Heavy Rains and Roof Repair in Austin

On average, Austin sees 300 days of sunshine a year. Needless to say, we're not going to make it there this year. Heavy rains throughout the summer have caused flooding and an excess of home improvement repairs. One of the most common surges in home improvement repairs associated with heavy rains is roof repair. While Austin typically enjoys a low-maintenance climate for home improvement (our biggest problem is often choosing materials that won't lose their luster in the sun), we do have years that come up unexpectedly and wreak havoc on our homes.

Early Signs that a Roof Repair is Needed
The first sign that a roof has become damaged is usually a wet spot on the ceiling. Unfortunately, too many people don't take action during this early warning sign. In fact, many homeowners may have simply placed a pot under a dripping ceiling only a handful of times in the past year or two and convinced themselves either it wasn't a pressing issue or they didn't have the money to look into the problem. This year, we see the consequences of this procrastination. Either the wet spot turns into a drip or the drip opens up into a stream. Even if you don't see any signs within your home, you should have a professional roof inspection done on a regular basis.

Heavy Rains and Roof Repair
This is often how it goes. An unusual year for weather triggers an overflow of home improvement repair that stretches local contractors' ability to service customers and drives up the cost of roof repair. It's difficult as it is to find a reliable roofing contractor, and during times of heavy volume for home improvement repairs, the good contractors quickly have a backlog of work that forces you to choose between waiting weeks and weeks for a reliable contractor and taking a gamble on whomever's left. This is why contractors, real estate agents, insurance companies, and home improvement professionals urge homeowners to maintain their homes. When you have a problem, it may stem from the same factors that cause everybody to have a problem. And things are made exponentially worse.

If this isn't bad enough, when damage to your roof is noticed by the appearance of a wet or deteriorated ceiling, fixing your roof leak may be the least of your concerns. In order to reach the ceiling inside your home, water must not only enter your roof but work its way through the roof trusses, a layer of insulation, and then through the drywall. Often, by the time this has happened, dry rot or mold and mildew has begun to cause larger problems in areas of your sub-roofing and attic.

Austin Roof Repair: Average Cost and Length of Project
The national average for the cost of an asphalt shingle roof repair is $575. Our Austin numbers are in line with this number, but vary widely. Cheap roof repairs can be $250 or less, while more extensive damage can easily exceed $1,500. The difference we see in the average cost of roof repair in Austin (and around the country) can be largely attributed to quickly responding to your roofing problem. Most other types of roof repairs come in just under a $1,000. Metal and slate roofing repairs are usually around $1,500.

The project lengths we've seen coming out of our Austin roof repair contractors show it shouldn't take more than a day or two to patch up your roof once you find an Austin roofer who can find time in his or her schedule. Repair times may also take longer for high maintenance roofs such as metal and slate.

Austin Roof Repair for Austinites
Whether you want to save money or just think it'd be fun to do some handiwork on top of your house, many homeowners are interested in doing their own roof repair. This project is easy if you know what you're doing, but we wouldn't recommend it without some expertise in roofing. DIY roof repair involves locating the leak which is not necessarily above the wet spot on your ceiling, looking for further damage to your roof, and then fixing the leak.

Too many homeowners attempt a DIY project and when they encounter trouble, then call a professional. You may be able to repair your own roof, but your best plan is still to call a roofing contractor for a roof inspection. This will let you know where the leak or leaks are and if more extensive roof repair is needed. You can also ask the roofing contractor about fixing the leak yourself and get useful tips. This will still save you some money, compared to having a contractor do the entire repair, but will help prevent you from inadvertently making the situation worse.