It’s important not to put off necessary repairs to damaged roofing. If you ignore damages to your roof, even small ones will quickly become bigger and more expensive. An inexperienced homeowner can tackle small repairs on their own. If you only need to replace or repair a few shingles, you should be able to do it yourself. Since replacing an entire roof is an expensive job, these small repairs will pay off.
Before Getting Started
Choose a day that is warm and dry to work on your roof. Walking around on a wet roof dangerous and it is easier to work with shingles in warm dry conditions. Buy new matching shingles if needed. If you are lucky there will be some remaining shingles from when your roof was installed. If any part of the shingle is missing it will need to be replaced rather than repaired. Curled or cracked asphalt shingles can be repaired though. You will probably already have most of the tools needed for the job including a pry bar and hammer.
Replace Shingles
Standard asphalt shingles are easy to remove and replace. Just pry up the nails and slide out the broken shingle. Keep in mind that part of the shingle will be nailed to the next shingle down when you are removing them. Slide the new shingle in place and nail it down. Use roofing sealant with a caulking gun under all the edges of the shingle and on the nail heads to keep water out. The process is similar with other shingle materials, just make sure you have the correct length of nails for the thickness of the tile.
Asphalt Shingles
If the asphalt shingle is simply warped use roofing sealant underneath and put something heavy on top to weigh it down for 24 hours while it dries. If the shingle is cracked then put beads of sealant underneath and on top and press down to seal the crack from both sides.
Metal Roofs
Homeowners can accomplish some repairs on metal roofs such as pulling and replacing loose nails. For rusty spots, use steel wool to buff out the rust and metal primer to cover it. Certain companies, like Acoma Roofing Inc., know that you should choose a top coat that matches the rest of the roof. If your metal roof is leaking you can spread roof cement over the damaged area with a putty knife. The other option is patching it with waterproof flashing. Whichever method you choose, make sure to keep an eye on the area and new potential problem areas.
As stated before, small problems can quickly grow and negatively affect your home if you don’t address them. Take these steps to extend the life of your roof and to protect the comfort and dryness of your home.