If you have had some heavy winds recently in your area or maybe a hailstorm as we have had in Allen, Frisco, McKinney, and Plano, you might need to do some minor roof repair. The effects of heavy winds and hail usually need to be dealt with in a timely fashion. Your roof will generally hold up for a while after the damage has occurred, but it is a good idea to take care of the problems before cause other internal damage.
If you feel that your roof is already leaking then you will need to take care of the problem right away. This could lead to some serious problems such as mold and rotting of underlayment and joists.
What To Look For
If you see water stains on your ceiling or walls then you probably have a leaky roof. If you have access to your attic you can take a look at the underside of the roof above where the stains are occurring and see if there are pipes or vents on the roof at those spots. The leaks are probably occurring at the chimney, roof vents, dormers, or plumbing coming through the roof.
Try to see if there are water stains on the underside of the roof. If you find that you have an area around a vent that is leaking you may have to replace the vent or the shroud around it. If this seems to be too much to undertake you might want to get a roof repair specialist to take care of it for you.
Handling Simple Roof Repair
If the roof repair calls for simply replacing a few shingles, this is typically a fairly simple job to undertake. You can replace a shingle by taking a pry bar and removing the nails from the shingle above the one that needs to be replaced as well as the one you are working on. The shingle above also has nails through your shingle you are removing. Now simply slide the new shingle up under the one above and nail it in place. You may need to get some shingle sealer from your local home improvement store as the old sealant from the shingle above may no longer be any good. Follow the instructions given by the manufacturer.
If you find that one or more of your ridge cap shingles is damaged or has been blown away by the wind, you will have to loosen the surrounding ridge cap shingles. Make sure that you completely remove any debris or broken parts of the old shingle. Slide the shingle under the previous ridge cap shingle and nail them down. You might need some sealant or roof cement to make sure that they are secure. Replacing damaged ridge cap shingles is very important because water can get into your attic or ruin the roof deck under the shingles.
If your house is older you may want to check the flashing around the chimney or vents. You can always touch up these areas with a little roofing tar if you find that there are small cracks or areas where the flashing meets brick or the vents and is pulling away.
When to Hire a Roofing Specialist
If the roof repair looks more serious, it may be time to contact an experienced roofing contractor. A good roofing contractor can help you when it is beyond a little repair. And they will inspect it for free. This is where LIFT Construction comes in. We are your hometown roofing contractor.
If you get on the roof and see a lot of damage to the shingles or see that a lot of the shingles are missing then again it is probably time to contact a roofing specialist. If the repairs are minor then by all means get up there and fix it yourself. This will give you the satisfaction of having saved a good deal of money by not needing to call that professional.
Call us immediately at (800)-401-6103 if you want a FREE assessment of roof repair. Use our online scheduler to schedule your FREE appointment. LIFT ConstructionHome is here to help!