DIY Roof Repair - Diagnose Like A Professional Roofer

Having a roof repaired can be very costly. Major repairs cost quite a bit and will even cost homeowners considerable amounts during regular maintenance. It is understandable why a lot of homeowners prefer to have DIY roof repairs. However, instead of saving costs, these DIY procedures could even add up to the damage due to lack of understanding of what cause roof problems. Learning how to properly diagnose a roofing issue is the first step if you do plan on a DIY repair. The worst your local weather conditions are the harder DIY maintenance for your roof becomes. For example, a roof is more likely to wear and tear faster due to the moist air quality in the area, and due to extreme temperature changes. Hence, to help you understand how to address your roof problems more effectively, here are some common roof problems and their causes:

• Low Uplift Resistance (When roof easily gets blown off during a windstorm) - Flashing is a crucial process when installing roofs as this is where most issues come from. When flashing is poorly done, there will be laps and seams, which will then cause puncture resistance and blow-offs. This can also be a result of insufficient fasteners in the base, and poor gravel embedment.
• Leaks and Moisture - There are actually many causes of leaks. Leaks can be caused by natural factors such as extreme weather changes. These changes affect the quality of your roof's material, and cause them to deteriorate quickly. However, this can also be due to flashing details that were not fastened properly during installation. As it appears, almost all leak occurrences are due to poor flashing details. Experts also note inadequate backwater and head laps as a cause of moisture penetration, which later on leads to leaks and roof failure.
• Accumulation of water - Ponding water on the roof is also a common issue. This one however, is usually easier to solve that the two previously mentioned problems. As long as a homeowner is able to immediately drain the water from the roof, it will usually work fine. However, there are also installation issues that could lead to water accumulation. Improper mopping, as experts say, can block drains due to voids in the membrane, which then results to water accumulation.
• Irreparable Roofs - There will also be times when roofs will just seem to be irreparable. Some homeowners would pay for expensive roof repairs over and over, and the problem will still persist. Experts say that seemingly irreparable roofs are results of poor installation and substandard service from roofing contractors. Lack of knowledge about roofing systems is what usually causes this situation. Homeowners need to be knowledgeable of how their roofs work in order to understand what the contractor is supposed to deliver in case an issue arises.

In conclusion, diagnosing the problem with your roof is the first step to "DIY" or do it yourself roofing. Once you have diagnose the problem try to do proper research on how to solve the problem yourself. You may want to call a professioanl roofing contractor to try to extract some good tips and to find out exactly which roofing supplies will be necessary. When it comes to roofing supplies GAF is one of those brands you can never go wrong with. At the end of the day, just make sure to double and triple check if your DIY solution is the correct one so that you do not cause any serious damage to your roof.

Roofing Contractor in Los Angeles CA