TIP! Check out your roof yearly. Spring and winter months tend to damage the roof the most.

Roofing maintenance – a term that can make almost any homeowner quake! Roofing requires knowledge, but there aren’t a ton of places to learn about it. Fortunately, the below article will educate you on this subject. It is packed with some great advice about roofing.

TIP! Never hesitate if your shingles need to be replaced. It may seem okay to hold back on fixing small problems, but those small problems can balloon into giant issues.

Inspect your roof at least once yearly. Your roof is most likely to incur damage during winter and spring. With this in mind, you should monitor the state of your roof frequently during these times.

TIP! Remember: safety first. Attempting leak repairs during rainstorms can cause serious injuries.

Don’t hesitate to replace shingles. You might think it’s wise to wait on fixing something, however, the damage will just get worse in time. You should fix or replace weak shingles as soon as possible to prevent leaks from appearing. If you maintain your roof, it’ll last you a long time.

TIP! Wet conditions are the enemy of safe and effective roof work. When your roof is slippery or wet, you might fall and hurt yourself or, in extreme cases, be killed.

Some leaks are caused by shingles, but you should check your roof’s foundation. If the sides of your home have dry rot, water can enter your home there. Check all possible entries, including looking for rotted wood, to make sure the problem is solved permanently.

TIP! Climate should play a key role in your roofing decisions. Dry climates can greatly benefit from clay roofs.

When roofing is concerned, safety should be your number one priority. Repairing a roof in bad weather is a recipe for disaster. Just do what you can with the leak, like collecting the water in a bucket, and look at the roof later when the weather is better.

TIP! Cut the grass a little while before the roofing contractor arrives to remove the roof. This will make things much easier to find if dropped.

When you are looking into hiring a roofing contractor, check with family, friends and co-workers first. This will help you find someone who does good quality work at a reasonable price. You should also find out if they offered a warranty, and make sure they cleaned up well once the job was completed.

TIP! If a roofer is making your feel uncomfortable with a sales pitch, politely decline. Stop them before you sign a contract that doesn’t benefit you.

If a roofing salesman is giving you a high pressure pitch, tell him no thank you and show him out of your home. These salesmen are simply in it for the profit.

TIP! If you hire a contractor who has workers to help them, it is often cheaper than hiring a contractor who works alone. A small team of roofers can frequently get the job done faster, resulting in cost savings.

Once you have narrowed down your list of potential contractors, ask them what kind of warranties are available. Don’t contract with anyone who offers a warranty of less than three years. Five or more years is ideal. It should cover both defective supplies as well as poor workmanship, plus they should give you copies of all manufacturer warranties as well.

TIP! Before you install a new roof, check out your supplies. Leaks can occur if sub-par materials are installed.

Anyone who does work such as this absolutely needs to have insurance. If you hire a contractor without insurance, you are going to have to pay for any damage that might occur. You shouldn’t simply ask the contractor if he has insurance and take his word on it. Instead, request proof of insurance so that you can see for yourself whether they have current insurance.

TIP! If environmentally-friendly building is something that interests you, look into living roofs when you’re in the market for a new roof. This type of roof is made up of layers of soil and can be used as a garden.

Make sure a roofing contractor has current, valid certifications. Just about every locale requires roofers to be licensed, so check to make sure their license is current and valid. A reliable roofer will also be signed up for workers’ compensation and liability insurance.

TIP! Only hire a roofing contractor that is able to supply you with proof of an active license and insurance. If they can’t, don’t hire them.

While there may be a lot of information out there about roofing, you can’t get scared off before you learn as much as you can. All the advice here will be of service in many situations. Whether you continue to learn or stop here, you’re better off than you were before. Don’t forget what you’ve learned here!