Roofing Contractors: 4 Sign of Potential Trouble

Roofing installations and the contracts that are written regarding them can be complicated in their own way. In both areas, these complexities can put a buyer (that means you) at a significant disadvantage that may result in less roof than you pay for or more repairs than you expect. Here are 4 red flags that can provide advance warning of trouble ahead.

They offer reviews instead of references – An increasing number of consumers rely on review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List, but make sure you get references too. The problem with review sites is that anyone can post a review, including an owner writing in glowing prose about his own company. Throw in a couple more fantastic reviews from employees and the company may look like the best in the bunch, even if it hasn’t ever completed a project like yours. Instead, ask for a list of previous projects and contact numbers for the people who paid for them. That will give you a true indication of the quality of work provided by a prospective roofing company.

No warranties – Roofing projects usually come with two warranties; the manufacturer’s for materials and the contractor’s for workmanship. The absence of a manufacturer’s warranty probably means that the contractor is either using second hand (or recycled) materials or hasn’t been certified by manufacturers to work with their products. Watch out for a workmanship warranty that lasts 1 year or less and run away if a warranty isn’t offered at all. Instead, look for a contractor that stands behind its work with a workmanship warranty of 10 years or longer.

No insurance – On-the-fly roofing contractors will skip on liability and workman’s compensation insurance to increase their profits and shift those risks to the homeowner. Under the wrong circumstances, paying for an uninsured worker’s on-the-job injury could cost a multiple of the price tag for the roofing installation. A roofing contractor without insurance should be an immediate deal breaker.

Don’t call us, we’ll call you – A roofing contractor that is hard to get in touch with probably doesn’t want to talk to you. Start with that presumption and then make a list of reasons why that would be. Your list should include; periods when they don’t show up for your job, sloppy work and problems that keep coming up after the job is finished. If chasing down your contractor to fix problems isn’t your cup of tea, opt for a roofing company that has people who answer the phone during business hours – it will save a lot of grief.

Watch out for any of these red flags. If you see even one of them, rest assured that there is a better roofing company out there that will get the job done right and save you the stress of dealing with a company that disappears after doing a crummy job on your roof.              

After a Disaster: Avoiding the Scammers

Areas that have experienced extensive damage from extreme weather events draw all kinds of people, including volunteers and aid workers, as well as some looking to take advantage of the situation to make a quick buck. Here are 4 ways to tell if the person who wants to repair your roof is either under-qualified or a pirate roofer trying to rip you off.

• An unsolicited knock on the door – Pirate roofers often arrive from out of town and send canvassers out to stricken neighborhoods to drum up business. These canvassers may leave a business card or knock on the door to speak directly to you. Be very wary if the card does not have a local address and displays only a mobile phone number as a way to contact the roofer.
• An offer of a discount due to having excess materials from other jobs – Pirate roofers often use this tactic as way to get a fast commitment for roofing jobs. While the promise of savings may be tempting, applying a little logic to the proposal can shine a light on the potential for problems. For one, how does the roofer know that there will be enough materials to finish the job on your roof?

How does the roofer know the materials are right for your roof?

• A decision that must be made “right now” – Hard sells are never pleasant, but don’t fall prey to one in your haste to get your roof repaired. Hard sell tactics are often accompanied by demands for an upfront deposit for work with little or no paperwork to document the payment or the work that is supposed to be done. In these situations, it’s not uncommon for homeowners that are tricked into paying a deposit to call a telephone number that has been disconnected and to never see the roofer again.
• A contract that is light on details on how money will be spent – While some roofers will abscond with the deposit and never come back, others may not be as willing to blatantly break the law. These roofers will typically follow the normal protocols of providing a contract to stay on the right side of the law, but will then perform what turns out to be inferior work with inferior materials.

The rush to get repairs done after a natural disaster may allow less-than-scrupulous pirate roofers to take advantage of damage to your roof. If you see any of these warnings signs from a company that is trying to get your business, take a deep breath and call highly regarded roofers that work in your area to ensure that you get what you are paying for.           

How to Avoid the Most Common Roofing Rip-offs

Roofing projects tend to be made up of numerous charges including preparation, materials, labor, and disposal of the old roof. With the number of components and the range of various expenses, an unscrupulous roofer may try to pad costs and switch ordered materials for cheaper replacements. In many cases, each cheat may not represent a substantial amount of money, but added together the result can be a secret profit for the contractor and a substandard roofing job for you. The best way to avoid these rip-offs is to understand the roofing process while also developing an understanding of the areas where advantage may be taken. Here are 4 areas to keep an eye on.

