Roof repairs are performed high up, so they can be safely done only by those who are not scared of heights – if you are one of these brave people and you want to try fixing a damaged component of the roof on your home by yourself, here are some DIY roof repair tips that can help you.
Safety Measures
You might not suffer from a phobia of heights, but using suitable gear is essential for doing work on your roof in a safe manner. Never go up on the roof without proper fall protection equipment that includes safety harnesses, anchor points, lanyards, lifelines. Make sure you wear non-slip work shoes, gloves and a helmet as well. In most cases it’s best to call contractors that have experience in roofing Lansing MI homes out to do the job for you. Much better than injuring yourself when you can avoid it.
Fixing Roof Leaks Caused by Damaged Tiles or Shingles
Roof leaks can cause a lot of damage, they can even lead to the flooding of the whole house, but fortunately they are not very difficult to detect and to fix. To identify the leak, wait for a dry and sunny day, go up to the attic and look up at the roof structure above your head. Look for spots where the sun shines in through the roof covering material or for damp patches and spots that can indicate where the water got in. When you have found the source of the damage, put on suitable protective gear and go up on the roof to fix the problem. If you have a tile roof, take a few new tiles, some roofing nails and a roofer’s hammer with you. Identify the cracked or chipped tile through which water can go in, then lift it a little, cut the nails, remove the damaged tile, slip in the new one and fix it with the new nails.
If you have shingles on the leaky roof, cut of the damaged shingle with a utility knife, then put the new shingle in place, fix it with nails and seal it with some roof cement.
Repairing Flashing
The damage of the flashing around the chimneys, around the skylights and in the areas where two roof sections meet are also frequent causes of roofing damage. Fortunately, the problem is easy to fix: all you need is some roofing cement and a caulking gun to reseal the joints in the flashing.
Gutter De-clogging
The health of your roof is directly related to the health of the gutters underneath. One of the most common causes of gutter damage is clogging – dust, dirt, leaves, twigs and other debris can accumulate in your gutters, obstructing the way of the water. To remove the plugs, all you need to do is to climb up to the gutter, inspect it and remove the debris. If you want to prevent clogging in the future, you can install leaf guards inside the pipe – they are cheap, but very efficient devices that will keep your gutters clog-free.
With these DIY roof repair tips, you can surely eliminate the two most common roofing issues: leaks and clogs in the gutter, but if you need to address a more complex roofing issue, make sure you turn to a professional roofer.
