Roof maintenance is important, no matter the cost. As one of the most structurally significant aspects of your home, keeping your roof in tip top condition also helps you protect your home and your belongings. Indeed, a quality roof does more than just keep the rain out. The structural integrity of your roof is important for insulation too. In other words, your roof keeps your home dry and warm! So, if you’ve discovered a leak and a professional roofer is recommending repairs, follow their advice – the costs associated with roof repair are usually a fraction of the cost of replacement.
Repair costs can vary significantly. The most basic repairs may be as little as $100 to $200, while the most advanced repairs could exceed $2000. On average, roofing repairs land somewhere in the middle, usually between $400 and $800. While these costs certainly seem expensive, you need to consider the importance of your roof as well as the cost of replacement (which can easily exceed $5000 depending on the type and style of your roof).
Among the most common roofing repairs relate to shingles. During storms, it’s not uncommon for shingles to be broken or even blown off completely, particularly on older roofs. In fact, even on newer roofs shingles can be lifted off during high winds. Heavier shingles stand up better to high winds, but no material is entirely weatherproof.
Another common roofing repair relates to flashing. Flashing is the material that surrounds vents or other roofing fixtures, and while they are sealed to your roof flashing is usually made from metal material and prone to corrosion over time. This includes flashing around chimneys and skylights which can pose a significant risk to leaks.
Roof valleys are another part of the roof that commonly requires repair due to water build-up on the interior angles of your roof. A great deal of water flows down roof valleys making these roof areas more susceptible to damage over time.
If you live in a cold climate, ice dams pose another significant problem. When accumulated snow on your roof melts and then re-freezes, ice dams form. This can prevent normal drainage from your roof and eventually causes leaks.
Unless you are a roofing professional yourself, you should always hire an expert roofer for repairs. While you can often see signs of a leak inside your home, it can be difficult to trace the original source of the leak on your roof. In addition, professional roofers have the expertise to identify potential future roofing problems so they can conduct preventative repairs that are generally less costly. For this reason, you should also have your roof professionally inspected every year.