Four Common Roofing Mistakes To Avoid
Toronto is a beautiful city filled with history and culture. With a history stretching hundreds of years, Toronto has many buildings in need of renovation or repair. It’s tempting for many homeowners to try to fix our houses all by ourselves. Watching home renovation shows on television gives us the impression that such work is easily handled and experts are simply unnecessary middlemen getting in the way of an easily fixed problem.
The reality of roof renovation; however, is that you will almost always need the help of experts like Professional Roofers in Toronto to get a professional level of quality. When it comes to something as important as your roof, mistakes are not only inevitable in a DIY job, but they could be incredibly costly in the long run, leading to significant household damage. Professional services for these issues exist for a reason, but ensure you choose a qualified, reputable roofer like Professionalroofers.com when you have your roof renovated – or you could end up in exactly the same boat. Here are just a few of the biggest mistakes to avoid when you need to repair a damaged roof.
Installing Shingles Incorrectly
A major source of headache for repairmen is caused by shingles that were installed incorrectly. Oftentimes DIY enthusiasts will place the starter shingles in the incorrect position, which allows water to invade the sheathing around the shingle cutouts. A major factor contributing to this problem is placing shingles on a low slope roof. The poor angling makes it difficult for shingles to function properly and allow water to shed off of them. Shingles are not intrinsically waterproof and will not serve their purpose if the roof’s slope is below 2:12.
Poor Nailing
One of the biggest roofing mistakes you can make is with improper nailing techniques. Shingles are generally made of fiberglass with a layer of asphalt applied to the top of the fiberglass. When you drive a nail through a shingle it literally tears the shingle and if you the drive the nail in with too much force, the shingle will become compromised. This is why it’s important to simply throw away any damaged shingles instead of reusing them – shingles are not meant to withstand extreme force.
Poor Attic Ventilation
In America, 9 out of 10 attics are not properly ventilated. This creates a major health problem for many children who are prone to catching asthma. In fact, 58% of all asthma cases are related to improperly ventilated roofs. Hot, humid roofs provide the perfect backdrop for infectious bacteria to grow rapidly and can therefore lead to other health problems as well. There are also financial issues associated with poor attic ventilation leading to higher air conditioning and heating bills and damage to shingles as well.
Use Of Asphalt Cement In Repairs
A major misconception is that because shingles are covered in a layer of asphalt, it is ideal to use asphalt to repair damaged roofs. This results in an improper mix of materials and further promotes damage to the roof. Damaged shingles should always be replaced with new shingles.
Thanks for the tip. We have to replace our roof this year and the tip will help!!
Good information for those needing a new roof, it’s very important to make sure it’s done correctly or you’ll have all sorts of problems down the road.
Great notes/tips on roofing. May I also mention that you make sure that any roofing contractor you hire is bonded and insured in case they do a horrible job or cause any bodily injury or property damage while working on your job.
Good points AD! Thanks for sharing!
I’m renting a bungalow, and my landlords are fabulous, but my roof has been leaking since I moved in here July. They have fixed and fixed still leaks, it’s a tin roof, I think I thought may need to be fixed by a roofer.
Yes, a professional would be a good idea at this point!
I don’t like heights, and don’t know what I’m doing on a roof! I would absolutely hire the professionals to take care of it for me. 🙂
OUr friends had a poor nailing issue by a contractor and had to redo their whole roof at their cost. Terrible. Great advise on roofing.
I never though so much as attic ventilation but it’s something I’m going to look into now.
Our roof needs to be replaced but thankfully my husband is a roofer as well as a mechanic, plus that is what his family does for a living, but oh the joys of owning your own home, it’s never ending!!
Exactly, Hiring a professional would be a good idea.