How to Repair Your Cedar Roof

A cedar shingle roof is very attractive and can also be very durable and long lasting if it is installed and maintained properly. It is important to keep up with maintenance and repair to your cedar roof on a regular basis. A common problem for cedar roofs is moss build-up. Moss can cause erosion of the cedar shingles as well as water damage and leaking. You may also need to repair your cedar roof if some of the cedar shakes become curled or damaged.

It is well worth the time and effort to inspect and keep up on maintenance and repair of your cedar roof on a regular basis. This will not only help you save on your roof repair costs but will also help to extend the life of your cedar shingle roof. You can either hire roofers or you can do your own cedar roof repair. Here are some helpful tips if you decide to do the work yourself.

The first thing to do do is collect the supplies and tools you will need to do cedar roof repair. You will need roofing nails, hammer, pry bar, wood block, a tool to remove moss with, zinc or copper stripping, caulk, a sprayer and fungicide.

Once you are on the roof you will want to check for moss. You can use a trowel or another tool to remove moss. Another thing you can do is add a copper or zinc strip at the top of the roof's ridge. Nail the strip on with your hammer and nails. This helps to prevent moss building up on the roof.

The next thing you will want to do is replace any damaged or curled cedar shakes. Once you identify a damaged shake that you want to replace, pull up the damaged one, as well as the two above it. Use the claw end of your hammer to remove all of the nails and use your pry bar to pull the old cedar shake out. Once you have the damaged shake removed, slide your replacement shake in. Nailing the cedar shake directly can split the wood, so you should place a wooden block on top of the shake to nail the cedar shake down. Finally use caulk to seal any cracks or openings.

Finally you should spray your cedar roof with a preservative and fungicide. You can use a hand sprayer to do this or hire roofers to do the job for you. This will cut down on moss buildup and help preserve the cedar wood.

It is important to maintain and repair your cedar roof on you a regular basis. This will keep it looking great, help to prevent leaks as well as water and moss damage, and extend the life of your roof.