Rain, rain, go away, come again another day… singing this should not be your only option to keep your family home safe and dry when winter storms or spring showers, at least not if you have found a great roofing company like COVEGC who is able to keep your roof maintained, repaired, and completely watertight.
Unfortunately, most people only think about their roof when they spring a leak or if a tile falls off. However, even if this is you, once you have your emergency taken care of, look towards the future and call a roofing repair company who will be able to undertake a regular check on the health of your roof.
Do Not Let A Hole Cause A Flood
Potentially one of the biggest problems in a home is a small hole in your roof that slowly leaks unnoticed by the homeowner, until suddenly the ceiling that has been gathering water over a period of time collapses, taking whatever valuables and electronics were unfortunate enough to be underneath the spot at the time.
Whether you have tile, iron or any other type of roofing material, people are quite surprised when professional roofing contractors suggest that you should have your roof inspected every six months (ideally) or at the minimum once a year. There is a perception that this is only so that the company can make a quick buck, but with so many offering a free maintenance inspection it wouldn’t make sense for them to do so unless there was a genuine reason.
In any form of storm, but particularly after a hail or snow storm, flying debris or just the hard hail itself can cause dents in your roof or be the reason that tiles have slipped ever so slightly. To the untrained eye, this is not enough to worry about, and probably would go completely unnoticed. However, to the trained professional who has actually climbed up onto your roof, they can tell you that by repairing this tiny bit of damage now, which will take only a small amount of time and an equally small invoice, you will be saving yourself a significant roof repair that would be required if you just left it to deteriorate.
Assistance With Insurance Claims
This is one of the best reasons to worth with a licenced and registered roofer, they know what information an insurance company needs in order to be able to process a claim, and they are qualified to be able to provide it.
If your roof has been damaged through general wear and tear you may not have much show with most insurance claims, however, if your contractor has noticed minor damage that has occurred due to a recent hail storm, then they can get your tiles or iron repaired under your insurance contract. This means that not only are you not having to worry about a repair bill now, but they are able to help prevent you getting a very large repair bill later once the damage has taken hold.
When Your Roof Is Just Too Far Gone
It happens to the best of homes, but eventually you are going to need to reroof your house. How frequently this needs to happen will depend on what type of material you have used, which area you live in, and how well maintained you have kept your roof.
Although a full replacement is not a job to be undertaken lightly, working with a contractor who is licenced and professional with a good reputation will make the process go significantly better. However, one of the things to talk with your builder or contractor before you make any firm decisions are what your replacement options are.
Replacement Materials
Although, most people do tend to replace like with like, you do not always need to follow this path. Take into consideration how long you intend to live in the home, and what sort of repairs the rest of the house will need coming up shortly. Sometimes you will not even have to have your current materials removed, with your contractor able to simply put a new layer on over top, which is something you might find more common with asphalt tiling.
You may currently have asphalt shingles (like this), but if you have a solid home in a good area, and you intend to live in the house for many years, it may be worth your while to consider the value of something like slate as a replacement option. It will generally last around 125 years, but it is certainly more expensive both for the initial install and future maintenance. The other big drawback is that you will likely need to have your framework readjusted. The additional weight may also may this unsuitable for certain building types or certain soil material.
However, you may find that the recommendation you are given is for a metal roof instead of asphalt shingles, as generally you will find that a metal roof will last you significantly longer than any asphalt will. The down side is that this option is also going to be more expensive to install and maintain, however they are gaining in popularity as they are considered to be more energy efficient. This is an option that is often found outside of America, particularly in Australia and New Zealand. Although, not as inexpensive as asphalt or other roofing materials, there certainly seems to be a health benefit of using corrugated iron or similar metal materials instead https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2875-5-8.
Doing It Yourself
Putting up a fantastic Christmas light display is risky enough, but the vast majority of people trying to repair a roof themselves are more likely to cause more damage than they are saving themselves money. It is surprisingly easy to dislodge tiles or slates, and even a more robust corrugated iron surface is not immune to serious damage if you stand in the wrong spot.
With tiles you may notice the damage caused immediately, however with metal you may or slate you may be unaware that the tiny fraction the edge of the material has moved is actually now large enough to cause water damage and major problems in the not very distant future. Licenced contractors know all the correct techniques.
