If you are like a lot of homeowners, you probably like fixing things yourself. Maybe on a weekend, you and your buddies get together to do a little home improvement around the house. There is that small, flat roof you have over the top of the porch that has a tear in it. A trip to the local Big-Box store reveals there are some supplies you could use to put a quick patch on it and save yourself a ton of money. Am I right?
Well, the truth be told is most DIY‘ers do not realize that a small tear in a roof membrane, like a Modified Bitumen, can be a serious problem if not taken care of correctly. Most DIY’ers will simply put a patch over it with some roofing adhesive and think they have solved the problem. In fact, what you have most likely done is made the problem worse. How have you made it worse?
Even a small tear in a flat roof will allow moisture to seep under the roof coating and into the sub-structure. The sub-structure becomes damp or soaking wet and when you apply the patch, the moisture has no place to go. What results is not apparent for some time, but eventually, you will find your sub-structure has rotted from the trapped moisture and will end up costing you more to fix than it would have if you simply called in a professional in the first place.
Most DIY roofing jobs create more problems than they fix. A professional flat roofing contractor will evaluate your roof, looking for cracks and tears in the roof membrane and around flashing and vents. Before they apply any type of patch, they will remove a portion of the damaged area and check the sub-structure for moisture infiltration. Any moisture in the sub-structure has to be completely dried before they proceed any further to avoid further damage. They will also check to see if the sub-structure is sound and can replace a portion of it if they find any signs of damage or decay.
Once the sub-structure is dry, a roofing contractor will properly prepare the area around the damaged section of roof and prepare a patch designed for the type of roof that is installed on your structure. There is no guess-work involved, they do not use materials designed for the DIY’er, and they have the experience and equipment to properly seal the roof to prevent further damage.
One more thing that a professional roofing contractor offers that a DIY’er cannot is a workmanship guarantee. Most contractors will guarantee their work against further leakage or damage around the repaired areas. If they don’t, you have to question their professionalism and knowledge. Do you and your buddies offer a guarantee?
So when it comes time to do a quick repair on that small portion of the flat roof that you have at your home, don’t call your buddies over for a beer and have them attempt to fix it. Call in a professional who has the experience, equipment, and offers a guarantee to do the job properly the first time. It may cost a little more, but it will save you a ton of money in the long run.