If you're handy and have a good mastery of hammer skills, you might be tempted to patch your roof yourself. You may look up at those missing shingles and figure you can replace them in an hour or two. But roofing work is quite different from a lot of other home improvement projects. Even if you're handy, it is often worth hiring professionals to patch your shingle roof. Here's why.

The replacement shingles have to be placed under the existing layer of shingles

You can't just set some shingles down and pound a few nails into them. Shingles are layered as they are placed on the roof. So, the new shingles you're putting down will need to be layered under the shingles that are still up there. This involves lifting some shingles and then later sealing those shingles back down. These steps have to be done carefully to avoid causing leaks and further damage. Roofers know what shingles to lift, how far to lift them, and how to secure them back down again.

You have to climb on the roof to replace shingles

Standing on a roof is harder than you might think, particularly if you're not used to this. Standing on a slope is really hard on your joints and muscles. If you grow weak while up there, you'll be at an increased risk of falling. You may even need a harness to stand on your roof if it's really sloped! Roofers know how to stand on a roof safely and they have all the safety equipment needed for this step.

Sourcing matching shingles can be tough

You want the shingles used to make the patch to be the same as the shingles currently on your roof. Unless you have some spare shingles set aside, finding matching shingles can be tough. Roofers have connections with the shingle companies and can often get shingles that are no longer in production. Or, they can explore the options and find shingles that are close enough in appearance to your current shingles. Homeowners cannot always buy directly from shingle companies, so you may not even be able to buy the shingles you need on your own.

Patching a shingle roof is not the most intensive of roofing jobs, but it is something that should be done by a pro. Call a roofing company such as Supreme Roofing LLC to get on their schedule. They should be able to answer any questions you have.