Professional Roof Repair Services
Several roof problems ranging from missing shingles to damaged chimney flashing can lead to roof repairs. Whatever the cause, you want to choose the right roofing company to fix the problem. Our repairs teams have years of experience finding the source of leaks and repairing roofs to like-new condition.
Common Roof Repairs:
- A Leaky roof
- Water damage
- Cracked, missing, or damaged shingles
- Worn out chimney flashing
- Tree limb damage
First, some questions to consider when trying to figure out if you need a roof repair.
Will a roof repair be entirely sufficient to fix the damage on your roof? Sometimes it may be difficult to determine if you need a roof repair or a roof replacement.
What is the age of your roof?
Do you know when your roof was last replaced or installed? The age of your roof can help you determine if a repair would be a viable option.
Another factor is what type of roofing materials were used? The type of roof, like asphalt shingle or metal roofing will gauge the life expectancy of a roof.
If signs of aging are showing up on your roof, or if your roof has suffered storm damage or is leaking, now might be the time to replace your roof instead of leaning on a roof repair to fix your roof issues.
You’ll want to consider the cost of paying for roof repair after roof repair when it would be a better investment to pay for a full roof replacement instead. A roof replacement would be a great idea even if you’re planning to sell your home.
Is your roof leaking now or has it in the past?
One of the most common reasons that a homeowner would need a roof replacement or repair is because of a leaky roof. From water stains showing up on the ceiling or walls inside your home, to water damage in your attic, the cause could be a leaky roof. Our certified roofing experts are great at finding the source of the leak and knowing what the solution will be to remedy the roof leak.
As professional roofing contractors, we’ve seen it all. Most of the roof repairs jobs that we are called out for are for fixing other roofers’ mistakes. We find that other roofers tend to take shortcuts and try to provide a quick fix which ends up giving the homeowner a headache later down the road when there is a leak. We aim to install correctly the first time so you don’t have to worry about a leak!
It’s always important to remember that you’ll want to fix a leaky roof as soon as you can. A small roof leak can lead to a much bigger leak and cause many more problems for you the homeowner down the road. Some of these issues could result in:
- Mold in your home
- Rotting your framing or roof decking
- Damaging your ceilings and walls
- Your insulation getting wet or destroyed
What are the most common roof repairs?
Flashing
You may be curious what flashing would look like on your roof. Typically the point where the chimney meets the roof is the most common place to see flashing.
Provided is an example of old flashing where the caulking has dried up and the flashing has started to separate from the chimney.
Proper Flashing
You’ll notice in this diagram what the correct flashing will look like when properly installed.
This flashing method should be used for any masonry work such as brick or stone. For houses with vinyl or different siding, step flashing will be put underneath so that the water drips off the siding and onto the step flashing.
Improper Flashing
Here’s another example of improper flashing.
You’ll notice that the step flashing wasn’t properly installed. According to Owen’s Corning Roofer’s Guide To Roof Installation, you’re supposed to have a 2” top lap over the previous piece of step flashing. In the example on the right, the roofer failed to overlay the step flashing, resulting in a leak for the homeowner.
Shingle Replacements
Can you replace just a few shingles?
Yes! You may not need a full shingle roof replacement just yet!
There are a few steps to replace a shingle. For example, maybe you lost a few shingles in a recent wind storm or you’ve found that one is cracked or torn. A simple roof repair could solve your problem.
How to replace a shingle:
- With a flat bar, you’ll need to separate the damaged/torn shingle from the other shingles around it.
- Once you’ve cut through the sealed porting that holds the shingles down, you’ll use the flat bar to pry out the old nails.
- You’ll then slide out the old shingle that you want to replace. Put the new shingle in its spot.
- Use the nail strip and nail at least 4 nails in new areas (Be careful not to use the old holes).
- Use roofing sealant to seal over the top of the 4 new nails to seal against possible future leaks.
- Apply more roofing sealant along the bottom of the new shingles and apply some pressure to press it down.
There are a lot of helpful videos on YouTube that can walk you through these steps in more detail. If you’re not comfortable doing this roof repair yourself, then you’ll want to call professional roof repair mechanics who can easily solve your problem!
An entire section for shingle repair
Maybe you’ve got an entire section on your roof that needs to be replaced.
It would be best to have one of our expert roof repair estimators out to give you an update on what would be best for your roof.
Pipe Boot Repairs
First off, what are pipe boots?
Ripe boots can also be referred to as roof boots, plumbing vent boot, vent pipes, or piper flashing. Pipe boots are rubber boots that are pre-formed flashing for pipe penetrations of a roof. These could be pipes that run up from your kitchen or bathrooms through your roof.
As the outside temperature changes, your roof expands and contracts. This flexible vent pipe flashing boot allows the roof to move as needed without breaking the waterproof seal that would keep water from coming into your home.
Normal pipe boots last anywhere from 4-7 years depending on sun exposure. We also use a pipe boot cap that lasts the same amount which increases the life of the pipe boot. This type of repair is extremely common because once the pipe boot gives out the water starts leaking in.
Examples of old pipe boots
You’ll notice on all of these that the top of the pipe boot begins to wear away from sun exposure. The pipe boot then begins to crack allowing for the seal to break away from the pipe. Water then gets into your home, leaving you water stains on your ceilings and walls. Five Star Roofing offers Roof Tune-Ups that will replace all the pipe boots on your home to keep your home safe from needing further roof repair.
It would be a great idea to check the condition of these pipe boots every few years as this is a simple fix to catch. If you’re not comfortable getting on top of your roof to check its condition and know that you don’t need a full replacement, we also provide free roof inspections to homeowners which would allow you to know if your roof is in tip-top shape or not.
When Should You Get a Roof Repair?
When you have Minor Damage
Wind damage on your roof would look like loose or missing shingles, curling or peeling shingles. If you need to repair small sections of your roof or even just a few shingles in a single location, then a roof repair could be relatively simple and inexpensive.
Look for torn or missing asphalt shingles, as they can usually be replaced with new shingles. If the shingles are older and worn, then you’ll notice a color difference between the shingles due to sun and weather exposure. You may not have an exact match and the roof repair could be more noticeable.
When you have Moderate Damage
A roof repair could still be a solution even if your roof has sustained moderate damage. If the damage was confined to one section of your roof, partial reroofing could fall into the roof repair category. This could be a lower cost than replacing your entire roof.
However, it comes back to aesthetics with one part of your roof having new shingles and another section of your roof having older shingles. You may have trouble finding perfectly matching shingles. With more exposure to the elements, your roofing materials start to fade and now the newly repaired roof section starts to stand out from the rest of the shingles.
In Conclusion
To the untrained eye it can be hard to know if your roof needs repair. Five Star Roofing, your trusted roofing contractor, can help you determine which option is best for your roof.
Do You Need A
Repair or Replacement?
