DIY Roof Repair Tips for Homeowners

As our housing market continues its strive for recovery, homeowners continue to find ways to cut other costs associated with maintaining their homes. This is making do-it-yourself home repairs, such as DIY roofing repairs, even more popular than ever. DIY projects help save owners money, especially the repairs are small and simple.

Although it is recommended that major roof repairs be performed by a professional, smaller jobs can be simple if you have the right guide. Check out these basic roofing repair tips to help make your DIY roof job simpler for you as you attempt to strengthen your home’s roof:

Find the Leaks in Your Roof

Leaky roofs are the most popular type of roof repair. As soon as you find a leak, you need to dry the surrounding area thoroughly. Once the area is all dried out, follow these steps:

1. Remove the old shingles where the leak is, and replace them with new shingles.
2. Use cement, or the more commonly used roofing tar to secure the shingles. Be sure to seal any and all cracks with the tar.
3. Give extra care to places where surfaces meet on the roof, such as near and around the chimney.

Repair Your Shingles

Most DIY roof repair tips tend to focus on shingles, the primary material used in roofing. Shingles come in a variety of materials, such as asphalt, wood, even ceramics. So, some tips will vary, depending on the type of material being used. But, here are some basic tips for repairing shingles that are bent:

• Straighten your singles during warmer weather. Colder weather makes them harder, making it easier for them to break when you try to straighten them.
• If you can’t avoid straightening your shingles during colder weather, take the time to soften the area you are repairing before working with the shingles.
• Roofing cement and/or roofing tar will help straighten the shingles out.

Clean Your Gutters

This is a very basic tip for keeping your DIY roof maintenance simple. Clogged dirt, leaves, branches, twigs and other debris can cause water build up. This, in turn, can damage your roof shingles. Use a metal or plastic scooping device to remove all the foreign items from your roof. This will allow water to drain from your roof properly. This is also a great preventive maintenance tip.

Temporary DIY Roofing Repair Tips

If you roof repair requires a professional, there are some temporary fixes you can apply until you can schedule an appointment. Here are a few:

• Tack plastic sheeting, or any heavy duty plastic, over the leaky area. Make sure to cover the surrounding area, as well. This is important because water has a way of traveling long distances. This means that the actual hole in your roof may not necessarily be directly over the leak.
• You can also use tar paper, which is pretty economical. It can be purchased in rolls at your local home improvement store. It should be applied in layers, using plastic cement to secure it in place.