For most homeowners looking for ways to save money, a
do-it-yourself approach seems more reasonable for minor
repairs than having a costly professional come in. When
it comes to repairing a roof however, you might be considering
the alternative; we want to show you that you may not
have.
When
it comes to fixing a roof, the first thing you should
always consider is safety. Leakage is the most common
problem for a roof and fixing it can be risky. Depending
on the size of the leakage and the inclination angle of
your roof, you can most likely fix the problem with the
assistance of a friend. If however, the roof has a steep
slope and the leak is large, we recommend calling a professional.
To decipher the size of the problem, take a flashlight
with you to the attic and look for watermarks on the beams.
Finding these will lead you to the source of the leakage,
which generally will be three feet above. If no watermarks
can be found, check the outside of the roof for missing
or loose shingles or any other obvious problems.
If
there are no visible signs of the leakage on the roof,
hammer a three to four inch nail from the attic up through
the roof where the water is coming in. This will enable
you to see the tip of the nail on the roof and help further
determined what needs to be repaired.
If
you have more than a small leakage and your whole roof
is old and worn down, chances are you’ll need to
have it entirely replaced. Unfortunately, depending on
the size of your roof and the materials used, roof replacement
can cost anywhere from $8,000 to as high as $20,000. Some
people will wait forever with their roof like this, hoping
for inclement weather such as a hail storm that could
get them a free roof through the insurance company. We
of course, don’t advise this approach.
If
the leak is small enough that you can fix it, we recommend
placing all the materials you’ll need on the roof
either by hauling them up on a ladder or pulling them
in a bucket on a pulley. To determine the number of squares
that need to be fixed, multiply the length of the leaking
areas by the width, then divide this number by 100. Three
bundles of shingles is the standard roofing square. One
bundle of shingles equals about 33 square feet.
In
addition to shingles, you may need to use roofing felt,
a heavy duty waterproof material similar to tar paper.
This material is very helpful in repairing a somewhat
large leaking area, and goes right on top of the wood
decking. Other materials that you’ll need are one-quarter
inch nails and a flat bar or roofing shovel to pull off
the old and damaged roof pieces.
After
you have located the nail you hammered into the ceiling,
use your roofing shovel to carefully remove the old roofing,
making sure not to damage anything but the leaking area.
Place the roofing felt over this area, then take a new
shingle and nail it to the top left of the felt. Place
and nail the next shingle so it’s overlapping the
first about two inches. The bottom of the new shingles
should overlap rows below by five inches. It’s important
that you cover the damaged area well and evenly. Continue
to add and nail shingles until the entire damaged area
is covered. Once you’re finished, say good-bye to
your leaking roof troubles.