Having a contractor installing a new roof can put a dent in your wallet. A roof is something you think about only when you notice a problem.
Many homeowners don't think about replacement of their roof unless they start to develop issues such as a leak, or the aesthetics of their roof start to become unpleasant. Curling shingles, shingles with minor cracks,or loose shingles can be a sign that your roof is in need of repair or replacement.
Before spending your money on a new roof, there are some things you should know. Properly installed roofing will give you peace of mind when it comes to the protection your home needs from the outside elements. You may be able to do a layover on your shingles, which is simply installing new shingles over your old shingles. Your local building department should be able to inform you if a layover is acceptable in your area.
A cost effective method of installing a new roof is the layover option, if you are thinking of putting your home on the market for sale, this may save you money. Issues that could be a concern with doing a layover are, the wood decking may have some rotted areas that could go undetected. Depending on how flat your existing roof is laying, will depend on how well a layover shingle will look.
To remove all doubts about the wood decking, it is always best to dispose of the shingles down to the roof decking. For a long term solution, shingle removal will insure that your investment will last longer.
Because a new roof can be expensive, asphalt roofing is the most preferred form of roofing. Another advantage of asphalt shingles are the options available to a homeowner, there is a wide color selection as well as different profile shingles available. Two of the main profiles homeowners have are dimensional shingles and 3 tab, aesthetics are the main difference between both options.
Shingles (Asphalt) are measured by their mat's. The depth of the mat gives the shingle more durability. Shingles come with different warranty's such as 25,30, 35, 40, etc. and the thickness of the mat usually plays a major roll in the warranty offered by the manufacturer. The thickness of the mat is important when considering a new shingle.
Black mold algae can form on roofs in high humidity areas, make sure the shingles you are having installed are algae resistant.
Felt is another component of your roofing system that is installed between your decking and your shingle. A 15 # felt is usually installed on roofs that are shallow, and a 30 # felt is installed on the more steeper roofs. Felt helps with moisture issues and is a barrier, covering your roof decking and helps prevent a leak if your shingles were ever to come loose, off, or if you shingles ever cracked. If a wind storm were to ever blow off a shingle the felt would act as a shield in preventing water penetrating through the wood decking.
Your roof system may also require ice and water shield. Ice and water shield plays an important part with the chimney's, valley's, gables, and gutter lines which are areas prone to moisture penetration. In windy conditions, water can blow into roof areas that would not normally get wet, this is where the ice and water shield helps prevent leaks.
Your roof needs to breath, so proper venting is recommended. Roof decking can buckle as a result of improper ventilation, and can affect the life expectancy of your roof. Utility bills can be affected by how well or how poor the roof ventilation is. Having the right amount of roof or ridge vents is important to make sure your roof is properly vented. Soffit and gable areas also feed the ventilation system, make sure you have enough ventilation in those areas as well.
Make sure your shingles are nailed correctly, shingles that are nailed incorrectly could turn into a problem. It is usually recommended by most shingle manufacturers to have 4 nails per shingle. The wind rating of your shingles can be increased by as much as 10 m.p.h. just by adding 2 more nails per shingle.
A roofing system can also be comprised of the following types of flashings: gutter, counter, step, chimney, and a drip edge. Re using some of the flashings isn't uncommon if the flashing is in still good condition, have your roofing company check for rust or sections coming loose. If there are any signs of flashing coming loose, or and deterioration is noticed, ask your roofing company about replacement.
Always check out a company before you sign a contract. See how long the company you may hire has been in business. Does the company you are interviewing have a clean record with the Better Business Bureau? Does the company you are interviewing have references, and can they provide names and phone numbers of previous clients? Check out the work of your potential roofing company that you may hire, visually look at some of the jobs they have completed. Check out the company you are interviewing by finding out if they have any previous training or achievement awards. Is the company involved in any activity's in your local area?
The data above is intended as a general guide for having roofing work done and is not intended for specific information in hiring a roofing company or using a particular roofing product.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
