There is nothing worse than sitting in your home during a rainstorm and noticing that there is water coming through the ceiling. That is a sure sign you likely have a problem with your roof.

At Texas Star, we get it— no one likes the idea of  roof replacement. Replacing a home’s roof is costly and takes some time, and is best performed under certain, weather-permitting conditions.

Just so you know, typical asphalt roofs have a lifespan of between 12 and 20 years. Some may last longer, and others will start having problems sooner. …But, before jumping to the conclusion that a leaky roof means you’ll replace the whole thing, do everything you can to determine whether it is possible to  repair the roof.

There are many times when a few shingles of a roof may become torn or damaged. It is possible that water can get into cavities that are created, and that can cause a leak.

It is also possible that the nails used to attach the shingles are loose or have gone through the shingle, giving water a way to get in. It does not take a large hole to cause a lot of problems with water on a roof.

In these types of cases, a repair may be all that is required. Some homeowners may attempt to repair the roof on their own, and others will call in our professionals to help. Either way, it is a good idea to understand the steps of repairing a roof, to make sure that there are no problems in the future.

Here’s a step by step process that should be followed, to properly repair a roof:

Many roof repairs are minor. However, when performing roof repair, steps like these ensure the roof is properly repaired. These basic roofing steps also make sure any damage inside the home is resolved. This will restore your home to livable, comfortable conditions while safeguarding against future leaks.

The residents of New Orleans are no strangers to natural disasters. Hurricanes are a threat every year. When a Hurricane such as Hurricane Katrina comes through, the damage can be extensive.

One of the most common types of damage during Katrina was to the roofs of the homes in the city. Even if a home did not get flooded during the storm, the high winds caused major damage to a lot of roofs. During this time, the people of this city became familiar with the term “blue roofs.”

When a roof is damaged, it will need to be repaired or replaced. If it is not, water and other things can get into the home causing more damage.

In New Orleans after Katrina, the amount of damage meant that getting a roof repaired or replaced was not going to happen quickly. Homeowners had to find a way to protect their roofs until they could get them fixed. The solution was to use blue tarps that were secured to the roof over the damaged areas. This provided a temporary solution to the problem. It also made for some great aerial photos of the city, as so many houses had blue roofs.

Even if a person does not live in New Orleans, learning how to make a blue roof could be very important. If your roof is damaged, you may have to wait a little bit until you can get it repaired. Being able to install something that can protect your home until you can get it fixed, for a relatively low cost, is a good idea. This roofing process is fairly simple and includes:

The cost of this work can be less than $100. And the amount that can be saved with a blue roof is much more than that. It is a great thing to know how to do it until you can get a professional like Texas Star out to your home to make a permanent repair to your roof.

Getting onto your roof to do any type of maintenance or repair is a dangerous task, and it is one that is best left to the professionals at Texas Star Roofing. However, if you choose to go onto your roof for any reason, following these few tips can help to keep you safe.

Wear Proper Shoes  — Make sure that you wear boots or shoes with good tread and rubber soles when you go onto your roof. This will minimize your chance of slipping. When performing DIY roof repair, steps on fragile tiles can result in breaking, so be mindful of that.

Use Gutter Guards  — Using a gutter guard can help to keep your ladder steady and safe. It consists of a piece of wood that is fastened to the deck of a roof, and when a notch is put into it, the legs of a ladder can be leaned against them and secured. This will help to ensure that the ladder does not slide while you are on it.

Stay Away from Watery Roofs  — If it has recently rained you should avoid accessing your roof and should put off any type of work until the area has dried completely.

Install a Toe Hold  — To prevent slipping and keep your balance, consider installing a temporary toe hold to help your feet to maintain their grip. This can be done by nailing several wooden cleats to your roof deck.

Consider a Safety Harness  — While this isn’t always necessary, a safety harness should be used when working on a roof that has a steep pitch or is more than one or two stories high. When wearing a safety harness it is important to ensure it is fastened securely to a tie off.

