Should You Do a DIY Roof Repair?

When the dreaded roof replacement starts looming over every homeowner’s head, some will start to get a case of the DIY Roof Repair bug. Saving money is usually the main factor for this way of thinking, however, there are some other pros that can go along with putting on your own roof. Just remember, for every pro, there is usually one or more con. We have provided a list that weighs out some of the main key factors to think about when considering doing your own DIY roof installment.

Pros

-The satisfaction/accomplishment that comes with putting on your own roof

-Nixing the need to pick and choose the right people for the job

-You have the luxury of picking your own materials

-You can take your sweet time

-You can pick your hours

Let’s take a deeper look into those glorious pros of being your own roofer:

Satisfaction:

How awesome would it be to say,” You see that roof, protecting my house from all kinds of wind, hail, and rain, yeah, I put that on there.”, nonchalantly, as if waking up and installing a new roof was just your typical Tuesday activity.

No Need to Pick and Choose:

If pro number one isn’t satisfying enough, go ahead and cross pro number two off your list while you are at it because you’ve already found the right man (or woman) for the job. That’s right, it’s you. You are the head boss in charge. No need to spend countless hours researching, trying to find the best AND most affordable company to come rip off and replace your roof. You’ve got this.

Pick your own Materials:

Pro number three involves a little bit of the research you dodged in the last step, but, it saves you some money, so, it’s definitely worth it. Picking out your own supplies means you can take the cheaper route and buy the, to put it nicely, “not so durable” materials. So, what it can’t withhold snow or ice damage? You live in Florida!

Take your Time:

Moving on to taking your sweet, sweet time. You will only be roofing your house (hopefully) so there will be no need to hurry up and finish to move on to other jobs. Want to stretch the job out for three weeks? A month? Go for it, you make the rules!

Pick your Hours:

Finally, installing your own roof means picking your own hours. This guarantees you will not be woken up at six in the morning to workers banging on your house (unless waking up early is something you do regularly.)

Cons

-There is the obvious safety risk of falling off the roof if not wearing the correct harnessing equipment

-The physical labor is pretty brutal for an inexperienced individual to endure

-Going over budget is easily doable

-You will need to purchase rather pricey pieces of specialty equipment, which is when you will begin to question whether doing this yourself is really worth it

-Any damages made to your property during the repair will come out of your pocket, adding to the cost of the project.

-No warranty

-Cleaning up all of the debris and nails will be a pain

Diving into the lengthier list that is the dreaded cons.

Safety Risks

The most common roofing error is lack of safety precaution. Whether you begin to feel too comfortable on the roof and do not wear your harnessing equipment or don’t have the proper harnessing equipment, whatever the case, falling off of roofs during DIY installments is, unfortunately, more common than not. To be more specific, roofers are three times more likely to experience fatal work-related injuries than any other construction worker type. That being said, if it is that common for professionals who use the proper equipment to succumb to injuries, then the homeowner who decides to take on this roofing task is even more at risk.

 Physical Labor

The physical labor that comes with installing a roof is a lot more than the average person can endure. Especially if you decide to perform this task in the summer, because that sun can be very unforgiving. The materials needed for the roof are heavy and need to be (duh) taken on to the roof. There is a lot of going up and down a ladder, lifting heavy supplies and tools, and other repetitive, strenuous movements that are a part of the installment process. This can be very exhausting for just one individual.

Going Over budget

Going over budget on a DIY roofing project is very easy. As previously stated, the most common reason for taking on this task is the hopes of saving money. Unfortunately, with all of the added costs that are initially unknown, the homeowner ends up paying more than expected, and sometimes, even more than if they had just hired a professional in the first place.

Purchasing Equipment

A huge factor in the “going over budget” category is the equipment needed for installing a roof. If you are lucky enough to have an equipment company in or around your area, you can rent anything from a shingle hoist for $120 an hour or a roof sweeper at $125 an hour to a roofing nailer for just $35 an hour. However, if you are unable to rent these pieces of necessary equipment and are forced to buy them, a shingle hoist alone can run around $2500. The DIY project price continues to rise.

Property Damage

Any damage that is done to your property when your roof is done by a professional contractor is taken care of by that company. However, when you take on the project yourself, property damage comes out of your pocket. Landscaping is one of the most common things on the property to get damaged, so make sure those bushes, trees, plants, etc. are tarped well! You can also get plywood to cover any AC units or other valuables around the house, but that is just another added expense.

No Warranty

The chances of something not being done right with a DIY roof installment are much higher, and unfortunately, there will be no warranty to back up your roof. Sure, you can go up there and attempt to solve the problem yourself, but chances are the issue is now bigger than a fun home improvement project and requires professional work.

Clean up

One of the most horrible tasks of a DIY job, especially a roofing job (all the nails!) is the clean up. The average home is 30 squares, and there are about 320 nails per square. So, when you do a tear off that means you will have around 9,600 nails waiting to be picked. Not to mention the shingles and other debris. Needless to say, the cleaning up part is reason alone to go the professional route.

With all of that being said, the choice is yours. There is no wrong or right choice, just an easier, less stressful one. IES Roofing is here to help you with whichever decision you make! We do suggest that if you want to take the DIY way, first get a professional opinion. Get a roof inspection and see if you can be approved for an insurance claim. This way, you could only pay your deductible. You would get the best of both worlds, the lowest possible payment and professionals installing your roof!