• Skimping on the prep – During the tear-off, a contractor may leave the dust and small pieces of debris behind to shave the actual cost of labor below the figure listed on the estimate. Another trick is to leave old flashing in place or remove it and then put it back. Sealants may be left in place as well or a cheap product that dries out and cracks over the short term may be used.   
• Overcharging for materials – This is where getting several estimates can work in your favor. Compare material costs on the estimates you have collected, looking for material prices that are out of line with the others. The largest single material expense will likely be the shingles, so get the manufacturer and the specific product number to do your own price comparisons if you feel that something is amiss.
• Not carrying insurance – Liability and workman’s compensation insurance can represent substantial costs for contractors, and significant savings can be realized by going without coverage. This puts the homeowner at risk for all liability should a worker get injured while on the job or property is damaged during the project. Beware of an estimate that comes in far below competing bids as it may have been made possible by the contractor going without insurance.
• Installation shortcuts – Using a minimal number of shingles and fastening them with a number of nails that is less than required by local building codes can get materials on the roof and workers off the job faster. By cutting back on materials and doing the job in less time than estimated, the contractor can put a little more money in the pocket. Unfortunately, these are the homes that are damaged the most when shingles and materials are blown off of the roof in high wind events.

In addition to increasing your awareness of potential problem areas, the best way to avoid being ripped-off is to research the contractors that are under consideration for your roofing job. 

Unscrupulous companies typically don’t stay in business for very long in one place, so look for contractors that have served your area for years, even decades. Ask for references on jobs that are similar to yours and check the results. A roofing company that has been serving your area with quality results will likely be the one that you don’t have to worry about.   

Little Things that Make a Huge Difference in the Life of a Roof

When it comes to the factors that can determine the life expectancy of a roof, the major components such the shingles, deck and underlayment tend to get the most attention. However, one of the most important aspects on a roof may be one of the smallest; the nails used to fasten the shingles. Here are 4 ways that their improper use can affect the performance and the service life of a roof.

Exposing the nail heads - Nails that are put in at a location on shingles that is too low to be covered by the next row higher will be exposed to direct sunlight and moisture, which will speed the process of corrosion. These exposed nail heads are referred to as "shiners" because of their tendency to reflect sunlight. Constant exposure to the elements will eventually weaken the nail head to the point where it breaks off, leaving shingles unattached and creating the potential for tiny leaks across the roofing system. If you notice exposed nail heads after the installation of a new roof or a repair, call the installer to have the shingles replaced and re-fastened properly.

Nailing near the top of the shingles - This may be the result of over-compensating to avoid shiners, but any time nails are hammered in too high, they may not reach the underlying shingle or, if they do, the penetration will be too shallow to make a firm connection. These weak or non-existent connections between shingles make the entire roofing system prone to being blown off by high winds. 

Over-driven nails - Nails that are driven too far in to the shingles can go through the protective outer layer and expose the inside of the shingle, which can lead to a faster deterioration process. In addition to penetrating the outer layer, the tiny recesses can trap moisture, which can corrode nail heads and saturate the unprotected areas of each shingle. To make matters worse, over driven nails can void the manufacturer's warranty on materials.

Using the wrong length - Nails that are too short will not fasten the shingles tight enough to provide full protection. On the other hand, nails that are too long can fully penetrate the roof deck, eventually leading to numerous small leaks across the roofing system. 

The best way to avoid these issues is to hire a roofing company that has their installers receive training directly from roofing material manufacturers. Installers that demonstrate expertise after comprehensive training can be designated as “Certified Master Roofers”. With an installation performed by Certified Master Roofers, the issues listed above are extremely unlikely to occur.         

5 Areas to Cover when Interviewing a Commercial Roofer

Replacing the roof on a commercial building carries many of the same duties as putting a new roof on a residence, but the accountability may be much greater due to multiple business tenants as well as expensive assets on the site. One of the most important factors of installing a new roof on a commercial building will be the company that does the work, and knowing what to ask about the essential aspects of a prospective company’s operations can help to determine the best contractor for the job. These questions can be organized into 5 categories:

      

• Insurance coverage – One of the first questions to ask is whether the company carries both general liability and workman’s comp insurance. If the company does not furnish documentation of coverage, you can stop the interview and move on to the next contractor, because you’ll be on the hook for any injuries or damage that occur during the project if the contractor doesn't carry these policies.     
• Company information – Ask about the amount of time the company has been in business and the physical location of the nearest main or branch office. Be very wary of a company that can’t substantiate its time in business or is using a P.O. Box or a residential address as the location of an office.
• How much of the business is done on commercial buildings – Ask about the percentage represented by commercial projects versus all other projects that have been completed by the company. Many companies will advertise themselves as commercial roofers despite completing only a handful of projects. If the percentage of commercial projects is in the single digits, watch out.   
• Relevant experience – Inquire about past commercial projects that are similar to your building. Make sure the company has experience with projects of similar scope as well as with the materials that will be used in the project. Contacting the owners or managers of buildings where work has been completed by the prospective company can provide intelligence on the quality of the work as well as the performance of the newly installed roof.     
• Manufacturer certifications – Manufacturers certify roofing technicians based on their completion of training modules for the installation of specific types of roofing materials. The best results, especially when complex materials such as slate are being used, are most likely to be delivered by roofers who are factory trained in the best practices of installing manufacturers’ materials.

