The Handyman - A Good Gamble for a Roof?
The Handyman or The Roofer
Decisions, Decisions - Right or Wrong?
Due to the recent flood of calls that I've gotten that have gone the way of the dodo - calls that I lost when I reached out to the home owner and heard the old "We decided to go with a guy who gave us the lowest price," I'm posting this blog to give you the inside scoop on "The Handyman" who said, "I can do that."
I'll list my findings short and sweet:
- "We just needed a quick roof to sell the house." "But... it's a new roof!"
What happened with this one? We arrived to find whole flats (that's bunches of shingles, attached to each other) blowing in the breeze like flags. The whole roof had been nailed wrong. The new owner of the house is currently having a hard time breathing. He's calling his lawyer to see if he can either sue the person he bought it from, or sue the handyman who did this.
- "But our chimney just needed a little cleaning, and the Handyman said he did this all the time!"
As it turns out, this guy used the old "brick-in-a-bag", tied onto a rope. He knocked down what he could, vacuumed up the ash, and slapped some tar on a leaky flashing.
Actually a real chimney sweep uses brushes that are motorized as well as hand brushes, and does not rely on gravity to knock down creosote and ash. Using the gravity method is highly unreliable and leaves too much creosote, which eventually catches on fire. Now this poor fellow needs a new back for his house. How much did he save? Nothing. He owes $20,000 to a contractor.
- "It was just a little siding- and it looked good when the handyman installed it."
It's a common mistake to cut siding to fit snug into the side-channel or vertical channels. While it looks great at the time of installation, siding often bulges when exposed to changes in the weather, such as temperature fluctuations. As it heats, it expands, and because it has no room for expansion, it bulges.
- "He said that it was only a little leak, and that he could seal it with roofing cement easily!"
I'm all for saving the customer some money, but when a customer says to me "Can't you just put tar up there? I don't have the money for a full repair right now," my answer will likely be, "No, I'm sorry. Your chimney needs to be properly flashed. Slapping a little "tar" on it again won't work. A month or so from now you'll be calling me because the "tar" cracked, you have a bigger leak, and you'll be asking me to "re-tar" it again." Additionally, I have to tell a client who goes this route that each time it leaks, they will have to replace the sheetrock and repaint. Finally, look at the result of years of leaking under the shingles. The deck (plywood) is ruined. Wouldn't it be easier to pay for the correct flashing once, instead of paying for repairs over and over again? The repair will last 10-20 years if step-flashing is used, and up to 200 years if lead is used. Simple.
- "This is the third time my gutter has fallen down in the last year! I don't understand it."
I felt bad for this guy. He called the same Handyman all three times, and used gutter spikes (big nails) every time. It's a simple fix - I use screws. Screws don't pull out of the wood, period. He could have saved himself $600 and a lot of aggravation if he just called me in the first place.
- "He said that he had done lots of roofs, and never had a complaint!"
There's just no excuse for this. Sure, he used top-of-the-line shingles, but he obviously didn't know how to cut them. This needed a valley and valley flashing installed. It needed an overlay of Ice and Water Shield, and then properly cut shingles installed. This roof will have to come off, costing the homeowner thousands of dollars.
Many home owners just don't understand the ramifications of doing a bad repair. While a Handyman might be good for small fixes like window screen repair, adding some caulk to window flashing, or putting a pre-fab shed together, you mustn't mistake him for a roofer. I mean that. No matter how much money he tells you that you'll save, you will triple your costs by not using a reputable roofer.
If you have any questions about the repairs above, would like a free estimate, or are just curious, please email or call me. I'd be happy to help.
Nick Muja
Best Quality Roofing and Chimney, Inc.
Shirley, NY
Serving the Suffolk County, Long Island NY area.
bestquality626@gmail.com
631-281-9100
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