While putting a new roof onto your home is costly, sometimes it can be avoided. But, a roofing project that’s characterized by amateur or shoddy workmanship can be costlier in the long run. In this article, you will get to know about 9 Costly Roofing Mistakes You Should Avoid.
The roof is among the most important aspects of your home. Besides being among the most visible parts of your home’s exterior, it is an essential barrier from external elements. When your roof is in good shape, your home will remain dry when it rains, warmer in the winter, and cooler during the summer.
The typical life expectancy of a roof can be affected by various factors. Your roofing material, as well as your location, will affect how long your roof will last.
A damaged roof can be annoying. It can lead to exposure to unwanted weather as well as further damage. For this reason, it is essential to choose qualified roofing professionals to handle any roof repairs as soon as possible.
It is, therefore, important to select highly skilled and experienced roofing professionals to avoid the following costly roofing mistakes:
1. Reusing Old Flashing
Do you know the role played by the metal flashing on your roof? It helps protect vulnerable places, including the chimneys, skylights, and roof valleys from moisture.
Some inexperienced roofers decide to reuse old flashing when replacing a roof. Although these old flashing may seem to be in good condition, it can lead to potential problems in the long run. Be sure to talk to your roofer to ensure that a new flashing is installed on your roof. This way, you’re less likely to experience wear.
2. Not Replacing Old Shingles
Most low-quality roofers are likely to cut this corner. They cover old shingles instead of replacing them.
Removing old shingles and replacing them with new ones is the best way to replace a part or all of your roof. This should be the case, especially if the shingles were damaged.
By putting new shingles on top of old shingles, you’re creating loopholes where moisture and dirt can collect. This can lead to more damage to your roof as opposed to if the right process was followed.
Flat roof replacement Vaughan, your roofing contractor should remove all old roofing materials before they install a new one.
3. Incorrect Nail Placement
Nail placement plays a huge role when it comes to the integrity of your roof. If nails are improperly placed, it can lead to serious structural problems.
Ensure all nails are placed beneath the top layer of the shingles, rather than leaving them exposed to moisture, wind, and damaging sun. This way, you’ll protect them from corroding, which can cause holes in your shingles.
4. Improper Moisture Protection
While your shingles help deflect and divert water off your roof, it is advisable to install moisture protection underneath. This barrier will not just protect your decking from rain, but also from collecting moisture from ice or snow.
To ensure your roof is fully protected from moisture, you must install a high-quality moisture barrier.
5. Improper Flashing Installation
Apart from replacing your flashing, you need to ensure that a new flashing is installed properly. If your flashing is improperly overlapped, insufficiently fastened, or misaligned, then your roof will not sufficiently protect you from rain, ice, and snow.
6. Incorrect Fastener Length
Your shingles are likely to loosen if the nails used to fasten them are too short. This will not just lead to shifting, but it can also lead to premature roof replacement and repairs.
Ensure your contractor uses nails that go well into decking to avoid shifting as well as displaced shingles in the long run.
7. Improper Ventilation
Many homeowners ignore ventilation when it comes to roofing repairs and replacements. Highly skilled and experienced roofing contractors use high-quality roofing materials to ensure that the roof has a good structure and properly vented. A home with improper ventilation will have excess heat buildup and destructive moisture collection.
8. Improper Overhang
Have you ever thought why shingles overhang the eaves of a house? If your roof does not overhang the eaves of your house, then you’re likely to experience wind damage, which can affect the edges of your shingles.
Your roofer should give your roof enough overhang. To ensure further protection from wind damage, ensure your roofing contractor is using the right amount of fasteners per shingle according to where your home is located.
9. Decking Issues
Your roof’s decking lays the foundation upon which your shingles are laid. For this reason, it’s among the most important aspects of a home. Your roofer should, therefore, inspect all decking to ensure that they are properly installed.
