Everyone knows that shingles are the first line of defense on your roof from water leaking in. Many times when a roof ages and it is time to get replaced you will notice several different things when you look at the shingles. You may notice missing shingles allowing the water to get underneath to the wood and then into your home. Discolored shingles that have lost the majority of their surface granulation are another spot that may be the source of the leak. When the shingles start to deteriorate you will see them start to curl up on the edges. What this means is that they are absorbing water and that it is only a short matter of time before they stop doing so leaving the water to find its way into the attic.
The valley is the portion of the roof where two different sections meet. Many times an amateur installer will run the seam straight down the middle allowing water to more easily penetrate between the resulting seam. A professional roofing contractor should put the seam up a few inches in order to avoid this problem. Because the water flows towards the valley and thus this area is one of the highest traffic points it will show the most amount of wear and tear on the entire roof. This is another good reason to hire only experienced roofing companies to complete the job because they will go a step beyond the basics and underlay the valleys in ice and water shield as well. If this is done even when the valley wears through you will not experience any leaking. This is especially important when roofing in colder climates that experience extreme weather damage and heavy winters storms such as in Michigan.
The flashing is another very common area that residential roofing customers will experience leaking. It is a tougher area to properly install and many times smaller roofing companies simply skimp out or don’t have the skill set necessary to complete the job correctly. Look in areas such as around the chimney to see if you can spot any signs that the metal is separating from the brick. Other times the problem is less obvious and you may only notice a slight bulging around the effected area indicating the wood is actively absorbing water and deforming. A portion of the flashing will climb up the wall and the remainder is located underneath the shingle so pay attention to both of these places. There is also flashing around all vent pipes and skylights both of which leak extremely often. Make sure that when you get a new roof installed they are replacing all the existing flashing up there and not just reusing materials in order to save themselves a little money.
This is a great opportunity for you to take care of that roof that you have been holding off on. Applicant must be able to prove they are a current resident in the city using a drivers license or piece of mail. Grant discount is only applicable towards the purchase of a new roof. Simply click on the link below and enter the code WESTL500 in the comments section so that we can get you signed up for the program today. We are Michigan’s most trusted roofers for good reason so check out our reviews to find out exactly why.
We all appreciate a good deal and some of us will go to the end of the earth trying to find that once in a lifetime purchase. Now it is a totally different topic wondering how much time spent is to much time and what your time is actually worth. However, when making any big purchase you need to steer far away from this instinctual behavior. It may be the easiest way to differentiate different quotes but trust me here it is not a good way to decide who you are going to use to complete the project. The best way to explain this is with a simple analogy. Most of us love a good meal and we will use surf and turf here since it is an American favorite. You cant make up where to have your birthday dinner party and are shopping around at several different restaurants to pick the best one. Low and behold you find a place where you can buy your favorite meal for only $6.99. What a deal! Would you feel comfortable having your family and friends dine at a place like this when everyone else was priced at $20+ per plate?
Use the same logic outlined above when purchasing a new roof or similar project. When buying a new house or used card we have all been conditioned to follow this train of thought, it is time to apply it to the construction industry as well. If an estimate comes in way lower then the rest it is usually for one of a several reasons. First, they may be using inferior materials or cutting corners wherever possible. If you plan on keeping your property for any length of time the short term savings may not be worth the long term potential for major issues. Something as common as a little roof leak can cause wood rotting, structural issues, and mold growth all of which can be huge expenses to fix. Secondly, you may be dealing with amateurs that either don’t have much experience bidding jobs or are so desperate for work they will do anything. In this instance you are likely to be used for a training ground so that these newbies can hone their craft and pray for a good outcome. That or they may need to use the money from your down payment to purchase materials for another project they are building. It is typically a bad sign when they ask for a large amount of money up front and wont tell you when they will be able to start the work. Lastly, it is a common trick of the trade to throw out a low ball estimate to win the job and then try to up charge once firmly into the demolition. Roofing contractors often figure it is a lot easier to negotiate for more money from the customers when their roof is laying in the front yard.
You want to make sure to focus on important aspects that often get overlooked. One of such things are company reviews. Do they have a good rating at the BBB? Are they listed on a site such as Angie’s List and do people have good things to say about them? Can they provide any personal references of local customers that are satisfied with the work completed? Some times it makes sense to pay a little bit more for work that you know is going to be done quickly and professionally. Make sure that the person you are going to hire is fully licensed and insured. Check the states website, such as this one for the state of Michigan, to make sure they do not have any outstanding violations. Most cities now require the contractor to provide all of this information before pulling a permit to protect the consumer so absolutely never agree to do this yourself for anyone. If they cant pull a permit themselves there is a reason for it and it isn’t good! Many contractors can no longer afford insurance as it is quite expensive and instead carry fake policies. Before signing a contract ask for a copy of their insurance policy and call the provider yourself to ensure it isn’t fraudulent. All it takes is one accident to occur on your property for you to lose everything to some low life that lied to you. It is not worth the risk and many people out there are just waiting to prey on unsuspecting victims in this manner.
