What Your DIY Roof Inspection May Have Missed

Taking the DIY route for home maintenance tasks can be a good cost-saving measure, but some tasks — like roof inspections — are best left to professionals. In today’s post, Cruz Roofing and Siding takes a look at the things that are usually overlooked during a DIY roof inspection.

Safety Measures

Any activity involving roofing work is inherently dangerous. According to The Center for Construction Research and Training, about 35% of construction-related fatalities are fall-related. DIYers are less likely to have undergone safety training and/or use safety gear. In case of an incident, hospitalization and insurance costs will all be shouldered by the homeowner.

On the other hand, professional roofers are trained and equipped for such eventualities, and are therefore at a much lower risk. Also, roofers have workers’ compensation coverage, which protects the homeowner from liabilities arising from such incidents.

Thorough Inspections

Inexperienced or untrained DIYers are more likely to overlook important signs of roofing damage, or even entire areas altogether, resulting in incomplete inspections. DIYers often forget to look into the attic, which can tell a lot about the roof’s condition when there are no visible signs from the outside. Small signs like discoloration of wood (which are often water stains), clumping insulation (a sign of contact with water), and “weeping” nail heads (a sign of corrosion and indicates contact with moisture) are crucial in determining the roof’s conditions.

Appropriate Care

A DIYer may decide to clean a dirty roof. While cleaning is something that homeowners can definitely do, some people tend to overdo it, ending up causing more damage to the roof. For example, algae on the roofing surface should be cleaned using cleaning products that are designed for the specific type of roof. Using undiluted bleach or other harsh cleaning products could cause accelerated deterioration on materials like asphalt shingles or uncoated metal roofs.

DIYers also tend to use pressure washers on everything. While they’re great for stripping moss on concrete and for preparing various surfaces for painting, they’re more likely to damage the roofing surface. What would have been a simple roof cleaning routine could become a costly repair job.

Is your roof up for inspection or repair? Leave it to the professionals at Cruz Roofing and Siding. Give us a call at (203) 685-2548, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.