Roofing Tips You Should Know Before Renovating !!!!!!!!!!!

So you've bought a fixer-upper, or are slowly rehabbing your home?  Good for you!  It can be a fantastic adventure.  Sure, you sometimes hear about people getting stuck with a money pit of a home that never quite seems to be “done,” but those are the exceptions, rather than the rule.  The reality is that if you're willing to do at least some of the work your self, extensive home renovation can be an immensely rewarding project.  You may even find that you like it so much you want to do it as an ongoing hobby, buying distressed homes and fixing them up for resale, or trading your rehabbed home for an even bigger one once you're done.  It's a good way to move up the home buying ladder.

Home Renovation Companies

No Experience Necessary?    

Don't be daunted if you know nothing at all about home repairs.  Did you know that you can learn nearly everything you need to know, for free?  You can!  If you have no tools, and have never hammered a nail or cut a board in your life, here's the secret to learning everything you need to know to be able to pitch in both physically and materially on your own home rehab project.

Long Island Remodeling

Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

They're constantly looking for volunteers for builds.  Even better, they accept people of all skill levels (including complete beginners!), and they provide all the tools you'll need.  After completing 1-2 builds with them, you'll not only have a better understanding of the tools you'll need to invest in, but you'll also gain invaluable experience you can apply to your own project.  It's the best way to learn the skills you need, and not only is it completely free, but you'll also be giving back to your local community.  As an added bonus, if you need a few extra hands on your own project, you'll know exactly who to call, because you'll have made several new friends, all with practical, hands on building experience!

Long Island Roofing Company

As far as your roof goes, you're going to want to save the actual replacement for last, but there's an important caveat to that.  Before you start doing any serious renovation work, you need to be sure that no water's getting into the house.  That means you're going to want to make a roof inspection your top priority and at least patch it to stop water from leaking in.  If you don't do this, then you're going to essentially be working against yourself.  It's no use making extensive interior renovations only to have all that effort undone by water damage or mold, so make sure you patch the roof thoroughly before proceeding with the interior work.  Then, once all of that is done, begin a new project to replace the roof if the patching is insufficient for the longer term.

Your home's roof is not unlike your body's skin.  It's the all-important outer layer that keeps all the innards in place, intact, and safe.  As such, it should be both the first (patching) and last (replacing, if needed) thing you look at when you undertake a home renovation project.  Fair warning about the renovations though, having gained the hands on experience as outlined above, and having gone through it on your own home, you'll have an in-depth understanding of every part of your home.  You'll understand its systems and subsystems than anybody else, and will intuitively know when something isn't right.  You should also know that it can be a bit addicting, so don't be surprised if you get bitten by the bug after completing your first renovation project!

Where the roof is concerned, if you're not comfortable making a visual inspection on your own, we're one of Long Island's best roofing contractors and if you're in the area, we've be happy to take a look for you.  Stop by our office or give us a call to set up an appointment.

What we can do for you:

Roof maintenance
Roof repairs
Commercial Roofing
Re-roofs
Roof Leak Repairs
Roofing Renovations

Does The Pitch Of A Roof Determine How Long It Will Last ?

When people consider buying a home, they do so based on a mix of practical considerations and emotional attachment.  If you have children, is the house in a good school district?  Is it big enough for your family, and big enough should you decide to expand your family?  If you like being outdoors, how big is the lot that it's sitting on?  Is that enough space for you?  If you're a handyman, does it have a workshop already on the property, or at least space to add one later?  City water, or well?

Long Islands Roof Repair

Those kinds of practical details matter, but of course, there's also the emotional aspect.  You might see half a dozen or more homes before you find one that fits the entire practical criterion and also “just feels right.”  That part is a little harder to quantify, but it's something you very definitely know when you see it.  The place just calls to you.  It feels like home.

Long Island Remodeling

Perhaps you just love stately looking two story homes or a place with big, mature trees in the front yard, or a wide, wraparound porch.  It could be most anything, and each person's tastes are different, but it could also be something that straddles the line between practical and emotional like the pitch of the home's roof.  For example, some people are nuts for A-frame houses, and those get moved to the head of the line, regardless of other considerations.
 Would you believe that a steep pitched roof is good for several very practical reasons too though, personal preferences not withstanding?  Below, we'll outline exactly how.
Attic Space
A steeply pitched roof provides room for ample attic space.  In addition to being practical from the standpoint of having large amounts of convenient storage space for your family, there's also the possibility of adding to the useable square footage of your home by turning the attic space into a spare bedroom or office.  It just gives you more options and flexibility.
From the perspective of your roof's longevity, it helps too because the large attic space means better airflow and circulation.  Homes with steeply pitched roofs seldom have moisture problems.
Snow Load
Of course these only matters if you live in an area with regular or heavy snow, but if you do, then a steeply pitched roof will shed the snow much more quickly.  Water, no matter what for it takes, is one of the most damaging things to a home in general, and the more quickly your home can shed its snow load, the better.
Water Drainage
The same basic thinking above, applies here that applied above.  A roof with a steep pitch will shed water much more quickly than a flat roof or one with a shallower pitch.  In a related vein, this is why you need to be certain you keep your gutters clean, clear, and free from obstructions so that water flows freely from them.
All of this, the better air circulation and ventilation, and the ability to shed snow and water quickly and efficiently, translates directly into a roof with a longer lifespan.  If you need the services of a roofing contractor in Long Island or surrounding areas, feel free to stop by our office and pay us a visit, or check us out on the web.
www.liroofrepair.com
Contact No: 631.495.2891
Email: Jeff@liroofrepair.com