A lot of people believe that it’s better to avoid hiring a professional roofer in order to save on costs. While that might work for smaller repairs and maintenance tasks, it can be a problem if you’re facing a larger project such as a complete or partial roof replacement. The key takeaway is that you have to be very careful when considering your DIY projects and whether it’s even worth putting in the effort to re-roof your entire home on your own. Oftentimes, the effort, the difficulty and the safety concerns are simply not worth it.
You Might Pay More for DIY
DIY roofing has to do with investing in a roofing project that you plan to complete on your own, or with the help of your friends and family. The idea is that DIY implies pretty much any type of work that you do yourself, without calling on the expertise or the support of a professional roofer. There are cases when DIY roofing works – such as when you yourself are a skilled roofer, or when you live in the middle of nowhere, you just need to replace a few broken shingles, and the closest roofing company is hundreds of miles away.
However, pretty much any other scenario will involve DIY tasks that are either too difficult, too dangerous or too impractical to attempt on your own. Complications can ensue, and a lot of people find that they actually end up having to pay a lot more money in the end trying to fix the mistakes they’ve made during their first attempt at DIY roofing.
The Dangers of DIY Roofing
As if it wasn’t enough that it’s impractical, DIY roofing can be downright dangerous, especially if you don’t know too much about the standard safety precautions that roofers have to take on the job on a daily basis. Climbing on top of a roof to attempt to fix it can be a pretty risky job, especially if your home has more than one floor, and you risk serious injury if you fall.
The use of a sturdy ladder and harness will only be the start of it, in most cases. You’ll find that roofing contractors Eden Prairie MN residents hire, highly recommend the use of special boots and gear for keeping technicians from slipping if there’s water on the roof, and for preventing injuries in the event of a fall. Moreover, if you ask a professional roofer, you’ll also see that there are special approaches, positions and methods of working in difficult conditions and on difficult to reach areas, such as the area around the chimney or the valleys where you have to replace your roof’s flashing.
Additional Notes
Finally, you also have to think about issues such as getting the right permit and keeping your roof up to par with the best standards in the industry. Even if these considerations don’t matter much to you, they will come up if you try to sell your home and the buyer asks for a professional appraisal of your house – which is pretty much the norm. Chances are that the adjustments and repairs you’ll need to perform at that point will be pretty costly, so it’s better to make sure everything is in good order early on.