No one likes unexpected expenses, especially when they are on the large side. When problems crop up around the home, many homeowners will take it upon themselves to repair a problem rather than hire someone.
While in many cases, home DIY (Do-It-Yourself) works out fine, roof work, more often than not, is best left to the professionals.
Too many times, some homeowners “fix” what appears to be a small problem only to have it result in expensive consequences later on as the real problem goes neglected.
The consequences of neglecting even the smallest roof leaks often result in very expensive repairs later on!
Take this unfortunate tale.
Yes that is a piece of plywood, stealthily painted to sort of match the roof and actually screwed to the roof! Apparently a tree trimmer dropped a branch onto the roof, damaging it. When the homeowner noticed it, he thought he’d just patch it with the plywood. Thinking this would solve the problem. it remained there for 2 years! From the surface it didn’t look so bad.
After the roof contractor removed the “patch”, well, you can see for yourself. Rotted shingles, wood, decking, an expensive mess indeed as a large portion of the decking/plywood under the patch and below it had to be replaced.
But wait, there’s more!
While making the “repair”, our hapless homeowner turned amateur roofer apparently had misstepped and unwittingly cracked a good portion of the edge shingles.
And missed a spot. A relatively small looking hole, but what lies underneath is anything but innocuous.
What does rotted decking from missing shingles or punctures look like?
Similar damage to the prior picture. Notice how wet the plywood is. There’s no patching this, it’s tear it and the planks around it out and replace them. Had the damage been repaired when it occurred, this wouldn’t have been an issue.
These homeowners knew they had a few missing shingles here and there but thought “What is replacing a few missing shingles going to cost?” and let it go for a year. You can see from the picture above, it cost a lot for them. No other damage, just missing shingles.
This is the same roof with only the rotted, dark, water-stained plywood removed, leaving the good plywood in place. All that insulation is ruined and had to be replaced. With such extensive damage, a cleanup team had to come in and spray for black mold in the attic!
These aren’t isolated incidents, this happens more often then it should. Neglecting ones roof can mean the difference between a few hundred in repairs to thousands.
If you notice missing, cracked, or buckled shingles or aren’t sure that DIY repair is holding up, call your local professional roof contractor today! Have your roof inspected once a year and report any damage immediately!
In Metro Atlanta call Atlanta Roofing Specialists at 770-419-2222 for a FREE estimate today!