Stupid Things People Do On Their Roofs

Common roofing mistakes.  Let’s get the really foolish things out of the way first, then we’ll move on to the not so obvious ones. Of course, it’s never a good idea to use your roof as a diving board for your pool or trampoline, or a launching pad for anything like rockets, skateboards, etc. Hollywood movies and TV shows might promote the roof as the perfect place for such things, but common sense and potential for broken bones tell us otherwise. Ironically, those most likely to use the roof for such activities (teenagers) are the ones not likely paying to repair the damage caused.

On the opposite side of the spectrum are the stupid things people do to or on their roofs that may seem like the right thing to do at the time, but aren’t. So don’t drag out that ladder just yet. Make sure you’re not going to do more harm to your roof than good and avoid doing any of the following:

Pressure washing your roof. Maybe your neighbor got a new roof installed, making your roof look old and dirty in comparison. Short of investing in a new roof too, cleaning the grime off seems like the best course of action. Pressure washing asphalt roofing shingles is a horrible idea, which will most likely end up in a new roof.

Pressure washing composition roofing shingles sandblasts away all the asphalt granules they need to protect your home from leaks. If you simply cannot tolerate your roof looking grimy, then contact a professional roofer to learn more about your options besides installing a new roof. Qualified roofers should only do cleaning and inspections. Surprisingly, there are even roofing companies out there that will offer to pressure wash composition roofs. Hang up on them. Slam the door on them. They know not what they do, or worse, they do and are taking your money for nothing. Unless there is a specific reason, we don’t recommend roof cleaning at all.

Pulling up roofing shingles to look for leaks. With the recent drought, we Santa Clara and San Mateo county homeowners haven’t seen much rain lately. So when it does pour, roof leaks can happen. You may be compelled to pinpoint and fix the leaking roof yourself. Again, unless you know something about roof leak repair, it’s best to call a professional Bay Area roofer. Pulling up shingles checking for the leak only causes more damage, and can create leaks where there were none before. Inspecting asphalt roofing shingles requires you to get on the roof, which leads us to the next stupid roof move to avoid.

Walking on your roof. Roofs are literally slippery slopes known to injure even the most sure-footed among us. Beyond the potential for bodily harm should you fall off, there’s the actual damage to the roof to consider. The same principals of pressure washing and pulling up shingles apply here. Walking on your asphalt shingles disturbs the granules and can leave shingles bare of the coating designed to keep them from leaking. Especially on older roofs, walking on the shingles can dislodge them, creating a gap for leaks. We’re so adamant about not walking on roofs that we don’t even do it when giving customers a roofing estimate, unless absolutely necessary.

Rely on a professional roofing contractor before you attempt to make any kind of roof repairs yourself.