I cant say that you should never give a contractor any money up front but I can say that it is the best way to protect yourself. Smaller companies or independent contractors wont strip a shingle off your roof without 50% or more down. Bigger companies are capable of paying for their own materials upfront and want to make sure you are completely satisfied before getting paid. This alone is worth a substantial amount as it gives you peace of mind that the work will be done in a timely fashion and up to your personal standards. It allows for you to keep your money in investments or savings accounts or stashed under the bed. Either way it is a much better feeling to have a little control of the project. There is nothing worse then handing several thousands dollars over to a stranger and then to have to constantly call them trying to figure out where they are and when they are going to start working.
Again, this is not the deciding factor here but should be weighted heavily. Financing can be great for a number of reasons but that all depends on personal circumstances. When financing a new roof in Michigan for instance the rates are so competitive that it makes the most sense to take advantage of these programs while they are available. Michigan roofing loans are also available unsecured which means that the lender does not even place a lien on your property. This is a huge benefit that is even more important than interest rate because god forbid you have a lien placed it can be very difficult to get it removed if there are any disputes. More importantly, lenders are very careful which contractors they conduct business with. They do a thorough background check and even perform a financial audit in order to make sure everything is above board. That means you can typically feel confident in the company you have hire if they are able to provide you with a loan for that home improvement project.
The only thing standing between us and the elements is the house that you live in. This can be quite scary if you really consider the implications there. We all know that taking care of home improvement projects can seem like a never ending task. So where to begin? Well from the top down of course! Think of the roof like the head of a body, it is in charge of all the major functions you need to protect your property. It is the closest part of your house to the sky and therefore takes the harshest punishment from the weather. Heavy snow, ice, rain, and other wet weather all need to be kept outside of your house but they take a heavy toll on that poor old roof over your head!
Now keep in mind all this information is provided assuming you had a quality roof installed in the first place. Trust me when I say more often then not this is simply not the case. The majority of roofing contractors simply install the cheapest and easiest roofing system available then run off with all the profit that they can. This is because they have no intention of staying in business long. They may not be licensed or insured and simply change the companies name when the problems and complaints start to pile up. to make this point short and to the point the first thing you can to in order to properly maintain your roof is to hire a professional roofing contractor in the first place!
Once the snow has piled up past a half-foot or so you are risking potential damages to your roof. It is obviously best if you are capable of getting up there and actually shoveling the snow off the entire roof. However, there are tools for the less coordinated or adventurous such as the roof rake that allow you to accomplish similar results from the ground. This simple tool can be purchased at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot and is telescoping so that you can get that extra reach without over extending yourself. If you are a hard core do it yourself type person check out this article on how to make one yourself and save a little money. The DIY Snow Ripper Can Eliminate Snow From Your Roof in Minutes
A solution that should be utilized for any pesky or hard to reach areas that are a constant pain in the winter times. There are just some areas that you cant get to in order to clean them off or that seem to collect a ton of ice regardless of what you do. Heat tape will help to melt the snow and ice in these areas but make sure it is installed in such a manner that it will work with gravity. Some people have had great success running it throughout the gutters system as this is usually the first place to freeze up when it gets cold. The last thing you want to do is to install it somewhere in which it will just melt the ice and then the water just sits there with no where to go. Well i shouldn’t say it has no where to go because it will find its way right into your house somehow or another. There are heat tapes available at your local hardware store for common problems and then there are commercial heat tapes that require a electrician to install. Analyze the situation and determine how sever of a problem you have before making a purchase.
Most people do not understand how important ventilation is when it comes to roofing. You want the temperature in your attic to match that outside and the only way to ensure this is with the proper installation of intake and output vents. With the temperatures closely matched you minimize the condensation and thus likelihood of the roof wood rotting or growing mold. When a roof is well ventilated rarely will you see any major issues with ice damning except in low slope areas. A commonly overlooked mistake is when the bathroom or dryer vents are dumping right into the attic. These needs to be properly vented using a roof jack so that they do not cause unwanted temperature fluctuations excess moisture from getting in your attic.
The smallest of leaks can cause moisture to rot away that wood quicker then you would ever believe. As cute as they may seem you really do not want to deal with any animals taking up residence in your residence. Animals such as squirrels and birds will literally spend an entire day searching for that one soft spot that they can continue to chew until a hole straight into the attic has been formed. Once inside getting them out can be tougher then evicting dead beat tenants from a rental property. So if you have any concern about questionable looking wood on or around your roof call a professional out as soon as possible because it is better to be safe then sorry. Wood replacement is not all that expensive and will save you a fortune in the long run by preventing the need for some major repairs.
