DIY roofing is tempting. It might seem like a great way to save money—after all, you’re doing it yourself! This is true for almost any small-scale project, but when it comes to roofing, there’s just too much that can go wrong. There are numerous reasons why you should reconsider DIY roofing jobs!
When you hear the phrase “roofing DIY,” your mind instantly conjures images of a small-time handyman, clad in a tool belt and safety goggles, crawling around your home’s roof. It’s easy to think that it’s a job that just about anyone with experience can handle. However, this is a dangerous notion—not only because doing so can result in serious injuries but also because it could cause damage to your home or even put you in danger of losing it.
Roofing is a specialized trade requiring training and equipment that regular folks cannot access. Worse still, if you get any part of the process wrong, it could cost you thousands in damages to your home, from water damage to mold to foundation damage. Not to mention that some home warranties will cover roofing needs!
Every Roofing Consideration
It’s no secret that most people are bad at doing their own roofing, and this is because roofing is highly complex. It’s not like painting a wall where you only need to ensure the brush doesn’t drip. Good roofing requires that numerous steps be done with the utmost precision, and if any of them is done incorrectly, it can lead to catastrophic consequences.
For instance, if your shingles aren’t installed correctly, water will get trapped between two layers of shingles and cause rot and mold. Because of this complexity, you should never attempt any part of the process alone. Roofing absolutely requires a professional, so don’t try to be a hero by taking on the project yourself.
The risk of doing any part of roofing on your own is far too high to justify trying it. If you get any part of the process wrong, it could cost you thousands in damages to your home, from water damage to mold to foundation damage. Professional roofers are highly trained and specialized, so leave the job to them—you’ll save time and money in the long run!
The Dangers of Roofing
The problem with DIY roofing is that most people don’t know what they’re doing. They’ve seen a few things about how to patch up roofs and think they can do it themselves, but most aren’t aware of how delicate a job is. When an inexperienced person takes on something this serious, they could easily make things worse.
Properly installing a roof requires a lot of experience, knowledge, and training. It’s not something you can learn on a weekend or over a few months—it takes years.
Roofing is dangerous, and even the most experienced professionals make mistakes. Many hidden dangers can catch an inexperienced person off guard, from falling through a ceiling to tripping on scaffolding to misinterpreting the weight load on a beam that can collapse under an adult man’s weight.
The Real Cost of DIY Roofing
When you start seeing your roof as something you can do yourself, you suddenly have all these ideas about how it will save you money by cutting out professional installation costs. But this isn’t true—you’ll still need to hire someone to inspect your work at the end and will also need to pay them if they find any mistakes.
Even if they don’t find anything wrong with your work, there are still other costs you can’t think of up front that could come later, like needing to replace your roof after just a few years because of the damage caused by an amateur installation or having your home become contaminated with mold and mildew from improper ventilation in your attic.
Why Professional Roofers Are the Way to Go
Although it may seem that installing your own roof is a quick and easy way to save money, it’s not. It’s an endeavor that requires the expertise of a professional roofer.
As with most things in life, if you don’t have the proper knowledge and experience, you can easily find yourself doing more harm than good. The most common error people make when installing their own roof is being too ambitious. They believe they can do it alone with help from online guides or YouTube videos. Although they might know how to install the materials correctly, they are making a grave mistake by not considering that every home is different and has unique challenges and obstacles. A professional doesn’t just know how to install materials—they also know how to adjust for issues distinctive to each home.
A professional can see problems that aren’t visible or apparent to people who aren’t working on roofs daily. These abnormalities in a roof can cause leaks, mold, mildew, and even structural damage if not repaired properly.
Knowing Who to Call
Roofing is dangerous. It’s slippery, and you’re at a considerable height, and it’s not something you should do on your own without the right equipment and training. Even if you’re doing a very small job, it will take hours to set up, take apart, and clean up after. At that point, you might as well save yourself the hassle and hire a professional.
At Arrow Roofing, we can get the job done right the first time at a reasonable and affordable price! So get in touch with us today to schedule a free inspection, and let us help you evaluate your roofing needs.