If your roof loses a few shingles or ends up with just a few peeling or damaged shingles, you can usually get away with having it patched rather than replacing the whole thing. Most roofing companies have experience patching shingle roofs, so it should not be hard to find someone to do this work for you. However, there are a few tips you'll want to follow when having a roof patched.
Check to see whether you have any spare shingles.
When a homeowner has a roof replaced, it is rare for the roofer to use an exact number of bundles of shingles. Usually, there are at least a few shingles left over, and the roofer gives those to the homeowner to use for any future repairs. If you did not have the current roof put on your home, you may have to do a little looking around to see whether there are spare shingles hiding somewhere. Check the attic, garage, and basement — these are all common places for people to stash them. Finding spare shingles will save you on the cost of new ones, and it will also ensure the patched portion of your roof matches perfectly.
Make sure the roofer embeds the patch under the rest of the roof.
When a roof is covered in shingles, each subsequent layer is placed over the previous ones. So, to replace the missing or damaged shingles, the roofer will need to lift the shingles above the damaged ones and situate the replacement shingles under them. Check to make sure your roofers plan on doing this. Most do, but sometimes a roofer will skip this step and put a patch on top if they think you'll be replacing the roof soon, anyways.
See whether the roof needs any other repairs.
You're already having the roofer out, so you might as well check to see if your roof needs any other repairs or work while they're there. Having everything done at once tends to be less expensive. You could also ask the roofer to do a quick inspection and tell you whether any additional repairs are needed.
Roofs can become damaged and require patches from time to time. This is not something to be too worried about. Most roofers have lots of experience patching roofs and can do a good job of it. Just make sure you have this work done sooner rather than later before the damage gets worse.
To have your damaged roof inspected, contact a roofing contractor in your area.
