7 Things To Avoid When Installing A Roof

When replacing a roof, there are many things to consider. Avoid these 7 errors when installing a roof to improve your home’s lifespan.

Your roof is arguably the most important part of your home. It’s what keeps the wind and rain out, and protects you from the elements, which is why your roof installation is imperative.

When time comes to replace it, you want to be sure that you’re doing it properly. Here’s what you need to avoid when you’re installing a roof, to ensure it’ll stay strong for years to come.

1. Picking The Wrong Kind Of Roof For Your Home

Every home is different, and has different needs when it comes to roofing. For example, if you live in a wet climate, you need a roof that can keep that amount of rain and water out of the eaves without effort.

Many first time home owners will assume that all roofs are very much alike, and that just isn’t the case.

When picking a roof, you can easily pick the wrong one for you. If you go ahead and install it, you could end up having to deal with issues that cost you a lot more in repairs. It’s much better to install the right roof first time, and not have to worry about it again.

2. Trying To DIY The Installation

There’s nothing wrong with replacing a few shingles yourself, or repairing some flashing if you’re safe and have the know-how. These are fairly simple jobs and you can maintain your roof by handling them yourself, as soon as you’re aware there’s a problem.

Some home owners, though, will then think that they can handle installing a whole new roof. What’s the difference?

There’s actually a good reason why you should only hire professionals to handle installing a roof.

They have the expertise needed to do the job safely and effectively, so you’ll have a roof that will last you a long time to come.

In these cases, it’s much better to bring in an expert.

 

3. Installing A Roof Over Multiple Layers Of Shingles

You’ll see in some cases that roofers have laid a new layer of shingles over the old layer. This is quite common as it saves them time and money; but should you do it?

Sometimes this will work, but if you already have two layers of shingles, don’t be tempted to lay more over them.

This will affect the water tightness of the roof, and it’s essential that you keep the water out.

If you are laying a new layer of shingles over the old, it’s a good idea to lay a waterproof layer between the old and new shingles to avoid roof leaks and ensure no water can come through.

4. Cutting Corners To Save Money On A New Installation

There’s no denying that re-roofing your home is an expensive job. It’s very tempting to cut corners and buy the cheapest materials when installing a roof. This is a bad idea.

Using cheaper materials means you probably don’t have the right materials for the pitch and style of your roof. You want to be sure that you’re buying materials that are going to last you for a long time.

If you buy the cheaper materials, it’s unlikely that your roof is going to last the 20 years that’s recommended by manufacturers.

5. Not Cutting Back Trees

If you have a new roof, you want to ensure that it’s going to stay in good condition for a long time to come.

That means picking the right style of roof and getting in a team to install it for you, but it also means looking at exterior issues.

For example, if there are trees growing near your roof, you’ll want to prune the branches back to ensure that they’re not touching the roof.

If branches are left to grow near or even over the roof, they can cause problems later on. For example, you can get storms that pull branches off trees, and drop them onto the roof.

This can pull shingles off, or even punch a hole in your brand new roof. If you’re cutting them back regularly, then this can’t happen.

6. Not Overlapping Tiles Properly

This very much depends on the type of tiles you use when you’re roofing, but if you don’t overlap your tiles properly, you can run into problems.

When installing a roof, overlapping tiles help to seal off the roof from the elements. If there’s a gap between the tiles, you can find water getting in between them, and getting into the wood beneath. When this happens, you’ll see rot and mold start to form in the attic. This is the last thing you want, as it’s difficult to treat.

Ensure you’re overlapping tiles properly, and you’ll be able to ensure your home is safe against the elements.

7. Picking Tiles That Won’t Keep Their Color

Some home owners won’t worry about the color of their tiles when installing a roof.

They know that some tiles, such as concrete tiles, will fade over time and appear to be a different color to the one they started out as. However, others will want a specific color for their roof.

That’s why you need to be very careful when picking out the tile color for your home.

Check the tile type that you’re looking at using, and see if they’re prone to fading in sunlight. If that’s a problem for you, you’ll want to find a different tile to use on your roof. As well as this, remember that some tiles will have variances in their colors from batch to batch.

That means that you may see different shades of color on your roof when it’s finished. The best way to avoid this is to buy more tiles than you need for your roof, to ensure you’re using all tiles from the same batch. You’ll also have spares that are the same color, should you need to replace some later down the line.

Conclusion

Installing a roof consists of much deliberation.

These are just a few of the mistakes you need to avoid making when you’re installing a new roof. You can avoid most of them if you hire in a team of experts to handle it for you.

Ask for their help and your roof will be perfect.