Once we become independent, the desire to own a house, or just start living on our own, increases considerably. What a lot of people don’t usually expect, or know whatsoever, is the fact that being in charge of a house often involves a wide range of responsibilities, and these responsibilities only intensify if you are planning to get your first house.
A lot of these responsibilities are related to one particular thing, though: Making sure that the house is in good shape. Although this is absolutely necessary before you get your hands on a property, once you are the owner of it, the state of the house is completely your responsibility.
Things like the water pipe system, the electricity system, its walls, floor tiles, furniture, painting, windows, and doors… You will be taking care of all these aspects of your house, and if you don’t take care of them properly and regularly maintain them, the chances of problems arising just increase.
Still, one particular aspect of housing a lot of people tend to ignore is the roofing of your house. Of course, when you are thinking of renting or buying a house, this will be often discussed, since no one wants a home that is protected by a faulty roof.
That being said, as time goes by and you become comfy with your house, it is very likely that you will forget how important the shape of the roof is. And, believe it or not, roofs also require a certain level of pre-emptive maintenance to avoid a lot of problems, problems that can slowly but steadily affect the structure of your house, to the point of causing long-term problems that are quite difficult to fix.
That is why, in this article, we will teach you why the roofing of a house is so important, and how you should approach this aspect of housing to ensure that you are handling things as efficiently as possible, considering your circumstances, skills, experience, and availability.
More often than not, you will end up hiring a professional service, but you can also try to deal with the problem by yourself, which can be a challenging journey on its own. Before we discuss what the best approach to the situation is, we should talk about why a healthy roof is essential to any property.
Let’s Talk About Roofs
Roofs. Just like walls, windows, and doors, they are one of the components of the house that pretty much protects it from external forces. That being said, we can all agree that the roof is the one component that does the most work since it pretty much protects your family, your house, and you from:
- Sunlight
- Rain
- Noise and environmental pollution
- Burglars
And of course, many other threats that could harm you, your family, and the structure of your house. If the roof is poorly maintained or installed, it can cause a lot of problems to your house, and most of them are related to one thing: Water.
Water Damages Caused by Faulty Roofing
Water damages are, as the name implies, all damages caused by water, regardless of its source or nature. When it comes to roofing, the most common type of water damage is the damage caused by water leaks, since they are caused by damages to the structure of the roof.
Water leaks on their own are not that dangerous. However, when left alone, they can become an incredible annoyance to all parties involved, not only to your house, but all of its components, and even your and your family’s health.
Stains Caused by Water
First of all, a water leak that is left alone for prolonged periods of time is likely to cause stains in the affected area. Stains caused by water are well known for being very harsh, especially in locations like floor tiles and walls.
These leaks can also cause damages to the furniture and electrical appliances, and they can slowly but steadily damage water pipes from the outside, and even electrical cables if they manage to filter in the walls and floors, which can bring rather dangerous and undesirable situations.
Water can also bring other problems to the table. Some of the most common problems are high levels of moisture, and mold, which on their own can also can even more problems.
High Levels of Humidity and Mold
High levels of humidity and mold are heavily linked since mold is often a result of moisture and low levels of sunlight. On its own, moisture can also increase the temperature of a house, making any home much more uncomfortable than it should be, especially in hot weather.
With moisture comes mold, and mold can also stain walls, floor tiles, and furniture. Not only that, mold can be a dangerous threat to people suffering from respiratory complications like asthma, and without proper measures, it might even poison your water and food!
Handling Water Leaks and Related Problems
The best way to handle water leaks is by assessing your house’s situation. Most of the time, water leaks are caused by roofing problems and damages, but there’s a chance that it is caused by leaks from the water pipes. Ideally, you should assess the situation and act accordingly. Here are some good examples of things you can do to avoid water damages.
Even though you can work hard to avoid some of these problems, there are some things that most people don’t know how to do, including me. For example, maintaining a water pipe system is fairly simple and can be done by anyone as long as they have the patience and the money to get their hands on supplies and equipment, which are very affordable.
However, when things do get more complicated, it might be difficult to fix the problem by yourself. For example, a simple water leak caused by an easily accessible pipe below your sink can be fixed fairly easily, but if the problem is deeply rooted in the pipes, things do get more complicated, and the same can be said for roof-related problems.
Maintenance and repairs for roofs are on a whole new level, and at times, deciding whether to do them by yourself or hire a professional contractor, is a matter of your own circumstances.
DIY Roofing Projects
DIY is the acronym for Do It Yourself, and it is a current of self-made projects that is meant to inspire people to try to get things done by themselves without the help of a professional. Although it is a very healthy and amazing trend, there are occasions in which it is just not feasible.
The more complicated and dangerous a task gets, the less you should consider engaging in a DIY project, and roofing is certainly one of those cases. Projects related to roofs are not only very time-consuming and demanding, but they can also even be dangerous, and if you do something wrong, you’ll pretty much throw all your efforts into the trash can!
Here’s where hiring a contractor enters the play, and we will discuss why it is, frequently, the best approach to the problem.
Why You Should Consider Hiring a Contractor
Be it repairs, replacements, and even installations, hiring a contractor is the best way to approach the problem, solely because they are prepared, trained, experienced, and equipped with all the gear they need to perform a neat job in the fastest way possible. If you check SW Commercial Roofing, for example, you’ll have a solid idea of how a professional roofing company works, and the services it can provide.
No matter the size of the project and how complicated it is, professionals will always have a solution at their disposal. If you are handling the roofing aspects of your house or business, there’s no better way to approach the process.
Mainly because, if you end up hiring a professional company, you are less likely to end up dealing with problems related to water leaks and structural damages, which in the long-term run, will save you a lot of money in damages and repairs.
Yes, for sure you might be able to deal with some minimum damages caused to your roof, as long as you have a certain level of experience and equipment. However, not a lot of people are capable of handling these problems, thus, the best way to avoid damages and problems, without having to risk your health, is by hiring a professional service provider.
That being said, some people might struggle with this aspect of housing.
Hiring a Contractor for the First Time
Hiring a contractor for the first time can be a rather intimidating experience, even more considering that some projects are large and expensive. For that reason, you should definitely prepare yourself for it.
There are guides on how to do it as efficiently as possible, however, some general rules of thumb include:
- Always consider your budget, and decide what are the top priorities.
- Always check the reputation of the contractor
- Take their prices and plans into consideration and compare them with other potential choices
- Pay a lot of attention to a contract before signing it, and if possible, have a professional with you to guide you through the process