Asking these questions can help to determine the best contractor for your commercial project. Perhaps just as important, this information can help you to steer clear of inexperienced roofing companies that may end up installing a roof that causes problems from day 1. 

3 Recommendations from the National Roofing Contractors Association for an Optimized Attic

When a new roof is being planned for a home, it’s common for most of the attention to be focused on the materials that will be installed on the exterior of the structure, but a second critical aspect should be included in the plan to ensure durability and energy savings over the long term; ventilating and insulating the attic.  Here are 3 recommendations from the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) regarding the optimization of the exterior of a new roofing system through the addition of adequate ventilation and insulation in the attic.

          

            Insulate the attic floor – A full layer of insulation on the attic floor inhibits heat from radiating up from the interior of the structure, reducing heating demands in the winter and preventing the attic space from getting too warm. Adding access tents can provide additional insulation at the entry points to the attic.

        

           Install adequate ventilation – Ventilation is the key to regulating temperatures in the attic while preventing the bottom surface of the roofing system from being subjected to high heat levels. Regulating temperatures in this space is essential to ensuring that the adhesives and materials on the roof deck aren’t exposed to temperatures that can reach 160 degrees in an unventilated attic. The rule of thumb for adequate ventilation, according to the NRCA, is 1 square foot of venting for every 150 square feet on the attic floor. Venting capacity should be balanced evenly between the areas around the eaves as well as the ridge to regulate temperatures and to prevent the accumulation of moisture. If the attic is used as a storage area, vents should never be blocked by boxes or other items to allow for the free flow of air in and out of the space.

    

          Insulate the ceiling of the attic – Insulating the ceiling of the attic prevents heat from radiating into the space during the hot days of summer and outward when temperatures drop in the winter. When ceiling insulation is combined with abundant ventilation and floor insulation in an attic, the results include a space with moderate temperatures, lower demands for heating/cooling the interior of the structure, and less stress placed on the roofing system from heat that radiates upward from the attic.    

The metrics for adequate ventilation and insulation in an attic can change dramatically depending on the specifics of local weather conditions, but the benefits remain the same regardless of geographic location. By limiting condensation with sufficient ventilation and restricting the transfer of heat from the exterior as well as the interior of the structure into the space, the stresses that would otherwise be placed on the roofing system as well as the energy demands for climate controls can be minimized.     

3 Reasons to Minimize Moisture Levels in your Attic

Unless you have converted your attic into an additional living area for your home, there is a good chance that you and the members of your household spend little if any time in this space. Despite the fact that the attic in your home may remain unused for years, save for storing a few boxes, it is vitally important to control the environment in this space in terms of both temperature and moisture levels. Here are three examples of problems that can be caused by excessive heat and/or moisture in an uncontrolled attic:

1) Weakened insulation – Moisture that enters the attic through the roof or is trapped due to a lack of ventilation can create a variety of problems, but one that doesn’t get a lot of attention is that moisture can drastically reduce the effectiveness of insulation by allowing heat to radiate through it rather than being blocked. If you have ever burned your fingers when pulling a hot pan out of the oven with a wet kitchen mitt, you’ve seen how quickly heat travels through wet insulation.  

2)  An environment suited for the growth of mold and mildew – Moisture that leaks into a dark, warm attic, or is trapped there, creates an environment that is perfect for the growth of mold and mildew. While the odor of mildew is basically considered to be an inconvenience, the spores emitted from black mold can cause a variety of respiratory and other health issues. A humid attic environment can also foster wet and dry rot, which will steadily weaken the home’s framing as well as the structures that support the roof.  

3) The potential for the formation of ice dams – High levels of moisture in the attic may be an indication that warm air is condensing as it rises and comes in contact with the cold surface of the ceiling or the underside of the roof deck. In this situation, the heat from the attic will radiate through the roof deck at a temperature that is warm enough to melt accumulated snow, which then runs down the roof and re-freezes on the eaves to form a ledge along the edge of the roof that grows in size over time. Referred to as an ice dam, this ledge will trap water and back it up under the roofing materials and then leak into the structure.       

Controlling temperature and moisture in the attic requires three steps; preventing leaks, installing insulation, and adding ventilation. By combining these steps, the temperature and moisture levels in the attic can be controlled with results that include energy savings, a mildew/mold free environment, and a long-lasting roof that requires few if any repairs over its lifetime.