Home Renovation: How to Update Your Roof

Updating your roof might not seem like the most glamorous kind of renovation, but it’s one of the most important parts of your home. Roofs do more than just cover our heads. They’re our one defence against the harshness of the elements outside. They’re also the most important insulators of the home. Keeping the roof updated is going to be crucial.

Check for Leaks and Holes

During the colder seasons, roofs usually take quite the beating. The shingles are designed to protect you for some time, but even they aren’t perfect. It’s not uncommon to find the occasional leak in your attic after a particularly harsh winter.

Telltale signs include wet spots on the walls of your attic followed by lots of mould settling on it. You’ll notice that the room is quite a bit colder than the rest of the house and it might smell. Once you’ve identified the source of the leak, it’s time to fix it. Make sure the faulty shingle is replaced or patched up so that water can’t leak through it anymore.

Pick an Appropriate Material

If you’re looking to update your roof, a change of material might be in order. Shingles come in different varieties, all of which protect you from the elements quite well. Cedar is an interesting choice. It’s one of the toughest kinds of wood you can find and it won’t rot even If you live in a rainforest. It can even outlast an asphalt roof.

PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is something almost every roof has on top of itself. It’s one of the most popular choices in single-ply roofing. The shingles are pretty durable, which is probably why they’re used in flat roofs and roofs with a low slope. They can take quite a beating compared to other materials.

Get the Right Equipment

Having the right tools is important for any kind of repair work. This is especially true if you plan on climbing up on high places where it’s extremely important that things go according to plan. If you plan on using power tools, make sure they are up to date and ready for the job.

Safety is of the utmost importance when repairing a roof. There’s always a risk of falling and you could end up injuring yourself or worse. For more difficult jobs that require power tools and getting in hard to reach places, you might want to get a boom lift to help you out. Very few people have these just lying around, so you might want to rent one from places like Universal Mobile Travel Hire in order to help you finish the job without risk of injury.

Check the Roof Ventilation

Ventilation is something you have to consider when updating your roof. Without proper airflow, your attic is not going to be able to adapt to temperature changes. No matter how high you crank your air-conditioning unit, a poorly ventilated attic is going to stay hot as a furnace. This will radiate towards other rooms below it and ruin your comfort.

In order for ventilation to be effective, you’re going to need soffit vents located beneath the eaves. Gable vents must be placed near the roof peak on the exterior so that they can enable proper airflow between the inside and outside. Once these things are in place and clear of any obstruction, you’re going to enjoy a more comfortable attic in winter and in summer.

Conclusion

Every homeowner needs to keep their roof in check. Not only is it a solid investment for your quality of life, but it’s also a solid investment in the financial sense. A New and improved roof is going to raise the price of your home quite a bit, in case you plan on selling it one day. If you follow some of these tips, you’re going to be on your way to having a brilliant and well-protected roof.

Bio: Patrick Adams is a freelance writer and rock-blues fan. When he is not writing about home improvement, he loves to play chess, watch basketball, and play his guitar. More than anything, he loves to spend his time in his garage, repairing appliances and creating stuff from wood.