A roof is one of the most important parts of a building envelope and this is why it becomes important that one should know what to avoid when hiring a team for roofing your building.
Read the following points to know some of the common roofing mistakes that you can avoid:
1) Choosing the wrong materials for roofing: Using good material is important, but when it comes to roofing; quality along with choosing the right type of shingles is important. Quality or choice of shingle separately will not be much of a benefit, but both, when combined, will bring out the essence and will do justice to the purpose it is being installed for (i.e. Protection). Therefore, avoid choosing a shingle that will not match the slope of your roof.
2) Flawed Installation: Installing a roof is not as easy as it seems to be. Roof installation is tricky and technical. Those who are not well-equipped with tools or lack experience in installing roofs will install a roof that has flaws, for example, a new roofer may install new shingles over the old ones and when this is done the whole roofing system will weigh down forcing you to replace the entire roof. It’s best to hire a professional roofer/ or a team of roofers who are experts at installing roofs.
3) Using too many or too few nails: Yes, not using the right number of nails can be damaging to your roof which can further shorten the lifespan of your roof. Therefore, make sure that at least four nails are used per shingle and at least six if the roof has a steep grade. Additionally, nailing at the wrong place can also create a big problem. Make sure that the nails are not driven into or above the self-sealing cement/spot. Talk to your professional about this.
4) Improper installment of valley flashing: Another common roofing mistake one should avoid is installing valley flashing improperly. Valley flashing is a method of lining the valley of your roof. Usually, inexperienced roofer/contractors install valley flashing directly on the shingles; which is wrong. Directly installing valley flashing is not the correct way of installing it. The flashing should not be installed on top of the shingles but underneath it.
5) Inadequate protection for valley flashing: Security of valley flashing is as important as installing it is. Roof valleys are responsible for driving out excess water and that is a reason why the roof valley is prone to leaks. This is why, when you get a valley flashing installed, make sure that your roofer uses enough securing materials so that your roof does not leak after handling a large volume of runoff water. If an adequate amount of securing material is not used, the roof valley will start leaking and will collapse. Therefore, in order to avoid buckling and investing more money; make sure your roofer uses enough securing material.
6) Not considering winter season when planning: Living in an area where the winter season is harsh; ice dams will form on the line of the roof which will most likely lead to water penetration under the shingles. An experienced professional roofer will know all of this and will keep this in mind when installing a new roof for your building.
7) No space is given to attics or ceilings to vent: Venting is an important feature that needs to be considered, this is why shingles should be laid down in a way that it does not affect the ceiling or attic. Attics/ceilings need space through which they can vent out air; otherwise, moisture will build up which will weaken the material used for shingles.