Since you took your time and hired the right roofing company your new roof is going to last you a long, long time. That means on the one hand that you will no longer need to worry about those pesky leaks. On the other hand you are going to be stuck with that color choice whether you like it or not. A higher quality material is known as architectural or 3D shingle and you will notice that the majority of new roof installations will choose this option as opposed to the older 3 tab. Architectural shingles have various benefits that make them both a practical choice because of their longevity and added protection, as well as an upgraded ascetic quality that makes the house have the little extra pop everyone is looking for. This added shingle dimension lets you play with the shadowing effect on the roof which allows customers to choose a wider range of colors that would not otherwise work as well.
For most families it is important to save every penny that they possibly can and when it comes to heating and cooling no one wants to be throwing money out the window. It may be hard to believe but your choice of shingle color can make a difference of up to 40 degrees in the attic. In warmer climates a lighter shingle color helps to reflect the sunlight off of your home thus helping to keep the temperature down inside. For colder climates, such as in Michigan, darker shingles help absorb the heat thus melting the snow in the winter time.
It is common sense to say that you want all the separate elements used on the exterior of your home to blend together harmoniously but nonetheless needs to be considered. For instance if you have a white traditional house then you should stick with a dark grey or black shingle. If your siding or trim is brown, tan, or cream in color then you need to choose a shingle color that at least contains an element of brown to it. The harder to dress blue and grey homes need a dark grey or black shingle as well. The remaining green, yellow, and red painted homes allow for a wider variety of choices so play off any accent coloring or even landscaping.
Clay, slate, concrete, wood shake, metal, and asphalt shingles are all options that are currently being used in residential construction. The pros and cons of each material is a vast subject that will be addressed in a separate article. For the time being it is easiest to choose a material that you like, go drive around a local neighborhood in which you can find a roof with the desired material so that you can see it in person, and then to Google it to do some research. As a last ditch effort you can follow the link provided at the bottom of this page to use a digital tool that will let you interchange shingle colors in real time.
Is it the latest fad or a smart investment? Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference and it seems like many Michigan contractors are starting to push this as a residential product pretty hard. Make sure you weigh out your options carefully here because no matter what you decide it is a big investment purchasing a new roof.
It is argued that although metal roofing is more expensive than traditional asphalt shingles you make up for it in the long run. Yes, metal roofing will most definitely outlast asphalt roofing hands down. But you need to make sure how long you are planning to stay at your home for this to even make sense.
Metal roofing gives the house a unique look that some people absolutely love and other cant stand. As you can see in the picture above the home tends to look almost plastic in appearance. You will also want to keep in mind the noise is substantial when its raining. If you want a sample of what it is going to sound like when trying to go to sleep check out a commercial building with a metal roof when it is coming down hard one time.
Weight is a major concern when installing a new roof and metal roofing adds a ton of it to your homes existing structure. Consult with an architect and carpenter before making your decision when getting estimates on a new roof if you are interested in using metal as it may require you install additional support beams.
Metal roofing is a lot more complicated to install compared to asphalt shingles and just adds another expense to the cost of the project. When choosing a contractor to install your new roof make sure they have lots of experience with the material they are installing. It can literally be a disastrous learning experience for both parties if an amateur attempts to install a metal roof.
Because of the weight and danger involved in stripping a metal roof you will want to keep in mind that if need be this expense could be nearly triple that of a normal asphalt roof.
The materials used in metal roofing are typically easier to control the quality of compared to asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles have been known to be defective in several circumstances and many major manufactures have suffered immense lawsuits because of this.
Royal Oak we have heard your prayers. We are here to offer you a no muss no fuss solution to all those wet, leaky problems you have been having with your homes. With a 30 year labor and material warranty you will never have to worry about your roof again, hire us and forget about it so that you have more time to spend doing something actually enjoyable with your life! No one else in metro Detroit offers a guarantee like this because no one else is as good as we are at installing new roofs. It is spring time so the market is flooded right now with two guys working out of the back of their truck but we know roofing contractors come and go. We have been in the industry for over 36 years and plan on dominating for many years to come. This is a family owned business that is getting passed down from generation to generation, getting better each time new blood is brought into the company. We have decided today to specifically offer a $500 discount as a tribute to its loyal residents. Keep in mind we are a select contractor of the municipality itself and trust me when I say that they only work with the best. This isn’t some long winded sales pitch and if you want to read more about us take a look under the systems section above for thorough explanation of everything that we do. If you are interested in getting a free estimate or in dealing exclusively with honest, hard working, fair priced, and strongly service oriented roofing contractors then we are the only ones that you need call.