Roofing Ideas from the Experts of the Industry

Home is the place where people find ultimate solace. That’s why people are so attached to their homes. They always keep on thinking about new ways to make their homes more beautiful, more durable, and securer. When it comes to the maintenance of these homes, the roof would be the foremost thing to start with. It’s that part of a house that protects all the internal things and walls from harmful external elements. It fights with the extremities of the weather outside and prevents it from entering the home. You must always pay very good attention to the roof of your home and take proper care of it. Here are a few tips direct from the horses’ mouth, i.e. from the experts of the industry.

You shouldn’t ever inspect the roof when the shingles are wet. They are very slippery when wet and besides, you can simply find any leaks in the roof just from inside. If you see mold growing on walls or ceilings, then you need to take serious care of it. Moreover, if some tiles seem to be of a different color than others, there’s probably a leak.

However, if you find yourself unable to take care of your roof on your own, you can take the help of professionals. Lots of people hire these professionals every year and keep their roofs in tip-top shape all the time. But you need to select a good roofing repair professional or organization for your roof. The contractor should be having a long list of satisfied customers. You must ask the professionals for some customer references to know about their experience with the services of the professional. Also, you should get it confirmed from the professional about their license, insurance, and bonds. A company operating without these things shouldn’t be considered at all.

Even after hiring a reliable roofing contractor, you should contact your home insurance company to let it be done perfectly. They would be able to tell the basics like the type of roof you have, its approximate age and many other significant things after conducting a secondary inspection of your roof. Also, ensure that taking the services from the roofing company you are hiring is not going to void any part or the entire insurance policy.

After confirming the fact that the contractor you want to work with is perfectly suitable, get photocopies of all the important documents including license, insurance, certification, etc. You also should be having a copy of your contract agreement. Also retain the quote provided by the company at your initial interaction, which should be on the letterhead of the company.

You should attempt roof repairs yourself only when you feel absolutely comfortable with it. If you have even the slightest doubts, you must contact a reliable and reputed contractor to take care of it. Conducting online research is the best way to do it. Observe a few online reviews and know about the expertise of the company yourself. You must also contact a few customers of the company and ask them about the work of the professional.

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The Eternal Debate: Should You Repair or Replace Your Roof?

Have you ever taken a good hard look at the state of your roof recently? Chances are, most people would check up on it only when leaks and considerable damage have already taken their toll.

In ideal conditions, roofs should be able to reach the end of their expected life spans without much damage. But as real-life goes, our roofs are constantly subjected to water damage, intense winds, and the risk of falling tree limbs. This kind of beating and 24/7 exposure to the harsh elements is enough reason why we need to inspect your roof every now and then.

What To Look Out For

Here are some of the things to look out for when inspecting your roof:

1. Damaged or missing shingles
2. Sagging roof deck
3. Signs of rot and mold, algae growth
4. Water leaks and trails
5. Visible holes

The decision on whether to repair or replace your roof is dependent on a number of factors. The first thing to consider is your budget. Can you afford to have your roof replaced? If your roof is less than two decades old, it is highly recommended to do repairs first, especially if the damage is not that significant. Minor repairs are often much cheaper and easier to manage.

You should also ask yourself, “How long do I plan on keeping this home?” The age of your current roof should be able to guide you on this. According to Elite Homes, roof shingles made out of asphalt can last anywhere from 15 to 30 years, while those made out of wood can last up to 30 – 50 years. Roofs made out of more durable materials metal, steel, tin, and aluminum can last at least fifty years.

Another important consideration is your future intent on selling your house. While replacing damaged or missing shingles with new ones is a relatively easy process, finding new shingles or tiles that perfectly match the old ones can be quite a challenge (unless you have some leftover shingles left from the previous roofing job). Mismatched shingles or tiles will look odd and can affect its appeal to future buyers.

Getting a New Roof

In some cases, replacing an old roof with a new one will be a more practical option, instead of settling for regular minor repairs. As an article on Bob Vila.com has pointed out, this decision is also dependent on the state of your current roof, the climate in your area, and the susceptibility of your house to hurricanes, typhoons, and other damaging events.

If ever you’ve decided on getting a new roof, you need to figure out if you need to tear off the old roof and install the new one in its place, or if you can just simply layer the new roof over the existing one. Laying a new roof over the old one is easier and cheaper, but some communities have rules in place regarding the number of roof layers that a house can have. For example, the International Residential Code limits only two roof applications for a house. It’s best to know these kinds of limitations first and requirements before starting on a re-roofing project.

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The different kinds of roofing

A very important part of constructing any building is deciding on the kind of roofing to be used. This decision is important since roofs would not only protect your family but the kind of roofing you choose would also decide on the amount you have to spend later on maintenance ad replacement. The kind of roof differs not only by the materials but also by shapes and structures. The area or the geographical location of the building for which you are deciding the roofing for has a big role to play in making the decision. Let me explain.

For example, suppose you are staying in a geographical location that experiences heavy snowfall every year. For such an area, it is not only best but the only practical solution to go for a slanted roofing structure. The reason is if you choose a flat roofing structure, heavy snowfall can result in the breaking of your roofing. A slanting roof would ensure that there are no accumulations of snow on the roof. The same is true for areas that experiences heavy rainfall as well. You can go for flat roofs in areas that usually have a moderate weather throughout the year.

There are different materials of roofing too like concrete, asbestos, and so on to name a few. You can choose the material of your roofing based on your needs, budget as well as the exterior décor of your home or office. The kind of roofing material you choose would ensure the kind of maintenance effort and money you have to put in later on. Hence it is advised that you collect as much information as possible on the different kinds of roofing available in the market in your locality and make a well informed decision. You can take the help of the Internet to collect information or visit the local roofing shops as well.

After you have decided on the kind of roofing you want to go with for your home or office, you need to hire contractors for installation. You can do it yourself as well. But it would not only take much time and effort but the work might not be as per your own liking standard. It is better to hire a professional contractor company specializing in installing roofs since it would be safer for the people who would be staying under the roof as well. Make sure you hire a contractor who is experienced in the work of installing roofs and has all the licenses as well as insurances in place.

For maintenance of your roofs, you can either ask your contractor for information or the homestead roofing company from where you have bought your roofing material from or take the help of the Internet. The contractors and the stores can advise you on maintenance of the roof since they deal with the roofing materials and hence have all the knowledge. The Internet too has blogs and discussion forums where such knowledgeable people can help you as well.

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