By Terry Moyer, 5 Star Roofing
A new roof can be an investment, not an expense, if you know a few essential facts before you buy.
First of all, you should know whether you need a new roof, or whether a less expensive roof repair would be the better investment. Are the shingles curled up or the granules worn off? Are shingles cracked, loose or missing? Any of these conditions can cause leakage and damage to the gables, rafters or ceiling. There may already be spots on the ceiling, an indication of problems with your roof.
How old is the existing roof? It may be time to replace the roof just based on age. Most roofing has a life expectancy of 10 to 25 years. If your roofing is toward the last of its life expectancy, especially if it is discolored or streaked, it may be a good idea to replace it even if other indicators do not yet exist.
Once you have determined whether your best way to go is roof repair or a new roofing, then you need to choose a roofing contractor. To make the best decision here, you should do some homework. Don’t just take the first name you see in the phone book or the first roofing contractor who knocks on your door. You may wish to choose a roofing system first, then a contractor.
Ask around the neighborhood. Find out who has had roof work done in the last few years, and who the contractors were. Compare results of several roofing contractors before you contact them. Once you’ve identified several likely contractors, get bids from them. You want to compare more than price. You want to compare their answers to several questions to assure which contractor will provide the best roofing installation.
Will they use fiberglass shingles or organic shingles? If the job is to be done in cold weather, asphalt shingles become brittle. Fiberglass shingles are more likely to break than organic in cold weather. Also the self-sealing strips will not bond in cold weather. If you choose metal roofing materials, this is not an issue, whereas composite shingles or coating will be temperature sensitive.
What measures do the workers take to prevent a high wind from lifting shingles, especially if roofing is applied in colder weather? Hand-tabbing of dabs of asphalt under the corners of the shingles can prevent the wind from lifting them. How will the installers deal with flashing, ridges and valleys, and will their methods be satisfactory to you? Listen to how the contractor answers your questions. Does he minimize the importance of these questions, or does he answer them to your satisfaction? What importance does the roofing contractor place on customer satisfaction?
As to the roofing contractor, is he well known in the community or to you personally? If not, check for credentials: a permanent place of business, physical address, phone #, tax ID, and a city business license if required. Be sure you see a copy of his liability and worker’s comp certificates. Before the job is started, be sure you see a copy of the city work permit.
You will want to accept the bid that is not necessarily the lowest, but that that best satisfies you that the job will be done right at a fair price. Too low a bid may be an indication that shortcuts will be taken. A price that is fair to you and the roofing contractor is no guarantee, but may indicate his intent to be fair and do a quality job.
© Ron DePriest
