- If you're the go-getter type that has a roof problem,
you might be weighing your options as to whether
or not it's better to hire a contractor
or to do it yourself.
Well, before you pick up that hammer and do roof work,
we're here to explain the five things that you need
to keep in mind before doing any DIY work on your roof.
I'm Brandon Hafeli with Bill Ragan Roofing Company
and thank you so much for watching the Roofing Channel.
Let's jump in.
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Voiding warranties.
Now pretty much every material and every component
on your roof has a stipulation in the fine print saying
that if anybody besides a professional tampers with it,
the warranty, workmanship, or material
is going to be voided.
Now what "working on" entails usually depends
on the contract or the warranty fine print.
But it can be as lenient as you having to directly work
on the component before the warranty is voided,
or as strict to where if you work on any part of the roof,
then the entire roof system is going to be voided.
Be sure to check on the area specifically
with the material fine print of the manufacturer
and the contractor who may have installed it
to see what those warranties are and what will be voided
if you decide to work on your roof.
Working on a roof is dangerous.
It probably doesn't need to be said
but working on a roof is dangerous
and it can result in serious injury or perhaps worse.
That's the number one reason why, anytime we're talking
about even getting up on a roof, even insinuating it,
we always give a disclaimer
to leave it to the professionals.
Even if you do your research,
you use the proper safety equipment
the proper methods, and go outside when it's dry.
There are still things that can get you hurt
such as falling through decking that you can't account for.
So please, leave it to the professionals.
DIY projects take time.
Like any project, especially home improvement projects,
roof work can end up being a lot more
than you initially bargain for.
Between buying the materials, doing the research,
getting up and down the roof, and much, much more.
That's time that you're never gonna get back.
By hiring a professional who will take care
of that work for you, you can save that time
and spend it doing something
that I'm sure is going to be much less frustrating.
You need the right tools.
We find that the amount of equipment required
and materials is often much more expensive
than a homeowner may think
in order just to do even a small roof job.
To give an example of what you'll need
for just a simple pipe boot repair,
you'll need the actual pipe boot itself.
You'll need shingles that match the rest of your materials.
You'll need specialized roofing nails.
You'll need caulking.
You'll need ice and water shield.
And that's just for one repair.
Make sure you need to do the work.
Going back to warranties.
You always wanna make sure that there aren't any warranties
or guarantees that are gonna cover any work
that you would do yourself.
If you try and don't succeed on a roof repair
or some kind of roof work,
then you've sunk that time, effort and money into it.
When you could have just gotten somebody out
to fix it in the first place.
Lastly in the case of storm damage or other natural events,
there's always a chance that your insurance company
will pay a professional to fix it for you.
So there you have it.
Those are the five things to keep in mind
before you even consider doing any DIY work.
Now, if you're still thinking with everything in mind
that you wanna do the work yourself,
then at the end of the day it's your property
and you can do what you want with it.
Just be sure to educate yourself and be safe.
If you're leaning more in the route of hiring a contractor,
then click on the link below or at the end of this video
and watch a video on how much roof repair costs
to better educate you before talking to a contractor.
I'm Brandon Hafeli, Bill Ragan Roofing Company.
and thank you so much for watching the Roofing Channel.
Remember to like and subscribe so we can grow
and help educate more homeowners like yourself.
And if you have any ideas on what to do next,
then leave a comment below and we'd be happy
to make a video answering the question for you.
We'll see you next time.
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