Home DIY can give you a great sense of accomplishment. When a shelf needs putting up or a new bed constructed we can certainly deal with it. However, there are certain jobs that require a professional touch. Sorting out issues with your roof is certainly one of those jobs. The risk involved in trying to undertake your own roof repairs is great and there are several factors that you need to take into consideration.
- Safety
First of all, it’s a roof. Without proper safety training, there’s a high probability that you can fall, slip, trip and hurt yourself. And it’s a long way down if you do fall. Contractors are trained to deal with these situations and they are insured against accidents and injury. They also have the proper equipment for working on roofs and can cope with any situation that may arise.
On average, 200,000 people a year end up in hospital after being injured during DIY. That’s around 600 people daily! Incidents with a hammer alone account for 6,000 injuries, whilst using a saw improperly meant a staggering 15,000 counts of injury.
There’s not only yourself to think about whilst on the roof. There’s also the safety of your surroundings. Without proper training and equipment, there’s a chance things may dislodge or fall, damaging property or hurting people below.
- Improperly finished
The roof isn’t a simple job. If you find you’re in way over your head with a shelf, there’s no issue with trying another day. With a roof, if it’s not completed correctly, a whole host of problems can occur that must be addressed immediately. This can be costly. For example, take a leaking roof. Without proper training, the likelihood of a leak increases greatly. In addition to the fact that rainwater will get into your house, it can also have a knock-on effect further down the line. Your support beams can rot away, damaging the house structure and weakening walls. Mould can also start to appear when areas become damp due to lack of correct covering.
The average cost of repairing a roof professionally is around £3,000 for a three bedroom semi-detached. It’s around £5000 for a four-bedroom. A professional will be able to deal with and adapt to sudden and unexpected issues and you benefit from the knowledge that almost all professionals will provide a warranty to cover any problems that do arise after completion.
- Cost
Although you might think you’re saving money by doing things yourself, you need to think long term. Homeowners might not be able to source the right materials for the job that professional contractors can. If you use lower grade equipment and material you might find that you have to upkeep the roof from time to time. You’ll be spending money several times over to do a job that a professional only has to do once. If materials and tools break you will have to pay to replace them.
Usually, professionals can get their materials at trade prices, which can be as much as 50% less expensive than buying retail. Overall, you may find that the cost of labour as well as materials will be less than the time and materials you will invest in by doing it yourself.
DIY is all well and good but when it comes to a large project like roofing, then it’s wise to source professional roofing contractors to do the work for you. It’s better for you, your surrounding and certainly your home.
Bio: Guest post on behalf of MyRedlandRoof, who help with advice on roofing and source local roof companies for homeowners
