Home » Metal roofing: should you DIY or call a professional roofer?

Metal roofing: should you DIY or call a professional roofer?

Most of us think to call a professional for large scale projects around the home, including roof replacement or roof installation.

But what about simpler roofing jobs, such as gutter installation, or installing a rainwater tank?

In these cases, the appeal of DIY can be strong. Just think about the money you could save (…or so you think; more on that below!), or the sense of fulfilment you’ll get when it all comes together.

Whether it’s constructing a new bathroom cabinet or creating a herb garden in the backyard, a successful DIY job can feel really rewarding. We can relate to that!

But there’s a lot more that goes into a roofing plan than just buying a guttering pipe and watching a YouTube tutorial. So before you put on your DIY hard hat, there are a couple of important things to make you consider a professional roofer…

1) In roofing, mistakes happen

We’re only human. And as mere mortals, we’re all bound to make mistakes at some point.

When you misread a bus timetable or make a typo on an email, usually the consequences are fairly light.

Your roof however is arguably the most important part of your house, second only to your walls. Without a roof, your house is hardly liveable!

Do you really want a mistake to happen to your home or business’ roof?

Of course, doing an improper job repairing your gutter is not only going to damage your roof (eventually, if not immediately) but it’ll also damage your wallet!

Even for relatively simple roof repairs or gutter work, the consequences of getting this wrong can be hundreds – even thousands – of dollars. Why the run the risk? Why not talk to a metal roofing contractor for reliable and safe roofing in Melbourne?

So for the sake of your wallet, unless you are a certified roof installer yourself, we strongly recommend against doing your own DIY roof.

Speaking of expenses…

2) DIY roof repairs can be a waste of money

Without a doubt, the first thing on many a DIY-er’s mind is money.

Calling a pro costs money after all. You might think it redundant to spend money when you think you can fix a roofing issue yourself.

However, like we mentioned above, when DIY roofing is done poorly, the repair costs can wind up setting you back much more than simply hiring a professional in the first place.

But there are a lot of questions you must be able to answer, including:

  • Do you know what valley flashing is?
  • Is your roof’s ventilation and insulation sufficient?
  • Are your gutters attached properly?
  • Is your drainage system optimised?

Have these questions baffled you? We thought they may have!

All of a sudden, your simple installation job now includes a visit from the pros to rectify what you may have started. The time and money spent of this project could have been easily slashed by talking to a professional roofer for advice from the start.

Talk to Watermaster Roofing for a free, obligation-free inspection. Our certified team can identify potential issues, give you pointers and determine if a DIY is beyond your scope before it bites you!

3) For a professional roofer, safety is top priority

But what about the smaller-scale jobs that are (seemingly) within the scope of my abilities? you wonder to yourself.

Surely something straightforward such as gutter repair, or clearing out a corner of mould is relatively low-risk?

Generally speaking, these DIY tasks are much safer than the big-ticket roofing jobs. That being said, that doesn’t mean that they’re free from danger. No matter what you’re doing on your roof, the reality is you’re up high, and the risk of falls is real.

  • Is your ladder positioned correctly?
  • Is it stable?
  • Are you using the right type ladder?

Even for these relatively narrow in scope DIY jobs, we strongly urge you to consider your own safety when thinking about doing this type of work yourself.

After all, every year, 15 Victorians are killed and 2,000 seriously injured performing DIY work.

It’s a startling statistic. And it reinforces the inherent risk of serious injury when it comes to DIY roofing jobs. So if you want to do any DIY work on your roof or any of its fittings, make sure your setup complies with Safe Work Australia.

Better yet, leave it to the roofing pros.

4) Could DIY void your insurance?

One area that could cause you a major headache should you decide to do your own DIY roofing work is your insurance.

Many home insurance policies don’t cover damage that results from unlicensed home improvement and maintenance work. For example, if your DIY roofing project leads to a broken window, you may not be able to claim home insurance on it.

And this doesn’t even take into account whether your health insurance covers DIY injuries.

Fortunately, Watermaster Roofing’s team of certified roofers isn’t just highly experienced; we’re also fully-insured with a $20 million public liability insurance policy! So in the (very unlikely) circumstance that we cause damage to your home or make any mistakes, you are fully entitled to a payout.

On top of that, we also offer a six-year warranty on all installations that we offer.

Is it really worth the risk? We didn’t think so.

Talk to Melbourne’s roofing experts today! Call Watermaster Roofing

While there’s the potential for many benefits when you choose to do your own DIY roofing work, there are also a number of concerns you need to be aware of before you dive right in.

If this sounds like too much or you’re suddenly getting cold feet about your DIY roofing, there’s always someone else who can help.

Watermaster Roofing is one of Melbourne’s most trusted metal roofing contractors. Based in Cheltenham and servicing Melbourne’s entire east and southeast, our team of experienced roofers is fully qualified and insured. We’re ready to talk with you about your commercial and residential roofing plans, including new roof installation and re-roofing.

Call us today on 1300 576 075 for an obligation-free roof inspection and consultation. Alternatively, fill in this contact form and we will be in touch!

2022-01-24T05:07:06+00:00 December 6th, 2017|Metal roofing|

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