Use the advice in the article below to aide you with any of your loved ones stay safe and protected.

Inspect your roof annually. Roofs are commonly most damaged during winter months as well as spring and winter.

If you find out that your roof is leaking when the weather is bad, wait until things settle down before doing any repairs. There is no quick fix and it’s dangerous. Once the roof has dried, you can set about making repairs.

Wear shoes with rubber soles whenever you climb onto your roof.

Mow your lawn prior to having a contractor comes to remove your roof.This will make it easier to find any dropped nails easily. If the contractor uses a magnetized nail finder, it will work best with the short grass.

The materials and tools you take on your roof need to be secured. This is vital since you can easily lose balance if you have not been on a roof much. Thousands of people get killed or injured from falling off their roofs.

Don’t use short-term solutions for short periods of time when dealing with roof repairs. It may seem cost effective at the time, but it may end up causing more damage, and that may cost you more. The best thing to do is to completely fix the problem as quickly as possible to prevent things from getting worse.

After you’ve narrowed down your list of contractors, make inquiries about warranties.You want a warranty that is going to last for at least 3-5 year warranty. The warranty needs to cover defective supplies and sup-par workmanship, and you should have manufacturer warranty copies too.

There are many questions you’ll need to ask a prospective contractor before signing a contract. For example, see how many nails they’re going to be putting into the shingles. Three nails is rarely sufficient. Ask them about what their methods are to see if the answer they give is satisfactory. If not, look somewhere else.

Check your roofing materials thoroughly before putting new shingles up.

Ask your roofing contractor if they might offer. Some contractors might offer better coverage than others do. This will allow you to clear up any disagreements down the line.

Ask your friends and relatives for references if you need a new contractor. Ask those people you know best about their opinions on the work done, if they thought if was a fair price, and if the materials were of good quality. Also find out what kind of warranty their roofer gave and whether he cleaned up the job site.

Always ask a roofing contractor. A legit company won’t mind giving you their references. If the company is dodgy about references, it may be time to look somewhere else. This might be a sure sign that the contractor isn’t a true professional.

Do not worry if you are unable to immediately find sources of leaks in your roof. You are going to find the problem, and having a buddy will help as well.If your home is large, try using cell phones to talk so that the water doesn’t go into the house by mistake as you test possible leak areas.

The roofing contractor that you hire needs to be completely current with all of their credentials. Just about every locale requires roofers to be licensed, so check to make sure their license is current and valid. They must have liability insurance and worker’s compensation paperwork as well, so make sure you see that too.

Don’t neglect the small things when you hire a roofer. Someone who shows up on time and calls you when they say they will is probably dependable. You want to see both happen with your roofing contractor.

Think about using architectural shingles for a roof replacement project.They’re great looking and last longer.

Before installing your new shingles, check them thoroughly for any damage or defects. Installation issues like crooked nails or cracked shingles are a major source of leaks. Be sure that you have strong shingles that don’t have any cracks and that you’re using nails that can penetrate your shingles so that they are secured onto the structure.

The materials used for these roofs are great for reducing energy costs and should help you use less energy. You can even reduce the amount of debris you have to dispose of by installing a roof over your old one.

As discussed prior, you must be sure that your roof is properly taken care of. Be sure that you use the tips and advice that this article has mentioned so that you can be sure your home and family are protected at all times. When it comes to roofing, a little work now can help prevent a lot of work down the road.

If you want to go green when installing your new roof, think about acquiring a living roof. Living roofs include soil layers that can be home to plants of many types. This can also give you a reasonable amount of insulation.