you are considering for your roofing job. Don’t hire the cheapest or first company you locate. Spend some time looking up local roofers. You can ask family and friends and search online for this valuable information.
Anyone who does work such as this absolutely needs to have insurance. If you hire an uninsured roofer who damages your property, it’s going to cost you. Simply receiving verbal confirmation of insurance is not enough; make sure you see a copy of the document to ensure it is up to date and comprehensive.
Always check the credentials of the roofing contractors you are considering for work on your home. Just about everywhere needs to have licensed roofers working in that area, so be sure they have a valid and current license. Liability insurance is another must-have. Ideally, the contractor should also carry workers’ compensation.
Living Roofs
If environmentally-friendly building is something that interests you, look into living roofs when you’re in the market for a new roof. Living roofs have a layer of soil where plants can grow. Living roofs require a flat surface and appropriate climate conditions to thrive.
Use your hose to spray a leaky roof. This will let you know if you have a leak and where the leak is. This costs much less than hiring contractors.
Find out if your contractor is a part of any industry associations. Reputable firms will be interested in staying up to date with current trends and methods in the industry. If your roofer is not, find out how committed he is to this line of work.
If your roof is poorly taken care of, it is not an experience that you will soon forget. Fortunately, now that you are more educated on roofing, you can minimize your troubles. Use the information you have when appropriate, and you can be confident about how safe your roof is.