Should You DYI Your Roof?
If you followed last week’s Spring todo list that we posted, you did tackle the list right?. Then maybe you found some issues with your roof. Your first thought might be, this is the last thing I need, followed by I can’t afford to hire a roofer. Maybe you’re thinking this is something you can tackle yourself.
DIY and Safety
If you’re looking at a small, localized issue. Maybe one or two shingles or a loose fastener or two. Then please by all means, if you feel up to the challenge go for it.
However, if you’re seeing a large area or rotting plywood you should keep this in mind. Painting is the easiest and most attempted DIY project, and kitchen remodeling, the least often. Roofing doesn’t even make the list. You can’t fall off the kitchen floor.
On any DIY project, safety should be your first concern. Depending on the pitch of your roof, it’s incredibly easy to make one misstep and end up in the hospital or worse. Roofers have spent so much time on roofs that they just know how to walk around, even on a slick roof, and not only maneuver skillfully but also feel comfortable while doing so.
It’s not only your own feet you have to worry about. A gust of wind can come out of nowhere, and if you are carrying an OSB panel or something similar, you can find yourself on the ground and in pain.
Even if this doesn’t make you nervous, there is something else to worry about.
DIY and Quality On Your First Time
If you’re not worried about falling and heights don’t bother you much, experience counts. Even handy people can make mistakes.
Building a cabinet can be fun and takes some skill. The more you do it, the better you become. Even if you build a crooked cabinet, it’s pretty easy to break it down and rebuild it. Make a mistake on your roof and you can either make a small problem worse or ruin the whole roof.
Misconceptions About Working With Contractors
Most homeowners automatically professional help is out of reach without even talking with contractors.
This is why we always stress that you reach out and give us a call. Have us come down and take a look at your roof. There is no charge for this.
Another misconception is that it’s impossible to keep costs down.
If you’re comfortable with being on the roof, you can with us or any contractor about doing the tear out of your old roof or problem area. Spring and summer are our busy time and it’s actually a big help for us to have this work done for us.
Tearing out the old roof is just muscle and sweat. Applying the new roof requires a little more skill, and it needs to be done quickly so that your roof is not vulnerable over a long period of time.
Professional roofing contractors still need to install the new roof, whatever roofing material it happens to be. Installing a new roof yourself is not encouraged.
Research and prepare. You’ll want to know about the best roofing materials for your home. Should you choose metal or asphalt? How much does it cost to install shingles?
The easiest way to get answers to all your roofing questions is to give DYMI Construction a call. We’re more than happy to help you and your home.
