Avoiding Roofing Scams
Avoiding Roofing Scams
The unfortunate reality is that there are shysters and con artists in almost every line of work and the roofing industry is no exception. There are no limits the variations of scams that a creative fraudster can dream up, but there are a few common ones in the roofing industry that you should avoid.
Storm chasers are out of state itinerant roofers who travel from area to area following a major hailstorm or other severe weather event. While some of these roofers do good work, many do not and the result is a poorly installed roof that fails within the first few years. The problem is that the roofer is long gone by then and you have to pay a good local roofer to fix the damage.
Offering free roof inspections is another area fraught with potential for fraud. You should understand that most reputable local roofing contractors offer legitimate free roof inspections. If you think your roof may have been damaged by hail or old age, calling a reputable local roofer for a free roof inspection is a good idea.
The problem is when some stranger shows up at your door uninvited and without any local credentials and offers to inspect your roof. They always find damage and get you to file an insurance claim in the hopes of having the claim approved. In a few cases, they actually cause damage to an otherwise healthy roof and make it look like hail or storm damage.
Protect yourself from roofing scams by dealing with a local roofing contractor with a reputation for high quality roofing work and who will be around to stand behind their work if necessary.
State of the Roofing Industry
State of the Roofing Industry
Whether you are replacing your asphalt shingle roof due to hail damage or old age, you will be happy to know that the quality of composition asphalt shingles has improved significantly in the past ten to fifteen years. There is no question that metal roofing, tile and other roofing materials have some advantages over asphalt shingles in terms of durability and impact resistance, but those advantages come at a price. Most alternative roofing materials cost at least twice as much as asphalt shingles and in many cases the cost differential is closer to three to four times the cost of an asphalt shingle roof.
In addition, most of the roofers who slapped “builder’s grade” roofs on all that new home construction in the 1990’s and early 2000’s have gone out of business because the only people who would hire them were the builders who were trying to build the house as cheaply as possible. Most of the reputable local roofers in business today are the ones who have earned an excellent reputation over the years by providing top quality roofing services to satisfied customers.
The skill of your roofing contractor is important because along with improvements in the quality of asphalt shingles, the industry has learned that the quality of the installation has a huge impact on the lifespan of an asphalt shingle roof and on how well it will protect your home. What this means for the homeowner is that now more than ever, composition asphalt shingles are an excellent, cost effective choice in roofing materials. You can expect a high quality asphalt shingle roof installed by a reputable local roofing contractor to provide 25 to 35 years or more of excellent service at a price far below any other roofing material.
Important Questions For Your Roofing Contractor
Important Questions For Your Roofing Contractor
When you need your asphalt shingle roof replaced due to hail damage or any other reason, you will get the best results by using an experienced local roofing contractor. Quality of the workmanship matters a lot when it comes to installation of an asphalt shingle roof so make sure your contractor uses top quality roofing techniques and stands behind their work. Since any guarantee is only as good as your contractor, you want one with a permanent presence in the community and a reputation for solid roofing work.
Get bids from several contractors and take the time to ask them a few questions. First, ask how long they have been in business and whether they have a permanent local address and telephone number. Look to see if their telephone number and license number is painted on the side of their truck. You are looking for some indication that they have been in business for a while and intend to be in business for the foreseeable future. There are a lot of roofers out there and if they were doing shoddy work, they would probably be out of business before long.
Next, ask for a few references from satisfied customers and follow up with a call to verify that the person was satisfied with the contractor’s work. Any good roofer should be happy to provide the contact information for a few happy customers.
You should also ask to see a copy of their business license and proof of worker’s compensation insurance and liability insurance. Contractors working without insurance are putting you at risk in the event of an accident.
Composition Asphalt Shingles 101
Composition Asphalt Shingles 101
Composition asphalt shingles are easily the most popular roofing material in use in America today. Metal roofing and other alternative roofing materials are gaining market share, but these materials have a much higher initial cost than asphalt shingles. Unless the cost difference decreases, asphalt shingles will likely remain the roofing material of choice for the majority of Americans.
Asphalt shingles are made from either a fiberglass mat or organic mat that is soaked in asphalt and coated with protective ceramic granules. Organic shingles use a mat made from paper or felt and fiberglass shingles have a lighter weight fiberglass mat. Fiberglass shingles are currently the industry standard, but organic shingles are sometimes favored in colder climates because they are seen as easier to work with in cold weather.
The vast majority of asphalt shingles are either three tab shingles or architectural shingles (sometimes called dimensional or laminated shingles). Three tab shingles are standard flat, rectangular shingles with two vertical slots cut into the shingle to create the three tabs. These are the classic shingles that have been around for decades and were installed on millions of homes constructed up to the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. They are the least expensive roofing material and can last from 15 to 25 years.
Architectural shingles are much thicker and heavier than three tab shingles. In addition to adding texture to the roof, architectural shingles are generally higher quality than three tab shingles with only a modest cost premium. You can expect an architectural shingle roof installed by a professional roofing contractor to protect your home for 25 to 35 years or longer.
Roof Life Expectancy
Roof Life Expectancy
Many homeowners want to know how long they can expect their new roof to last. This is an excellent and understandable question, but also a difficult one to answer because the answer is dependent on many different factors.
Some roofing materials will last much longer than other types of materials. A properly installed and maintained metal, slate or tile roof should last 50 years or longer barring any catastrophic events such as severe weather or fire. These roofing materials are highly resistant to most severe weather including hail and moderately high winds.
The typical lifespan of asphalt shingles varies from about 15 years to about 40 years. Low end three tab shingles have the shortest lifespan of 15 to 30 years and high quality architectural shingles can last 25 to 40 years. Asphalt shingle roofs are more likely to be damaged by severe weather, especially hail and high winds.
