Water is not supposed to come inside your building. When it does, this can be more than alarming. The first response is typically to panic. Thoughts of having the roof entirely replaced and what that might cost begins to add to the stress. However, some of the time, a professional roofing contractor can repair the damage without completely replacing the roof.

The first line of defense against leaks is prevention. The best way to prevent roof replacement is to keep it from becoming seriously damaged. Roof maintenance plans can help stave off a costly roof replacement by having your roof regularly inspected for damage. This should be performed twice each year and is the best way to maintain the health of your roof.

So repair or re-roof? The decision can be made based on the source of the leak(s) and where it is coming from. For this reason, it is important to hire a professional roofing contractor and not to try to determine the source of the leak yourself. Many homeowners have tried to save money by fixing the leaks themselves only to find that they never truly addressed the source of the problem. Over time, the problem grew until there was no way to repair the damage except to replace the entire roof. This approach also sometimes lends itself to costly dry rot repairs as the roof deck componentry warps, cracks and rots with excessive moisture that cannot dry out properly. An experienced roofer may be able to locate the source of the leak and make the repairs which would have spared the cost of a replacement.

By having a professional roofer regularly inspect your roof, you can repair minor problems before they turn into bigger problems. Usually, if the roof is not at the end of its lifespan, repairs can make sense. Sometimes, the original installation is just plain faulty and no repair will fix the problem unless the bank account gets raided. When the repair begins to approach 15 to 20% or more of a complete re roof, we try to recommend a re-roofing solution.

When you finally re-roof, it is a good move to go with a roofing contractor that offers discounted maintenance programs. Yearly inspections can add up over time and most good roofing contractors will cut discounts on roof maintenance to honor your loyalty and to keep you as their customer.