Tips for Choosing the Right Roofer for Roof Repair and Inspection
Your roof is simply one of the most significant components of your home because it offers shelter and security from the outside disturbances and constructs a barrier for sun rays. If you do require a roof repair or inspection, one of the most exhausting parts of the process is choosing the best contractor who can perform the right and quick job
Client Testimonials and Referrals
Explore client testimonials and reviews on websites like Google and Yelp! If an owner attempts to publish a review, then you can be sure that the roofing contractor you are considering will deliver superior roofing system! Check out their website and know if they have a client testimonial section!
Knowledge About Specific Roof Types
Search for roofers that are skilled in the type of work you need. You need to select a roofer with hands-on experience in setting up the specific roofing system that you need to install in your home. Discuss with the prospective roofer to confirm if they are familiar with installing your desired roofing system.
Knowledge in Roofing Construction
Unfortunately, not all roofers are knowledgeable in roofing construction
Work Portfolio on Website
Ask if they have a website and try to browse through their certifications. A professional website will provide you with full information on the various services and credentials that the company holds besides a portfolio that will divulge multiple samples of their work! A roofer lacking a website in today’s market scenario is not the greatest roofing professional in your area!
How to Choose a Contractor
This article series provides a simple, step-by-step guide designed to help you find the roofing contractor who’s right for you. When you need to repair your roof or replace roof coverings on a building, this article gives advice to assist in choosing a roofing contractor – by Jessie Srader, with edits and additions by DJF. We also discuss how to negotiate the roofing contract, when to leave the roofer alone to do the job, and how to resolve roofing job disputes
Workmanship:The best assurance that your new roof will not leak and that it will have a long life is to select a quality shingle product and to be certain that the shingles are installed absolutely correctly – good workmanship is what makes a roof shed water.
Shingle quality: we would not hesitate to buy a quality shingle product from any of the current roofing shingle manufacturers, including GAF, but
Shingle installation standards we would want to be sure that my installer applied them according to the best practices in the industry since otherwise any warranty will be voided anyway. The principal sources of asphalt shingle roofing installation standards are the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA’s Roofing and Waterproofing Manual), and the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturer’s Association (ARMA). There are also ASTM standards for roofing products
Roofing contractor reputation and experience: Before hiring ANY roofing contractor we would check with the local better business bureau and would ask for references from local customers of the contractor.
What to Expect During a Roof Inspection
The importance of your home’s roof really can’t be overstated. Without a solid, functioning roof, a house quickly turns into an uncomfortable place to live—not something any homeowner wants to endure. To protect your investment and your health, prioritize keeping your home’s roof in good shape.
How do you do that?
Well, as is the case with your home’s other systems, preventative maintenance is key. If they’re caught early, problems such as failed flashing, missing or torn shingles, and broken tiles are easier to fix and less likely to have already caused major problems to the structure or interior of the house.
Getting up on your roof by yourself is never a good idea. (Really—don’t do it. It’s not worth the risk.) And would you know what to look for or how to make necessary repairs? Probably not. That’s why you should always leave roof inspections to the pros.
Do I Need a Roof Inspection?
There are four main reasons you might need to have your roof looked at by a professional, says Louis.
Roof leaks and ceiling stains
In most homes, roof leaks aren’t quite as dramatic as they’re sometimes portrayed on television and in movies. Instead of racing around your house placing buckets and coffee cans under streams of water coming from the ceiling, it’s far more likely that you’ll begin to notice dark stains slowly spreading across the ceiling
Buying a New Home? A Roof Inspection Will Save You Money
Buying a new home is a huge life decision. Prospective buyers know they need to make sure their new dream home has a sound foundation and safe electrical wiring, but inspecting the roof is often overlooked. This is surprising, considering how integral roofs are to protecting a home, and how expensive a new roof can be.
First Impressions: Inspecting the Roof Yourself
You can start to get an idea of the condition of a roof from the moment you go to view a potential home. Look for damaged or missing shingles on the roof, dry rot, and the condition of the gutters. Can you see moss growing on the roof? Is the roof sagging on one side?
When you can spot major problems from the ground, then you know there are likely to be costly repairs needed in the new future. If you know you won’t have the capital to buy the home and repair or even replace the roof, then you’ll know right off the bat that this home is not for you, before you spend money on a home inspection and roof certification
How Much Will This Cost?
We know you’ll be wanting to save your pennies when you’re just about to shell out a lot of money on a new home, so you are probably wondering how much this will cost you. The average cost for a roof inspection is $650 and the average cost of a home inspection is between $500 to $700
How to Choose a Home Inspector and Roofing Contractor
Your real estate agent will often be able to recommend inspectors they have worked with but. But, as with all recommendations,a lot depends on how you feel about the recommender.
Roof Inspections – Are They Necessary?
In many states, especially those that see a higher amount of snow and hail, when buying a home it is usually requisite to have the roof certified from inspection. Matter of fact, many lenders required this to be done before they will cut a check. In most states, a properly ventilated roof can last 20 years or more. In states where the snow is heavy, they often have to be replaced every five years. While having a secure roof is one of the most important parts of a home, it can also be a very expensive investment, especially if you bought a home under the guise that everything was on the up and up.
Roofing Inspections
Roof inspections are simply inspections that determine the integrity of a roof, how long it may last, and when it will need to be replaced. Roof inspectors are not going to climb up on your roof or the roof of a home you are thinking of buying and pull up shingles or tiles. Roof inspectors have special procedures wherein they can determine the lifespan of a given roof without tearing into it. At first glance it might seem that roofing inspectors would have to pull up part of the roof to do a thorough examination, but if you consider your own roof, you would not want anyone tearing holes in it just to see if it was in good shape.
Are Roof Inspectors Different From Home Inspectors?
Roof inspectors also have super-technical techniques like infrared roof inspections where they don’t even have to touch the surface of the roof itself to determine a roof’s integrity. This process uses infrared rays to locate parts of a roof that are at higher or lower temperatures than the rest of the roof. These “hot spots” can show a roof inspector just exactly where heat is escaping.
Play it Safe
Because replacing a roof can be quite an investment, insurance companies and lenders require that this has been checked off. It makes sense for these companies to protect their investments, but you as the homeowner should want this to be secured as well. You don’t want to be stuck with a bill that you weren’t expecting, and you also don’t want to sell a home to a family and put them in the same spot.
Roof inspections are not all that expensive, and these roofing inspections can give you and your lenders and insurance carriers peace of mind. Because when the rain is coming down or there is a foot of snow weighing down your roof, you want to sleep comfortably knowing that you are secure from above.