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DIY Roofing Tips
Advice on Building and Repairing a Roof
By Mark J. Donovan
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DIY roofing takes unique skills and strength, so before you
decide to tackle a do it yourself roofing project make sure you can honestly
say to yourself that you have both. Also, your home’s roof is one of the
most important aspects of your home. If it leaks you will damage the
interior of your home and much of its content. Consequently, unless you are
already skilled in roofing a home, I highly advise not to tackle this
project on your own. Roofing is also extremely dangerous. One misstep and
you can find yourself on the ground with a broken back or worse. |
If you do have some experience with
roofing and feel compelled to tackle your own diy roofing project make sure that
you are up to date on the latest roofing materials and products. In particular
make sure to use an ice and water shield. Ice and water shield is a very sticky
material that helps protect your home from ice dams and water damage. The ice
and water shield should be applied the first 3 to 6 feet from the edges of the
roof. In addition, use it in the roof valleys and around chimneys and other roof
protrusions. Also use it where any roof line butts up against a wall. Make sure
in this situation that the ice and water shield goes up the wall by at least 12
inches.
Another important roofing material to use is flashing. Make sure you use step
flashing against any adjacent walls to the roof. Also use lead flashing around
chimneys. In addition, you may also want to use flashing in the valleys,
depending upon the look you want to achieve with your roof. Copper flashing is
often used in the valleys of high end homes.
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Drip edge is another major item that should be installed around the perimeter
of the roof before installing the new shingles, to prevent the wicking of
water up underneath the bottom/edge roof shingles.
When repairing a roof, or re-shingling a roof, remove all of the old shingles
first. Many shingle manufacturers will void their shingle warranties if you
install new shingles over old ones. In addition, after removing all of the old
shingles make sure to check for any damaged roof sheathing. If there is,
replace the damaged areas before installing the new shingles.
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Avoid any diy roofing project on either extremely hot or cold days. Roofing
in extreme temperatures can lead to damaged shingles or prevent them from lying
properly on the roof.
From a safety perspective, if you are roofing a steep pitched roof, consider
using safety lines and a harness. Also make sure to wear soft sole work boots
with good treads.
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For more help on Shingling Your Home's Roof, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s
Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet.
The
Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet
will
help to ensure
that
your roof won't end up with a blue tarp over it and a dumpster sitting in your
yard for weeks
as you wait for the roofing contractor to come back and finish roofing your
home.
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Additional Roofing Resources
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