Professional Northern Virginia Roofing Tips
If you’re a homeowner in the Northern Virginia area, odds are you’ve had to deal with some roof repairs on your home over the years. With our four seasons and sometimes bitterly cold winters, hot summers, and everything in between, it’s helpful to have some tips on hand for when it’s time to buckle down and do those repairs. Read on to find some Northern Virginia roofing tips.
Should You Hire Someone?
Depending on the state of your roof, a professional may the best person for your Northern Virginia roofing needs. Consider your roof—does it have loose or missing shingles in just a few areas or scattered all over? There may be obvious wear on it from extreme weather conditions or just old age. Just how extensive will your repairs be? If it’s not just one area that needs to be repaired or a few shingles, it’ll probably be best to hire a professional. Also keep in mind the age of your roof—if you have an asphalt roof that’s about twenty years old, this is the time to call a professional to come in and replace the roof. Different roofing materials have different life spans, so be aware of this when deciding whether it’s time to replace or repair.
Local Northern Virginia Roofing Problem Areas
If you notice just a few problem areas that appear to be localized, it might be ok to do the work yourself—if you aren’t afraid of heights, that is. When it comes to Northern Virginia roofing tips, you’ll need to be sure you can handle being up on the roof before you attempt any type of repairs. Your safety comes before any roofing needs. If just one or a few areas are missing shingles, you can easily hop up there and replace them. You’ll need to wear shoes with proper soles to prevent slipping as well as take the proper materials up there with you—you may need caulk to replace curling shingles, and definitely a hammer, some roofing nails, and a utility knife to actually replace shingles.
Effects of Weather on Roofing
Different types of weather have different effects on your roof—and with Northern Virginia roofing, you’ll need to worry about cold as well as heat. Freezing temps and snow can cause cracked shingles, which, if the underpart of the shingle gets wet, can cause leaking, while extreme heat over time can have negative effects on the sealant on your roof. For Northern Virginia roofing, you’ll want to make sure that you can keep up with roof maintenance to properly prepare for any extreme temps the weather might bring. Northern Virginia roofing tips include choosing the right material for your home that fits the style and will also weather both the heat and the cold well.
Replacing Shingles – Two Layers Only
Don’t forget that when it comes to Northern Virginia roofing, only two layers are allowed by building code standards. This means that if you already have two layers, you’ll need to get at least one of them stripped off before replacing the entire roof. This helps prevent weight from building up on the roof of the house as well as provides proper ventilation for your home. If you only have one layer, feel free to make repairs as you see fit—as long as you know what you’re doing. If you’re going for a total roof replacement for your Northern Virginia roofing, make sure you are properly adhering to regulations by having no more than two layers.
Know Your Stuff
You don’t have to be professional roofers in Northern Virginia to spot problems with your roofing situation. Northern Virginia roofing tips include performing routine maintenance and regularly checking your roof to stop problems before they happen. Looking for abnormalities such as standing water, split shingles, erosion, or curling of the shingles can help you identify problem areas. Although leaking is less common with a single roofing layer, you’ll still want to check out problem areas to ensure that the shingles are not getting wet underneath, especially with missing shingles or shingles that are curling up.
Roofing for your Northern Virginia home may require a total replacement by a professional, but it’s smart to keep up with the maintenance of your roof by following these Northern Virginia roofing tips such as repairing weather wear, knowing what signs to look for when doing maintenance on localized problems areas, and being aware of building regulations in the Northern Virginia area.