Image Source: Fr Antunes on Flickr
Quite honestly it’s the last thing I want to spend my money on. Pouring hard earned cash into something as inanimate as a roof often feels worthless and let’s face it, dull. But as a fully fledged grown up I guess it’s something I have to come to terms with and to get on with, particularly as our 100 year old Victorian semi has a roof leak. Several in fact.
A Leaking Roof
When we moved in 12 years ago, the survey said we needed roof repairs, and probably would need a complete new roof very soon. Of course 12 years later there is still no new roof because I’m waiting until we can afford the loft conversion.
What would be the point of renovating the roof now when it would need redoing should we build a dormer on the side of the house. Surely we’d replace the roof then?!
Yes but the problem is we have sprung some leaks. We’ve had a few over the last few years and have managed to patch them and stop any damage to the bedrooms but the torrential rain over the last few weeks has really shown us that we need to get on and get them fixed before Winter kicks in.
Roofing and roof repairs aren’t always at the top of our priority list but leave it too long and should you need to sell your home, it will need some fast work or buyers might go running. You may not realise it but it’s a great way to add value to your home and ensure you don’t lose out on any potential sales.
When to do it
So when’s the best time to undertake roofing repairs and who should you get in to do it. It’s exactly that which we are contemplating now. It makes perfect sense that we should tackle the roof right now when the weather is warmer and mostly dry, to give the repair company time to fix the holes before the cold weather arrives.
Who wants to be in a house when the roof is off and temperatures are below freezing? I know I don’t. But of course, it’s the age old problem. The weather is good so we don’t see the problems. They go out of our mind and we forget that we really should be doing something about this NOW whilst we have the chance. A couple of years ago our 25 year old boiler packed in which meant we had no heating and no hot water for about 3 weeks.
Thankfully this happened in the summer which meant we obviously didn’t need to worry about the lack of heating, and could put up without the hot water for a while. But had this happened in the depths of Winter, it would have been a completely different story.
My point is, take the opportunity to make the alterations now whilst the weather is good, and you won’t be kicking yourself in the Winter when you have rain pouring down your daughter’s bedroom walls and none of the roofing repair companies will come out and fix it. I was looking at issues with metal roofing too, particularly metal roofing central coast and realised that problems do happen but they are all fixable.
Finding the Right Person
And where do you find the right person to do the job. We’re quite lucky in that we’re members of a Skills Exchange in our area which I’ve talked about before and we do have a very capable, well regarded roofer that we can call on.
But he gets busy and there may be a wait so we’ll be looking around for personal recommendations too. If you see a house in your neighbourhood undergoing roofing repairs it’s always worth asking the owner if they’d recommend the company. Referrals go a long way to ensuring you get a reliable company to do the job.
So as it’s now raining again I’m off to check on the bedroom walls, and to make that all important phone call!
Jen is an interiors writer and blogger and has an insatiable love of home style and decor
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Thing is, if you don’t fix (or replace) the roof when there’s a problem it will become a bigger problem and cost more in the long run. I’ve seen ceilings collapse which apart from the risk of injury cost a lot of money to repair.
In our climate any water ingress or damp should be fixed properly when it occurs.
Thanks for the share. When it comes to roof leaks I think the safest bet is to call a repair service. Whenever it comes to water damage normally the longer you wait the worse it gets. I’ve seen a $100 dollar fix from a repair service turn to a $1000 fix just because the homeowners chose to wait and try to fix it themselves.
Yes, in order to minimize additional damage and hazard of an older or disrepaired roof taking action quickly makes a big difference.
Whether we like it or not, even a well-built roof will eventually wear out. It’s very important to routinely check your roof for damages to keep your family safe. Thanks for sharing this information as I enjoyed reading it. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing.. I was thinking to start a roofing business.. thanks for the tips
Oh I love this! I wish more people would pay attention to the age and deterioration of their roof. Sure, it’s a hassle & hurts the wallet, but putting off basic maintenance becomes a bigger problem the longer it’s ignored – like leaks into attic space, mold, and water damage to the walls. Replacing the walls and the roof is much worse than just taking care of minor roof repairs when they come up.
I hear it all the time “That much for a roof!” its hard to convince people the the value of a good roof. Great tips on finding the right people for roof repair and your right about referrals! Their our #1 way to get roofing jobs. Google reviews are also helping us. Thanks for the great article.
The first concern i have in mind is, Why not make sure that the roof will be good when you are still on the process of having your house built? Or maybe if the house is not build for you, you have to check if it is good and find ways to have it fixed not TEMPORARILY FIXED
If you dont fix the roof, you will have other major problems with the whole building.
I hear it all the time “That much for a roof!” its hard to convince people the the value of a good roof. Great tips on finding the right people for roof repair and your right about referrals!
This is some really great information for anyone who has roofing issues they haven’t addressed yet. I know a lot of people let problems like that go for a while before they deal with them, but I agree that when weather is good it can be pretty easy to accidentally ignore the issue. Thanks so much for writing!
Great article! Thanks!
I had no idea about this lol. Pretty interesting subject for sure though.
Whether we like it or not, even a well-built roof will eventually wear out. It’s very important to routinely check your roof for damages to keep your family safe. Thanks for sharing this information as I enjoyed reading it
very useful article thank you for your in site
This is one of those things you can’t over look. Roof Leaks will leave more damages than one might anticipate. Having a good and strong roof is not possible with a leak. getting on top of the issue at hand will help with the facts that bad roof installation is one of the major results in leaks.
Fixing a roof sooner rather than later is really important. Here in the Fort Worth / Dallas Metroplex, we deal with powerful storms, typically in the springtime. Many times we’re hit by hail, and then the storm passes. Sometimes we don’t know there’s water damage until the next time it rains.
As some others have said, it is better to fix the problem when it is small before it becomes a big problem! Thanks for sharing.