Home maintenance isn’t exactly something that I would call “fun,” and I know I’m not alone in that sentiment.
However, this doesn’t diminish how important it really is in the long-term, especially for certain parts of our home that we may not realize are quite as important as they turn out to be.
I think a great example of this is the roof. It’s not exactly the most glamorous part of most homes or buildings, yet that certainly doesn’t diminish its importance.
In fact, it’s what protects the insides of our houses from getting destroyed by the elements, and a large part of what keeps us safe indoors.
Despite this, it doesn’t seem to get a whole lot of attention very often. If you’re not sure where to start with such a thing, or if you already know that yours needs repairs or replacing, this article is for you.
One: You Should Get Routine Inspections about Once a Year
When I was talking with my contractor last year about some of the damage my roof had sustained, he let me know that it’s usually optimal to get them checked out once a year.
The info here, https://money.com/replace-roof-need-to-know/, corroborates that. Honestly, until then, I’d had no idea that was a thing.
Unfortunately, it totally is. When you don’t keep up with the routine stuff like getting an inspection, some of the little issues end up sliding under the radar until they turn into big ones.
I’d had a huge leak in my roof, but if we’d caught it earlier, it could’ve saved me a lot of money. So, I wanted to impart this wisdom onto you as well, so that hopefully you can avoid making the same mistake that I made.
Two: You Can Get Solar Panels on Your Roof
At first glance, this seems like a pretty obvious subject to be talking about. However, you’d be surprised by how many folks weren’t aware of the fact that you can do this!
In fact, especially in sunny states like Florida, it’s becoming quite popular. Why is that?
The environmental factors involved are of course one of the reasons, but that’s far from the only motivation.
There’s also just the fact that getting solar panels can help you to save money in the long-term.
Admittedly, they can be pricey to install. However, over time, they tend to pay for themselves.
Part of the trouble tends to be finding a roofing & solar company, since there aren’t all that many contractors who offer this service.
Thankfully, though, they’re not too hard to find with the internet and with some of the blogs I’ve shared with you today.
Three: Most of the Time, Construction Requires a Permit
It’s all too easy to get laser-focused on the fact that your roof needs repairs or replaced while forgetting about getting the necessary permits involved to do so.
Now, ideally, that’s something that your contractor will be helping with (at the least), or even handling entirely. Still, though, typically you’ll still get to look at any of the paperwork involved.
When you do get to take a peek, read over everything thoroughly to ensure that all of your Ts are crossed and your Is are dotted.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t trust your contractor, of course, but two pairs of eyes on this sort of stuff never hurt anyone. Putting it lightly, it’s a pretty big deal to make sure that the proper paperwork is sorted during construction projects.
Honestly, even when the job is going to be a short one, this is still critical.
So, whether you think it’s going to take two days to install the new roof or two months, that permit is required. Don’t skip over stuff like that.
Four: The Type of Roof You Get Depends on Your Local Weather Patterns and Environment
Ever wonder why the architecture styles are so different in various parts of the country (and the world)?
Well, a lot of it comes down to the differences in weather patterns, like I mentioned above.
You can read a bit more about that on this page if you’re looking to see some examples, but most of us are probably already aware of the fact that the ones in the north look different than those in the south.
As it turns out, that’s for practical reasons. While the southern half of the country has to worry more about harsh sunlight and rain, the north has stuff like snow and hail going on.
Depending on where you are, you might also have to worry about hurricanes and tropical storms – most Floridians are quite familiar with that and how it works.
Five: You Can’t DIY (Do-it-Yourself) Your Roof
This final point I want to make because of how many articles there are out there claiming to tell you how you can install a new roof on your own, or even make repairs without needing a contractor around.
Let me put this plain and simple: this is incredibly dangerous. I would even venture to say that it borders on stupid.
At any point, you could end up falling and seriously injuring yourself. While we often see repairmen and contractors waltzing around rooftops without much issue, that’s because they have been doing it for years and are highly trained at it.
For most of us, there would be a high chance of falling off.
Obviously, that’s not something that you want to happen, so it’s best to leave it to the professionals – no matter how frustrating that can seem.
Trust me, though, any costs will be worth not getting seriously injured. I mean, people have broken their necks while trying to do this stuff on their own, and that’s a really scary thought.
So, if you’re reading one of those bunk blogs telling you to just get on a ladder and do it yourself, well…I really wouldn’t recommend doing that. Just call a contractor and save yourself the trouble.