West Palm Beach Roof Repair

Roofs provide shelter from the elements and keep you safe within your home. When a leak or some damage to your roof occurs, this sense of safety is breached. Sometimes the damage to your roof might be so serious that it requires urgent attention while you await help from MacDowell’s roof repair service technicians. At other times, it might be so minor that you do not consider it necessary to pay for professional help. In both cases, doing your roof repair yourself might be an option you want to consider.
The best form of roof repair is good roof maintenance. No form of roofing material is impervious to damage, but with good care, you can elongate the lifespan of your roof. Here are the most important steps to take to keep your roof in great condition:

Residential Roof Repair in West Palm Beach

As mentioned previously, good maintenance will prevent serious damage from occurring to your roof. However, if your roof already leaks, you need repair work, not maintenance. Generally, it is a good idea to leave repairs to a professional roof repair company, but if you’re confident in your ability to do it yourself, then here are a few useful tips:

Metal Roof Repair

Metal roof leaks are generally among the easiest to fix, as a simple metal patch will usually do the job. A metal roof patch is simply covering the source of a leak with another piece of metal. You should ensure that you always use the same type of metal as the roof for the patch to prevent corrosion.

If the problem is with a fastener, then you generally will have to extract the existing nails and replace them or reinforce them.

Slate Roof Repair

Use a slate ripper or wire cutter to cut the nails holding the damaged slate in place. To measure the size for a new slate, add three inches to the length of the gap. This is done so that the new slate may overlap properly with the one beneath it.

Once you have done this, slide the slate into place and create a countersinking. This is when you punch a nail through the back of the slate rather than the front. This allows the slate to lie flush within the gap. Use a copper nail to hold the slate in place and lay a copper bib over the nail, sliding it under the overlying slate.

Tile Roof Repair

Using a hammer and chisel, split the damaged tile into two. Take care not to damage the other tiles that surround the damaged one. Extract the pieces of the damaged tile, using a hacksaw to cut through the nails that hold them down. This is necessary because nails are harder to pry out of a tile, given their inflexible nature.

Measure the gap left by the extracted tile, and cut a new one that is approximately three-eighths of its size. This is to create room for the stretching of the tile when it comes in contact with rain. Insert the new tile. Using galvanized nails, nail the new tile down in two places. Set the nail heads and apply the caulking compound to seal them.

Top Reasons for Residential Roof Repair in West Palm Beach

There are many warning signs that your roof needs to be repaired, whether the damage is caused by storms and other inclement weather or normal wear and tear. Changes in the appearance or functionality of your roof always signal something is wrong. If you see any of the changes listed below, it’s time to call a West Palm Beach roof repair specialist to fix the damage before it goes from bad to worse.

Sagging Roof

Sagging roofs are a common problem with flat roof leaks. Because of their flat nature, flat roofs tend to collect water which could cause certain portions of the roof to get weak and sag. If you have noticed this in your home, it is not advisable to attempt to do it on your own, and you should probably call in a West Palm Beach roof repair service right away.

Roof Flashing Damage

Roof flashing is used to protect the various joints that exist on your roof and prevent leaks. With major damage to the flashing, you will need to replace it entirely. If you’re lucky, however, and the damage is limited to small holes or minor corrosion, these can be repaired. The smallest holes can be filled with roofing cement, but holes larger than three-fourths of an inch should be covered with a metal patch. A word of caution: the metal patch you use should be of the same material as the flashing; otherwise, this will only speed up future instances of corrosion.

Sagging Gutters

If your gutters are overflowing, you may not have a serious problem to deal with. Most of the time a good clean-out will dislodge the debris that is likely the cause of the problem. With a sagging gutter, however, you may likely need to either replace or re-seat the hangers.

Storm Damage

As mentioned previously, inclement weather may be the cause of significant roof damage. When this happens, there may be very little you can do to fix your roof on your own. You will have to seek out 24-hour emergency roof repair from a professional roofing company or contractor.

What to Expect During an Emergency Roof Repair

Emergency roof repairs cause some disruption of family life in rare cases, but typically this won’t be necessary. There typically won’t be anything you can do to stop the damage yourself, but you should contact your insurance company, as you will be entitled to insurance coverage. Also, beware of storm chasers. These are mobile roofing contractors who tend to show up after a storm has occurred in a certain area, offer substandard service, and are long gone before you realize what has happened.

Commercial Roof Repair Contractor You Can Trust

Are you tired of dealing with leaks, mold, and falling tiles? When commercial buildings need roof repair, West Palm Beach, FL, property owners turn to local contractors they can trust to get the job done.

At E.W. MacDowell Roofing, we know how frustrating it can be to have your roof fail. It can cost you time, money, and, most importantly—the trust of your customers and employees. But there is an alternative to replacing your entire roof: commercial roof repair in West Palm Beach.

When you hire us for commercial roof repair in West Palm Beach, we will replace only the damaged areas of your roof. This means that you avoid further damage from leaks—and keep your customers and employees safe from mold, mildew, slip and fall accidents.

In addition to saving money on replacement costs and preventing further damage from leaks, commercial roof repair in West Palm Beach also comes with a lot of other benefits:

• You don’t have to worry about your building’s appearance anymore—we’ll make sure it looks good as new!
• Your customers will love coming into your business again—they’ll feel like they’re walking into a brand-new place!
• Your employees will be more comfortable working in their offices or factories because the air quality will be better than ever before (no more moldy, musty smells).