The roof of the house provides shelter from natural elements. Homeowners often decorate the roof and even stylize it, but what they forget most of the time is to maintain it. The roof, like any other part of the house, needs care and maintenance from time-to-time. Neglecting could lead to severe problems, including a roof collapse.
Albeit rare, a roof collapsing is not impossible and has been witnessed by many. Here’s a quick guide to fix it.
Understand The Reason
There are many reasons why something like this would happen. As discussed, one of the main reasons is negligence from the homeowners. With age, parts of the roof can need repairing or replacements. When these are not done on time, the roof can develop cracks. These allow moisture in that does structural damage to the roof and its support. Weaker support can cause the roof to sag. After that, it’s just a matter of time before the roof collapses.
The problem could also be impact related. This means that heavy rain, snow, or even a tree falling on it can collapse it.
Provide Support
Assess the damage done to the roof. Determine the part of the roof that needs repair. If the damage is too much you should run it by your client and choose to replace the components. Use a tarp to cover up the damaged area. Tie it down using ropes. This will help to give some support to the fallen structure. The tarp covering will protect the area from any further water-related damage due to its water-resistant nature.
Tidy Up
Whatever the reason behind the collapse is, it won’t result in even damage. The damage could be spread out, leaving broken pieces. Tidy up by removing any loose pieces of roof around the damaged area. Have a close look at the rafters. If some of them have lost support and are just partially attached, cut out to remove them fully. You can use manual or power tools to finish this step.
Replace or Repair
Once the area is tidied up, you can either choose to repair the roof or replace the damaged parts. You can repair them by using patches, fixing them onto the rafter. Use nails or screws to secure them in place.
For replacing, buy similar shingles and exterior plywood. You can choose the standard boards of 4-by-8-by-1/2. Multiply the length and width of the required area and divide by 32 to get the approximate number of boards needed. Make sure that you have more than required before you start working. Use penny nails to fix the board to the frame of the roof.
Regardless of what you choose, check the attic after the work is completed. Any draft with the windows closed could be the result of air seeping in through the roof.
Finishing Touches
Now that the repair work is done, add finishing touches to the roof. Use the shingles to fix the boards firmly. Ask your client if they would want a weatherproof coating on the roof. Suggest them to have their roofs maintained and checked for seepage of air or moisture in between season changes.
The structure of the roof can degrade over time, but with maintenance and timely roof repairs, major problems like this can be avoided.
Our blogs at CustomFin are designed to keep you up-to-date with the latest trends, challenges & solutions in the home improvement industry. We also link up with contractors to provide solutions to their client’s financing problems.
