Replacing your roof
Four tips to hire an honest roofer
Hiring a roofer you can trust is crucial to the overall quality of your roofing system. Whether you’re having your entire roof replaced or you’re just having a few damaged areas patched up, it’s crucial that you can trust the roofer doing your work. The last thing you want when it comes to getting roofing work done is to have some out-of-town roofer do a little work and then disappear with your money and without completing the job.
Here are four tips you should follow to make sure that the roofer you hire is one you can trust.
Get several estimates. Though you may end up hiring the first roofer you speak with, it’s always a good idea to get a few estimates to begin with. Many homeowners have a tendency to hire the first roofer who gives them an affordable quote. But if you’re only getting one quote, you have nothing to compare it to. Don’t be afraid to ask several roofers for a quote even though it will mean having to say “no” to all but one of them. An honest roofer won’t resort to scare tactics in order to get a job.
Do your homework. You should never enter into any kind of contract with a roofer without doing a little investigative work. A great resource to go to is the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your area. They keep tabs on all of the local businesses and keep a record of all complaints filed against a company. Keep in mind that even the most reputable roofers may have some complaints filed against them. What you want to pay attention to is the roofer’s track record when it comes to handling these complaints in a timely manner. If a roofer has a lot of unresolved complaints against them, hire someone else.
Make sure everything is done by the book. Contractors are heavily regulated by the local government to keep residents safe from unscrupulous contractors. An honest roofer will have a license to do roofing work in your community. An honest roofer will gladly provide you with proof of insurance and will also take care of getting the proper permits to do the work. You should be wary of a contractor who is hesitant to show you a license or proof of insurance.
Hire local. Finally, and most importantly, make sure the roofer you hire is local. Fly-by-night roofers, or storm-chasers, may come through your town after a big storm offering their services, but they’ll be long gone should your roof fail again. They won’t be able to honor any kind of warranty on their services. A local roofer, on the other hand, won’t skip town with the job half-finished. A local roofer will work hard to make sure you’re satisfied because a roofer’s success depends on a good reputation in the community.
Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.com
Source: koaa.com/story/29953455/how-to-hire-an-honest-roofer
Tags: roofing tips, roofing contractor, roofing company, roof repair, roof replacement
Three roof replacement tips
Replacing your roof can be a nightmare. But it doesn’t have to be. Sure it may not be the most fun thing you’ve ever done but at least it won’t be a disaster. If the time has come for a roof replacement, remember these three tips.
Don’t put it off
Replacing a roof isn’t cheap. Depending on the size of your roof and the material you choose, a new roof can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Many homeowners who feel like they can’t afford the expense opt to put off the roof replacement. But this ends up being the costlier route in the long run. Your roof problems won’t go away by ignoring them and after a certain point, roof repairs become a wasted expense. If your roof has reached the end of its life, putting off replacing it will only make matters worse.
Think twice about the roofing material
There are many roofing materials out there but most people choose asphalt shingles because they’re the least expensive and the average lifespan is a little longer than the average number of years a homeowner remains in a given home. However, if you plan to stay in your home for the long haul, there may be other materials that, while they are more expensive, are a better investment since they’ll last longer and require less maintenance.
Choose your contractor carefully
It’s just as important to hire the right contractor as it is to choose the right roofing material. Even the best materials don’t guarantee a good roof if they’re not installed properly. So do your research and choose a reputable roofer that will do an excellent job.
Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.com
Tags: roof replacement, roofing contractor, roofing company, roofing materials, roof types
Replacing your roof? Should the existing shingles stay or go?
Weight
Two layers of roof shingles meets two times the weight. Many homes, especially older ones, might not be built to support that much weight. Add to that the weight of snow in the winter and you’ve got a huge structural concern if your home can’t hold the weight. In addition to the age of your home, another factor that will help you determine whether two layers will be too much weight is the pitch of your roof. Low sloped roofs have to support more weight that a steeply pitched roof. So if your home is newer or has a steeper pitch, installing a second layer of shingles could be a feasible option.
Life expectancy
An asphalt shingle roof will typically last around 15 years. If you install as asphalt shingle roof on top of older shingles, you decrease the lifespan of that roof. That’s because of the ventilation from the attic and heat becoming trapped between old and new shingles wearing out the new shingles more quickly. If your old roof shingles were becoming warped and curled, then that might be visible through your new shingles and will diminish the look of your new roof. If your old roof is in decent condition and you’re planning on moving in a few years anyways, you might still consider installing the second layer of shingles on top of the first.
Cost
When replacing your roof, the cost of removing the old shingles is factored in. That’s why you’ll see a lower estimate when the roofer wants to install shingles on top of your existing ones. But because you’ll likely get less life out of your new roof when it’s installed on top of another layer of shingles, and because you’ll have to pay to remove two layers of shingles the next time you replace your roof, the savings probably aren’t going to be worth it in the long run.
The bottom line
Most roofers recommend removing the old shingles first, regardless of the condition of the existing shingles and the pitch of the roof. If there are any problems with the roof deck, the removal of old shingles will reveal them so they can be repaired prior to the new roof being installed. Your new roof will look better and last longer.
Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof .com
Source: thespec .com/living-story/6077134-should-roof-shingles-be-replaced