Roofing is a serious matter that needs to be handled with care and proper preparation. You need to know exactly what you are looking for and how to address it. Whether you want to treat your home exterior on your own or call in the professionals you must take these 9 points to heart.
1) Prioritize Safety
Always wear comfortable and suitable clothes for the job. Wear rubber sole shoes so you don’t slip easily. Don’t forget to wear a harness and work with a buddy at all times.
2) Wait for the right time
Roofing issues can be tricky to address. Once you’ve discovered a leak, don’t rush to fix it. It might end with you in the hospital. Never meddle on the roof on a rainy day. The same holds true when it is covered with snow. Wait for more favorable conditions before taking care of the roof leak.
3) Spray the roof with water to find the leak
If you’re having trouble pinpointing the leak, spray on possible locations to confirm the leak. Never do this during winter as it is not safe.
4) Remember to keep the gutters clean at all times
A common cause of roof leaks are clogged gutters as they build up the water during the rain. Simply clean out the gutters and see if that fixes the leak.
5) Stop ice from building up
During winter, ice can build up on the gutters, shingles and under the roof membrane. When the ice buildup reaches a warm or heated area at the wall line of the house, an interior drip forms. To avoid this problem, ensure proper ventilation and consider installing ice shields.
6) Inspect the valleys
The intersection of your roofing is called the roof valley or the ridge. The water from the roof collects into the valleys and may start weakening the roof material and cause a leak on it.
7) Prevent dry rot
Dry rot happens when there is lack of ventilation. Prevent it from happening by installing a ridge vent when there is a soffit vent.
8) Inspect the roof quality
Faulty shingles crack when they are nailed down and sometimes a faulty installation can cause big roof leak problems. Using high grade materials from suppliers like GAF is one of the keys to having Royal grade roofing in Queens. If a homeowner used materials that carried lifetime warranties like GAF offers it’s likely you will not find leaks for the lifetime of the product.
9) Eliminate all the leaks
Don’t stop at fixing one leak, you need to fix them all. If you can’t find the leak in one area, check the other areas. Don’t get discouraged and keep searching even if it is not easy to find it. Half-measures will only lead to more expensive problems in the near-future.
Roof repair in areas like Queens, NY may be a daunting task and a large part of the process goes to investigating the exact leak location. If you really intend to fix your roof on your own, take note of these tips to make things easier on yourself. Don’t wait for a small leak to expand. Repair it as soon as you can. Small leaks are easier to fix than big ones.
