"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining."
John F. Kennedy
We help you find professional roofing contractors who are close to your home or business specializing in roof repair and replacement. These roofing companies are ready to serve you.
How Do I Know When to Repair or Replace My Roof?
The phrase, Knowledge is everything, (Scientia potentia es – is a Latin aphorism meaning “knowledge is power) is attributed to Sir Bacon Francis in 1668.
Anyone with the word “bacon” in their name has to be a great guy, right?
Anyway, just knowing is not enough. Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth said, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” Knowledge is not just power alone, but knowledge empowers us act on we know.
Since we are in the business of roofing and roof repairs, we want to share some of our “knowledge” with you that could save you a lot of money. Roof replacement and roof repairs can be very expensive and cause a great deal stress having to deal with the whole process.
If you’re “willing to act on the knowledge” we are going to give you, it will save you money and a lot of stress.
Most roofs are have a warranty ranging from 25 to 50 years depending on what roofing material you have on your home. But the life of a roof can be cut short due to neglect of maintenance. We recommend that you inspect your roof, or have your roof inspected at least twice a year by a good roofing contractor. An inspection will tell you if you have trouble spots that can be repaired or if it’s time to replace it.
Roof Repairs: When inspecting your roof look for missing, cracked, or broken shingles and replace them. Also look for nails that have backed out of from the shingles and reset them. Remove any and all debris that may have built up in valleys or behind chimneys. Look for cracked or worn rubber boots on vent pipes. Check for missing vent caps and rusted or buckled metal flashing. Clean all gutters so they drain freely. When gutters are clogged with debris it causes water to back up and enter underneath the shingles damaging roof decking and fascia. After doing your inspection if you find any of these problems, then act on your knowledge of them and have them repaired. Your repairs may very well increase the life of your roof.
Roof Replacement: Your inspection can also tell you when it’s time to replace your roof. Look for visible signs of wear and deterioration. If you own an older home and the edges of your shingles are beginning to curl it’s probably time to replace your roof. When your shingles have large areas of granule loss it is probable that it’s time for a roof replacement. Signs of water leaks on the underside of roof decking and water stains on ceilings inside the house are probably signs that it is time for a new roof. Rotting, roof algae, and decaying shingles are also tell-tell-signs.
You now have the knowledge you need to determine whether you need a roof repair or a roof replacement. Remember, knowledge is everything… act on it.
What Do I Need To Know Before I Bid a Roof Job?
Do you ever wonder why there can be such a huge difference in cost estimates when it comes to roofing? Often after a hail storm you will find a long line of roof salesmen making their way through a community that has been hit hard offering free roof estimates.
Homeowners would have to be baffled by why one roofing contractor charges so much more than another. It is true that some roofing companies can demand more in cost than others because of their long standing brand and their track record for excellence. While others may just be getting their companies started and are willing to do the job for less profit. And those are just a couple of reasons.
Here are some things you should know about bidding a roof job:
It is always better to be able to visually inspect the roof. Being able to see the amount of damage not only to the shingles but to the decking, fascia, flashings, and ventilation. It will help you discover any unseen problems. Be sure to count the valleys, the eaves, the ridges and their lengths. You will need to know the square footage of the roof in order to be able to estimate the cost of the material needed for the project.
In most every case you can expect on any roofing project that you must figure the labor cost of the removal of the existing shingles and the cost of its disposal. Next you must figure the cost of the new roofing material. That will include the decking, if it has to be replaced, the new shingles, underlayment, roofing nails, roof vents, pipe vents, drip edge, flashing, roofing cement, and paint for the hardware. You will also figure your installation costs as well.
Other factors to consider before submitting a bid for a roofing project is steep roof charges for roofs with steep pitches. Some roofing projects have extra steep roofs that require harnesses to be worn by the roof installers. Extra cost has to be figured if the house has two stories or more. Roof installers charge more for some types of roofing material than others such as slate, metal, clay as compared to asphalt shingles. All these factors must be taken into account before the final bid is submitted. Other costs may include expenses such as equipment fees, delivery fees, city permit fees, fuel costs, and insurance.
Once you have calculated all of the expense cost of the roofing project, decide what you want your profit margin to be and add it in for the total bid for the job and submit your written estimate. Good contractors like Andrews Services will not try to hide the costs. You will get a well-written estimate.
The written estimate should state clearly all the specifics of the roofing project. It should give the homeowner clearly stated details regarding the type of materials to be used, labor, disposal, start and completion dates with a flexibility clause.
How well you present your estimate is key to a possible contract with your customer because homeowners want to understand exactly what they are getting when they sign a contract.