5 Things You Need to Know About Roofing

As an owner, you know that it is you who has to take of your house and you worry about plenty of things such as sink repairs, replacing your toilets, refinishing hardwood etc and roof is the thing you think about the least until there is a leak. So, you need to know some facts about your roof and what it is made out of!

1. A Roof is not just Wood and Shingles

You see your roof, and you see dozens of other roofs and you probably think roofs are only made out of woods and shingles but that is not true, a roof has seven basic components that protect you and your possessions:

1. Shingles are made out of various materials but their purpose is to protect the underlying sheathing from various weather conditions.
2. Sheathing actually covers your home as they are attached with the rafters.
3. Trim protects the seam in the roof.
4. Rafters are the skeleton of the roof which basically supports shingles and sheathing.
5. Underlayment protects sheathing from rain, wind or snow.
6. Drainage is the feature of the roof that allows it to shed water.

2. Identifying Roofing Design Elements

Roofing system has various designs and you need to pick what is best for your home, they include:

1. A gable wall is the triangular portion of the home, extending from eaves to the peak.
2. Ridge is basically the peak of the roof.
3. Eaves are the edges of the roof.
4. Abutment is where section of the roof meets a vertical area.
5. Hip roof has slopes on all four sides.
6. Attic is the space under the roof and it must be ventilated in order to protect the roofing system.
7. Drip edge covers the edge of the roof making it water infiltration free.

3. Finding out if you need to repair or replace your roof

Once you have learned what your roof is made out of and what are the design elements, you have to examine your roof. Is it the original roof or has it been repaired earlier? And how much will it cost? If the roof is leaking in several places then a roof repair may be required. If the roof is  very old and damaged then you should consider a roof replacement. There are certain signs that let you know it is time to take action, for instance, when your roof shingles appear to be absent in some places or curled, cracked, dark, dirty and even wet. Finding granules of shingles in your gutter, staining on interior ceilings or walls (because your roof may be letting moisture in your home which leads to staining on walls), leaks after a heavy rain shower, unusual higher energy bills because the air may be leaking out through your roof, growth of mold and fungi on your roof is a sign that there is some moisture trapped which will ruin your roof if not fixed.

4. Keeping Weather Conditions in Mind

You really need to fix a damaged roof but it is always better to keep the ideal weather in mind it is not always smart to fix your roof whilst it is raining or snowing because it might just add up to the problem; your leakages might get more problematic and long lasting, in order to avoid such situations you need to replace or repair your roof when it is the right time and weather.

5. Who Will Do It?

No matter how good you might be at doing things yourself, fixing your roof yourself is not a good idea and your skill will not match that of a good roofer. So, it is beneficial to hire an experienced roofing contractor. Why is it better to get it done by a commercial contractor rather than doing it yourself:

1. A commercial roofer stays updated on the building code, a building code is a set of laws that govern how constructions projects are handled,  if you are unaware of this you are most likely to make mistakes and if the building code got violated you may have to demolish the roof.
2. Your roof will be fixed timely because you might be engaged with other things in your life whilst the roofer has only one job to do, he will be focused. If you have a limited time and you are uncertain about weather condition in your area then it is going to be a problem because imagine, having a roof installation and it started raining, you and your possessions will be getting wet.
3. If you start fixing your roof by yourself there is a chance that you mess up and might have to get it done again, which will cost a lot: not only the material but the expense of hiring a contractor this time. If you get it done by a contractor in the first place you will save money in two ways, there will be fewer chances of a further repair and you will get procuring material at a discount.
4. It is not always safe to fix your roof by yourself there are a number of incidents of people falling down from the roof while fixing their roofs if you end up getting multiple fractures that might just cost more.
5. Without sufficient experience, you are prone to make either minor or major mistakes and your quality of work will not match that of a professional and your roof may require further repair so why not get it done by an experienced roofer in the first place?

So, it is always better to get it done by a professional roofer, and knowing specific elements that your roof requires and when to repair or replace your roof because roof provides you shelter and protection and since it is a part of our home you got to take care of it  just like other parts of your home because home is where the heart is!