How to Roof a House and Should You Do It Yourself?

Having a house is an ongoing commitment to maintain it and keep it in good shape.

However, homeowners easily forget the exterior like the roof and spend more time renovating the inside space.

Although the roof may not require your attention as much as the interior, it needs the care to protect your house for a long time. So, installing it right from the start is the most important thing to make sure that your roofing system will be durable and efficient.

But if you see this as a perfect DIY project, here are some facts on how to roof a house and whether you should do it yourself:

Calculate a budget

Calculating a budget for the roofing should include everything, from ladders and gloves to many nails you will need.

Lacking materials in the middle of work can lead to a botched job, as well as expose your house to the elements.

A lot depends on what kind of materials you use and, for example, imported goods can cost more than locally produced. Also, 50-year shingles will cost more than three-tab asphalt shingles but will also last longer.

Materials like natural slate and concrete tile are more expensive than steel and aluminium but not necessarily of better quality.

Knowing the details about the materials and techniques you will use will greatly affect your budget. However, you always have to plan for unexpected issues and have money to resolve them quickly and efficiently to get the work done with the highest standard.

Basics about materials

What materials you will use for the roof depends on the overall architecture of your property, as well as of the region you live in.

Another important factor to determine the material is the roof pitch. This means that some materials simply can’t be installed on certain angles and steeps.

Materials like wood shakes, asphalt composition shingles, metal roofing, slates, and clay or ceramic tiles are the most commonly used for roofs.

On the other hand, composition slate made of recycled materials is becoming more and more popular for their durability and lightness.

However, if you want to add solar panels to your roof as well then you need to make sure roofing is done properly and hire professionals. The roof needs to both withstand the weight of the panels and be efficient against the elements so it doesn’t collapse or cause damage to the property’s structure. 

It’s a process

Roofing is a process and not something you should rush or skip a step when doing it.

Professionals will likely need 3-to-4 days to install the roof, but you may need more if you lack experience or have a little of it.

If you own a heritage home, it’s best to leave this job to experts like MLR Slate Roofing to use proper materials and follow regulations accordingly. Heritage properties require high-quality work so the weather doesn’t affect the rest of the house and causes serious structural damage.

However, the same applies to any building, and work done on the roof needs to be done correctly to keep your home well-protected for a long time.

Removing shingles, repairing minor damages, installing ice protection, laying roofing paper and applying drip edging are some of the steps you need to know how to do.

On the other hand, you may cause more harm than good, so hiring a contractor may not only keep your home safe but also save you from additional expenses. 

The roofing factors

There are three main roofing factors you need to pay attention to weight, shape and surface area. Also, make sure that you use tiles or shingles that match the openings since this is where the roof most usually leaks.

Air vents and skylights are the most common openings where mistakes happen and if you are unsure you can do the job go to experienced roofers. 

However, chimneys are also the points where you want to make sure that everything is done by the book. They need a double layer of caulk and flashings to be waterproof and not collapse into the building.

Basically, it comes down to how skilled you are with a caulk gun handymen use to fill the holes that usually happen around these openings.

Lastly

Although knowing how to roof a house is a good enough reason you should do it yourself, it may not be the wisest one.

If you lack experience and the work is more than patching up, it’s best to let professionals do the job.

A good roofing job depends greatly on the quality of materials, but if they are not installed properly it can turn into an expensive endeavour quickly.