The installation of the roof will affect its lifespan. A poorly installed roof will fail much sooner than anticipated, sometimes within a few months or years. This problem is more common with asphalt shingle roofs because there are so many roofing contractors who install these types of roofs and the quality of the installation varies.
Metal, tile and slate roofing is generally installed by roofing contractors who have a lot of experience and typically do a top quality job. If you are using asphalt shingle roofing, it pays to choose your roofer carefully. Your best bet is to choose a reputable local roofing contractor with years of experience in the business.
Dealing With a Contractor’s Lien
Dealing With a Contractor’s Lien
Imagine this scenario: You hire a contractor to replace your roof. Everything goes as planned – the roofing crew shows up on time, they get the job done quickly and your new roof looks great. You pay the contractor in full for the work and the next thing you know, a subcontractor places a lien on your home. As you are still mulling that one over, the local roofing materials supply center also places a lien on your home. What the heck happened?
Well, it turns out that the contractor you hired turned around and hired a subcontractor to actually do the work. In addition, the contractor purchased the materials for your job on credit, then didn’t pay the bill or the subcontractor.
This can happen when the contractor is simply having financial difficulties, but more commonly it’s the result of dealing with a scam artist masquerading as a legitimate roofing contractor. These scamsters usually prey on areas hard hit by a hail storm, wind storm or some other severe weather event. They set up shop in the area and do a few roofs, then as business winds down they move on to the next area leaving behind a trail of unpaid bills.
Unfortunately, the homeowner is on the hook and will have to negotiate payment for the subcontractor and the supplier or risk losing their home in foreclosure. The homeowner can sue the contractor, but they can be hard to find.
The best way to protect yourself against this type of situation is to be sure you only deal with a reputable local roofing contractor. Make sure your contractor has an established presence in the community and a reputation for honest roofing work.
Choosing Composition Asphalt Shingles For Your Home
Choosing Composition Asphalt Shingles For Your Home
Despite the increasing popularity of other roofing materials, especially metal roofing, composition asphalt shingles are still the most common roofing material in North America. Their relative ease of installation, low initial cost and wide availability makes then a great roofing material choice.
Whether you are reroofing an existing home or choosing a roofing system for a new home, once you have decided to go with composition asphalt shingles you still have a few more decisions to make. Asphalt shingles are available in many different colors, styles and types. The good news is that you are sure to find the right shingles for your home.
Asphalt shingles are made using either a fiberglass mat or an organic mat made from felt paper. Fiberglass shingles are a little lighter weight and generally more durable while organic shingles are more flexible in cold weather. The majority of asphalt shingles are fiberglass, but organic shingles are still in use especially in northern areas where their flexibility is seen as a plus for cold weather installations.
Three tab shingles are the traditional, rectangular shaped shingles that are currently losing market share to architectural shingles. Architectural shingles are thicker and heavier that three tab shingles and offer better wind and hail damage protection. They also give the roof texture and character. Architectural shingles are more expensive than three tab shingles, but they generally have longer warranty periods.
All of these types of asphalt shingles are available in a wide array of colors so you can be sure to find one that will enhance the beauty of your home. Your roofing contractor will be able to help you choose and excellent shingle for your home.
Pre Sale Roof Inspection
Pre Sale Roof Inspection
Homeowners trying to sell their homes know what a tough time it is to be a seller. Even with interest rates at record lows, home sales have been sluggish for years and it looks like there is no end in sight. Homeowners desperate to sell have been slashing home prices leading to a downward spiral that may not have bottomed out yet.
With so many homes on the market, unless you want to join the “race to the bottom”, you need a way to distinguish your home from similar homes in your area. One cost effective way to entice buyers to make an offer on your home is to have a roof inspection and provide the prospective buyer with a report on the condition of the roof.
There are relatively few new homes on the market and buyers are looking at re-sales. Some buyers are looking for a bargain priced “fixer-upper”, but most buyers want a home that is “move in ready” and want to avoid incurring expensive repair bills in the first few years of ownership. Buyers typically have a home inspection performed prior to purchase, but these home inspectors are usually not roofing experts.
Home inspection reports typically offer a limited evaluation of the condition of the roof that only covers signs of existing leaks and obvious roof damage. You can easily take it to the next level by having an experienced local roofing contractor perform a thorough inspection of the roof and provide you with a comprehensive report.
Providing potential buyers with a comprehensive roof inspection report to supplement their home inspection may give them the assurance they need to make an offer on your home instead of a similar home down the block.
Low Slope Roof Concerns
Low Slope Roof Concerns
Roof slope refers to angle or pitch of the roof and it measured in the number of inches of vertical rise for every foot (12 inches) it travels horizontally. A roof that rises 4 inches per foot has a pitch or slope of 4:12. Most residential roofs are designed with a slope of 4:12 or greater for drainage purposes. Higher slope decreases the risk of water and snow accumulation and the risk of ice dam formation.
In Southern climates where snow shedding and ice dam formation is less of a concern, lower sloped roofs are more common. Low sloped roofs use less material and are less expensive to build. Since there is less cubic area under the roof, heating and cooling may also be more efficient. Depending on the application, a low sloped roof may be used to increase the size of the living space under the roof without raising the overall height of the home.
Even in Southern climates, low slope roofs with a pitch less than 4:12 have a few additional concerns. Because of the lack of slope, water does not run off the roof as quickly and wind driven water is more likely to infiltrate under the shingles.
If you are building a new home or re-roofing an existing home with a low slope roof, talk to your roofing contractor about additional protection against water intrusion. One alternative is to install a second layer of felt paper or by covering the entire roof with water and ice barrier. Another alternative is to use metal roofing rather than asphalt shingles.
Proud Member of:
