If you’ve got a small problem with your roof, it might look like the fix is simple and something you can handle on your own. After all, how hard can it be to close off a leak or just replace a single missing tile that’s just a few feet up from your roof’s edge? Even if you have only moderate handiwork skills, you might think that fixing your roof yourself is a great way to avoid having to call a professional to come out and conduct the fix for yourself.
Unfortunately, as professional Phoenix roofers, we’ve seen far too many instances of what happens when someone tries to conduct a DIY repair, and it usually ends up with us having to make an even more serious fix because they’ve gone and actually made things considerably worse. On this blog, we’ll explain what could happen if you do try to DIY fix your roof and why you shouldn’t attempt this, even if it seems easy.
You Could Damage Something Else
You’ve got a missing roof tile about five feet up from the edge of your roof in a clearly visible spot. Sounds like a simple fix, right? After all, all you need is a single roof tile and a ladder to get up to your roof and you can just slide the new one into place. Well what you may not realize is that putting your weight onto other tiles on your roof could cause them to crack or shatter, resulting in even more damage to your roof. Now what was a fairly small, single weak point has turned into a much larger spot where leaks could develop.
You Could Make the Problem Worse
So you’ve slid the tile into place, but do you know for a fact you’ve done so securely? What you may not realize is that you’ve actually caused the tiles surrounding the one you’ve replaced to come loose as well. The next time a serious gust of wind comes through, the replaced tile, plus several of the ones around it come loose and fall off your roof. Now that spot is considerably bigger, and more roof tiles are actually at risk and the chances of a leak are substantially higher.
Your Fix May Not Be Effective
You may think you’ve placed that new tile into your roof properly, but what you may not realize is that you haven’t actually made your roof water-tight. The next time it rains, water starts pouring into your attic through the spot where you replaced your tile initially. You may not realize it at the time, but you didn’t fix your roof correctly, and as a result the problem still persists. Unless you have the experience and knowledge of how to properly install and repair a roof, you may not realize the extra steps and procedures you need to go through in order to make sure your roof is properly sealed.
We see this issue a lot in particular with people who have tried to seal leaks in their attic on their own—just because you’ve managed to stop the water from dripping doesn’t mean you’ve sealed the gap in your decking doesn’t mean that the decking itself isn’t taking serious damage from the water it’s being exposed to.
You Could Hurt Yourself
Unfortunately, people who try to repair their roof on their own often don’t know how to properly venture out onto their roof if they need to, and as a result they fall and become seriously injured. A highly-trained and experienced Phoenix roofer will know how to safely move on a roof and have the safety equipment to prevent an injury. Don’t take the risk—leave the job to a professional and you can have the confidence that it’ll get done right and you won’t be injured doing it.
For more information or to schedule a service for your home, contact Lyons Roofing today by dialing (520) 447-2522!
