It’s something all Southwest Florida homeowners will have to deal with at some point – a deteriorating roof. Maybe your roof is starting to show its age. Maybe you’re starting to see evidence of a roof leak. Or maybe you’ve had your roof inspected by a professional and were told it needs to be replaced sooner than later. If you’re a handy, DIY kind of person, you may be thinking about taking on roof replacement as a project. But, before you start ordering materials online or ripping off old shingles, allow us to provide you some reasons why hiring a professional and reputable roofing contractor is the smarter, safer and ultimately cheaper way to go.
As a rule, you shouldn’t take on a roof repair project unless you are trained and certified to do so. It is safer and faster to hire a professional roofing contractor. Roof repairs can be dangerous if you aren’t familiar with what you are doing, specifically because there are so many areas where mistakes (quite costly ones at that) can occur if proper safety precautions aren’t taken. After all, being safe on a steep slope requires experience and knowledge that can only come from training and practice – not a DIY article or YouTube video.
Plus, many homeowners don’t realize that there are serious legal ramifications involved when you try to work on your own roof without proper training and insurance. If someone gets hurt or property gets damaged because of your DIY roof repair job, you may end up facing lawsuits from those who were harmed or their family members. Hiring a qualified contractor will ensure that nothing goes wrong during your home improvement project.
If you’re planning to replace your roofing yourself, then make sure that you take a serious look at how much time it will take. To do a job well, you have to be prepared for it. The first step is to figure out what materials you need and purchase them in advance. Then, plan out exactly how you are going to lay down each layer of shingles and where they should go on your home. Finally, make sure that all of your tools are ready so that when work day comes around, there is no delay in getting started. Even if everything goes perfectly, expect an entire weekend of work just laying down shingles on one side of your house—and don’t forget about cleaning up afterwards!
If you want to make sure that your roofing project goes off without a hitch, then hiring a professional is definitely the better option. With so much time, effort and money tied up in your home, it makes sense to have someone with lots of experience working on it. If anything goes wrong during their work day, they’ll be able to fix it right away instead of trying to figure out what went wrong while they’re also installing shingles. They’ll also know exactly what materials are needed for your specific roof design and they can choose ones that will last as long as possible while giving you plenty of color options.
It’s true that repairing or replacing a roof is an investment. But it’s an investment that costs far less than hiring an unlicensed contractor or attempting to do it yourself. An inexperienced or unlicensed roofer can easily do as much damage (if not more) as they do good, which ends up costing you exponentially more in both time and money. Your roof is your home’s primary form of protection from the elements. The success of a job that’s that important can’t be left to trial and error.
The truth is, if you have a little bit of experience, there’s nothing wrong with trying to replace a few shingles or repair some flashing yourself. But when it comes to major repairs or replacing an entire roof system – particularly one made up of several layers and materials – most homeowners would be better off hiring a professional from start to finish. A trained professional can assess your needs quickly and accurately while providing honest recommendations based on years of experience working with roofs like yours.
Contractors are required to follow certain codes and standards to ensure your home’s roof is properly installed and inspected. As a homeowner, you may be tempted to do your own roof replacement in order to save money. But if you fail to meet these code requirements, you could end up with an unsafe structure that won’t pass inspection. A poorly installed roof can cause leakage, mold buildup and severe structural damage to your home.
Most professional roofing contractors are familiar with local codes and standards and will be able to tell you if your roof needs replacement. But if you’re thinking about doing your own roof repair, consult a professional to make sure it’s done right. Professional contractors can also offer other valuable services such as removing existing shingles and hauling off debris, which are additional expenses when doing your own roof replacement. Be sure to ask about service warranties too as many professionals provide lifetime coverage on their work once they’ve finished installing your new roof!
It is never a good idea to wait around and hope that the roof lasts long enough for you before you need a new one. It is much better to avoid all this stress by just getting it done as soon as you realize there’s a problem with your roof.
Like many people these days, you may want to cut some costs by attempting to fix or replace your roof on your own. However, people often ignore red flags and don’t take into account when a job will be easier (and cheaper) to get done by professionals. DIY roof replacement can indeed prove to be very costly if you make some crucial mistakes along the way. This is why it is best not to attempt it yourself but hire contractors instead. This way, you will get your roof replaced and save a lot of time and effort.
Take the first step toward a new roof with a FREE inspection and estimate from Roof RX. A highly-trained member of our staff will evaluate your roof’s condition and provide you with an estimate for any repairs that need to be made. Even better, depending on the nature of the damage identified, your Roof RX rep can work with you and your insurance company to get you a new roof at little cost to you. Roof RX can be reached at 239-789-9218 in Lee and Collier counties, and 941-979-5250 in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.