Clean it Up  — Before you do any type of work or maintenance on your roof you should first sweep the area to clear off any accumulated debris or dirt. This will reduce your chance of tripping while you work.

When your residential home is facing roof issues, it’s best to call a professional before attempting to fix it yourself. Sure, you can surf the net for the best answers, but any information found should be compared to that of a professional— not everything you read online is true.

Some homeowners choose to fix small repairs to the roof themselves, which is great for saving money and keeping up looks. However, there are a few steps to keep your roofing in good shape after a repair.

Common roof repair mistakes include:

There are several other mistakes that homeowners make when they are attempting to repair or replace the roof on their homes. To avoid these mistakes, embrace the professional process by Texas Star Roofing. If you choose to hire us, we’ll be able to inspect and give you a reasonable quote before beginning your project.

Each year, hail results in over $1 billion in damages to residential roofs in the US, making it one of the most costly natural disasters. After you experience a hail storm, one of the first things you should do is to check your roof for damages.

To start out with, check for any cracked or broken shingles, or dips in the roof. In many cases the trained eye of a Texas Star Roofing professional may be needed to determine the extent of the damage, but here are some DIY troubleshooting steps:

It is important to recognize that you should research on the professionals who are available to perform the work, especially after a severe storm. There are many storm-chasing, semi-professional roofers who will go around to neighborhoods selling their service. You want to ensure that the individual that you hire is not only licensed, but is also experienced, and has a number of positive references.

Image courtesy of  State Farm

Mother Nature can be very hard on the structural integrity of your home, especially the roof. The roof protects you and your family from the elements, but it sure does take a beating in the process.

In addition to severe weather damage caused by hail, hard rain, and branches blown by heavy winds, there are also clever creatures who want to gain access to your home for the same reasons you do: warmth, comfort, and safety. It’s not just bats and raccoons you need to worry about, however. There are other, much harder-to-detect creatures that can do major damage to your roof: insects.

There are generally three types of insects that do damage to wood homes in the U.S.  Termites  are the most notorious, but  powder-post beetles  and  carpenter ants  can also rack up the damage.

If you are able to gain access to your roof yourself and feel comfortable doing so, check out the shingles. Look for soft edges that crumble or break off easily. Look under the sheathing, and see if you can spot moisture or the appearance of decay. Softwood makes an insect’s work much easier.

Additionally, you can do a visual inspection of both the interior and exterior walls of the home. Termites create tubes of soil that they use to travel through. These tubes run along the walls of the building’s foundation.

Likewise, powder-post beetles leave clues behind in the form of very fine dust, the result of burrowing into wood. It has the appearance of flour, and the holes they leave can be as small as the tip of a pencil. Carpenter ants also leave behind small piles of chewed wood.

Some of the damage done by these insects will be easy to detect, but, to assess the full extent of the infestation, you will need the expertise of a home inspector or an insect control specialist.

Image courtesy of  Matt

You’ve no doubt heard the term “bats in your belfry” used to describe someone who is a little crazy. Well, having bats in your attic will definitely drive you batty, and squirrels under the rafters can make you nuts… Raccoons have been known to penetrate into the upper rooms of homes by gaining access under the roof, and our opposable-thumbed friend, the opossum, can do the same.

Your first course of action is to set traps or call pest control, or a professional wildlife removal company. Once the intruders have been removed, you will need to take steps for prevention. These preventative measures will include roof repair.

If your roof is older and is starting to leak or loose tiles and shingles every time the wind blows, it might be time for a roof replacement. In some cases, animals may be gaining access to the attic through an opening caused by a particular storm or the spread of rot in the eaves. In other cases, a determined animal looking for shelter may have caused the initial damage. At the very least, these trouble spots will need to be repaired. This determination is easily made with all  free inspections provided by Texas Star Roofing’s professionals.

Image courtesy of  Benny Mazur

We hope you enjoyed our post roofing repairs, step by step.

If you’re not the DIY type, that’s ok! The professional roofers at Texas Star are here to assist from start to finish, and we even offer  totally free, no-obligation inspections

To get yours,  click here  or call our specialists at today.