Knowing When to Call in a Roofing Contractor

Many homeowners have the skills and tools to work on their own homes, doing maintenance, repairs and renovations.  There are times, however, when calling a professional in to handle a problem makes sense.   In this roofing guide we discuss when to call in a roofing contractor. If the contractor can’t get to you right away amke sure you knwo some quick  fixes to hold you over till the roofer can get to you.

Here are a Few Times You Should Definitely Call a Roofer!

When you can’t locate the source of a leak.

Sometimes finding the cause and source of a leak can be extremely difficult.  Once water gets under roofing material or behind flashing it can travel along the roof deck for quite a distance before it finds a place to leak into your home.  If you’ve spent a few hours looking for missing or damaged shingles, checked all the flashing and vent boots, and still can’t locate the cause of the leak, call a roofer.

When you don’t have the required skills or experience for the job.

Some roofing repairs require specific skills or at least good experience using basic skills to complete.  For example, replacing a patch of shingles, shakes or tiles in the middle of the roof can be more difficult than putting on roofing from scratch.  Repairing damage or leaks in valleys is another tricky fix.  Doing repairs badly will often lead to worse problems.  If its a repair you haven’t done before, call the roofer.  Go on the roof and assist if possible, and learn from the pro so that the next time it can be a DIY roof repair.

When the job is bigger than you want to handle!

Whether its installing the entire roof or fixing a major repair, sometimes the job will simply be more than you want to handle or have the time to give to it.  If you find that the roof deck is rotted in spots and its going to require tearing off a section of shingles, cutting out plywood and replacing it, and then adding new tar paper and shingles, that’s a big job.  With rainy weather patterns in many parts of the country, getting a major roofing job done quickly is essential.  If you don’t have the means or help to get a job done in a weekend, consider calling a roofing contractor.

Finally, Do you hate heights?  Call the roofer, right?  But beyond that, it can be a challenge to know when it would be better to call a roofing contractor rather than take a crack at it ourselves.  When in doubt, these 3 guidelines offer tried and true advice for when a professional is the right choice.

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