Sometimes people feel compelled to take on complex tasks by themselves to save time, money, and simply because they feel like they have the knowledge and the know-how to do so. This is not always a bad things. Attempting to do things by yourself once in a while can teach you a lot of things you didn’t know before. It can even be considered a process of expanding the mind. However, some people can get a little too in over their heads when attempting these projects, especially when it comes to roofing which requires you to at least hold a basic knowledge of the job before attempting to do it. This is usually where people go wrong. Below is a list of things that people do to compromise the integrity of their roof:
1. They decide since their roof is dirty that it is a good idea to get the pressure washer out and go to town on the roof. This is never a good idea because of the sheer power that a pressure washer can exert. It can leave shingles damaged and even cause them to detach themselves from the roof. Prolonged exposure to water pressure such as this also cause the roof to deteriorate .If you absolutely must use a pressure washer on your roof, make sure it is made from a material such as metal or concrete. Other materials just aren’t built to stand up against that kind of pressure.
2, Another thing people try to do is install things themselves such as breakers or solar panels. This is never a good idea because of the sheer fact that you are messing with electricity. Anytime you mess with electricity without knowing exactly what it is you are doing word for word and step by step, you run the risk of being electrocuted or worse. Calling a licensed roofing contractor will eliminate this risk entirely. You also won’t damage your roof on accident.
3. There are those who fail to maintain their roof properly and then there are those who choose to ignore their roof entirely. They may do this for several reasons the first being that they simply don’t know what can happen if a roof is not taken care of and inspected for damages at least once a year. Living in an apartment for a majority of a person’s life can cause this kind of attitude to develop. When you live in an apartment, you are not expected to really know anything about roofing. You just have to let the landlord know if you notice water dripping from your ceiling or if you see see any stains forming. They take care of it from there. It may be good to familiarize yourself with the basics of maintaining a roof if you have never lived in a house before. Being able to recognize minor issues such as mold and damaged shingles can go a long way in preventing major problems in the future. Weather also determines the quality of our roof. The different weather patterns that can endanger the integrity and structure quality of your roof includes but is not limited to the following:
Hailstorms
Strong Wind
Heat
Ice Dams
Rain
Each of these things have the power to gradually chip away at your roof until it is no longer able to withstand anything and requires a full replacement. Taking care to protect your roof from weather like this can increase the longevity and add years to the life of your roof.
Heat has the power to dry out the top of your roof causing panels to become brittle, dry and weak. Rain and hailstorms gradually take their toll as each time they come down from the sky and hit the roof with an intensity that gradually eats away at the roof.The ice dams can freeze on the sides of your roof and accumulate until they begin bringing the roof down. Wind can pull shingles off and destroy materials in a split second. It is also the only one of the weather patterns that could potentially slam branches and debris into your home and roof as well causing even more damage.
It is not hard to take care of your roof and protect it from the elements outside even if you know nothing about roofing. You should invest in a few tarps if you can and a snow shovel. After this, just take care to keep a keen eye on your roof. It likely will not need repair for a long time if this is maintenance is done regularly.