You might ask, ’How hard is it to install your own roof?’ There are several reasons that you should not try a DIY roof replacement. Unless you have previously worked as an employed roofer and have your roofing legs, you will be taking a substantial risk.
Armour Shield Roofing strongly discourages homeowners from going up and down ladders or doing repairs on their roofs. The accidents and fatalities sustained by untrained individuals are tragic and avoidable by calling a professional roofing contractor.
The 3 Dangers of DIY Roofing:
- The number one reason to avoid doing your own roofing is your risk of falling and the incredible injuries that can result.
- The number two reason to avoid doing your own roofing is your lack of proper, safety-regulated equipment that makes a roofer’s job easier and safer.
- The number three reason to avoid doing your own roofing is a lack of roofing expertise and an understanding of secondary concerns.
This highly skilled job is best left to the professionals. It is because a roof appears simplistic, that so many DIYers are injured.
The following are just two incidents that happened to real people: A client sustained a debilitating brain injury from falling onto his concrete driveway due to a rotted facia board that upended the ladder, (not safely attached), on which he was climbing. Another client working overconfidently on his own roof, fell from his ladder and subsequently broke his heel. Approximately 12,000 people are injured annually from falling from a height. One-third of falls from roofs result in fatalities and unfortunately, a head injury is the third most common outcome. Statics from Ontario Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) show homeowners’ and workers’ falls from roofs are increasing.
Falls occur because fall-protection equipment is misused or is not used at all
Not understanding job procedures, a lack of training and the use of shortcuts make up the second group of reasons that falls happen. A lack of edge awareness and poor lines of sight are common reasons for accidental falls from roofs. A damaged roof is a dangerous thing to navigate, even for experienced roofers. Like the rotted facia board that caused a client’s ladder to fall sideways, a structural weakness can begin to fail beneath you and give you little or no time to react. Tripping on vent pipes, snagging gear, a rope or a tool on something attached to the roof’s structure while on the roof, is always a risk. Slipping on a steep roof. Workers wear special safety roofing footwear; paramount to having firm footing. Not having roofing legs (experience). Roofs constructed with areas of different levels and variable heights, can cause sudden tripping or stumbling, especially when carrying a large piece of plywood as a gust of wind occurs.
Many fall accidents happen, not while on the roof itself, but from climbing up or down the ladder.
Roofing employees are taught safe ladder and climbing techniques while accessing a roof. Special equipment is used to stabilize and tie off a ladder properly, crucial to avoiding an injury. Every employee is required to graduate from a government-approved working at heights training program, additionally, equipment-specific training is required. Roofing contractors take their profession very seriously. Roofers are trained to inspect the facia and roof even before their attempt to climb a ladder is made.
Curb appeal is a smart reason to make sure your roofing project is done by a professional.
There’s a reason that painting is one of the most common DIY projects for a homeowner to take on. It is because it seems easy. However, we still easily distinguish between a painting job done by someone who should never have picked up a roller or paintbrush and one by someone who has clearly perfected the task. Even if you feel you mastered heights, having taken heights safety classes, do-it-yourself roofing is very much about knowing what you’re doing. Shingles laid by a DIYer are very often easy to see. Laying shingles correctly as per manufacturers’ guidelines, and having the knowledge and experience to contend properly with typical or unforeseen roof problems, is essential. According to a May 12th, 2021 article written by Clayton DeKorne, Canadian Cost versus Value Report by ZONDA, roofing came in 12 out of 22 projects with the highest Return on Investment (ROI). 61% of your investment is returned. Keep in mind the time of its installation and the time of the home’s resale. Painting anything was not on the list.
You likely will not invest in, or have the storage for, the proper equipment that makes a roofer’s job easier and safety-regulated.
As an example, even the equipment and products required for painting is expensive to acquire; rollers, extension poles, ladders, good brushes and the price of quality paint are enough to turn people off DIY painting. The storage of painting equipment is sometimes reasonable if you have the space for it all. When it comes to roofer’s equipment, what on earth will you do with those items afterward: safety harnesses, hard hats, goggles, ladders, ladder hoist, tool belts, safety roofing-shoes, tin snips, tape measure, chalk line, nail gun, roof rakes, roof brooms, magnetic sweeper, tarps, roofing tools, plus the left-over underlayment, extra shingles, left-over felt paper, the old shingles and dumpster when the project is finished?
Armour Shield Roofing can help with your roofing concerns, whether it results in a repair or a complete roof replacement. With an A + rating from the Better Business Bureau and dozens of 5-Star reviews from appreciative clients, you can feel assured you are dealing with a caring and experienced company.
Read the blog post ‘How do I Know When I Should Replace my Roof?’
Please call Armour Shield Roofing at (519) 858 5044 for your roof replacement or roofing associated service work.
When should I replace my roof? How long a roof lasts depends on a lot of variables.
Armour Shield Roofing strongly discourages homeowners from going up and down ladders or doing repairs on their roofs. The accidents and fatalities sustained by untrained individuals are tragic and avoidable by calling a professional roofing contractor.