This last week Erick and I have been in the thick of picking out our roofing for The Cove, (our current home build). We originally wanted to do a complete all metal roof. Because of the covenants of the neighborhood we weren’t granted to do that. So, plan B we are doing metal roofing over the porch area and over all the dormers, the rest will be asphalt shingles.
I know a lot about design and have been educated in a lot of aspects, BUT. I will be the first to admit, I know very little about roofing. So, I decided to bring in an expert on this post to help us all out with some amazing and useful tips. Emily, from Elm Home Design has seen a lot when it comes to roofing and a lot of her points go the extra mile to make sure you get all the warranties that you are hoping to get with your roof. Something I think we all want.
1. Make sure you are ALWAYS working with a Licensed, Insured, and Reputable roofing contractor. Have them provide a copy of their contractors license as well as a copy of their insurance (make sure it is up to date)
2. Make sure that your contractor is a manufacturers CERTIFIED installer for whatever roofing system you’re choosing (i.e. GAF Timberline, Owens Corning, Tru-def Duration, Certainteed Landmark) You can look this up online but they can provide a certificate from the Manufacturer which shows their certification level and you want the top certification i.e. Platinum, Master-elite, etc. You can also look this up by calling the manufacturer yourself and searching for the companies name! THE ONLY WAY YOU WILL GET AN ACTUAL SYSTEMS WARRANTY ON YOUR ROOF is by have a certified installer install it! Otherwise, its just a materials warranty which is usually a 10 year pro-rated warranty (on a 50 year shingle).
With this certification you should ALWAYS get a 50 year systems warranty and you also want to make sure they offer a workmanship warranty (i.e. if a crew makes a mistake and installs something improperly they are liable for the repair later on down the road when you have a leak and you won’t have to pay a dime :)) a good roofing company will register these warranties FOR YOU!
3. IF you have a certified installer they should ALWAYS be following the manufactures spec for installation, but unfortunately, some still do not- SO always make sure your roof is being installed per the manufactures specifications because if it isn’t, even if you had a certified installer, your warranty would be void. UNLESS you’ve purchased an upgraded platinum warranty from the manufacturer that covers workmanship – which is only possible to do through some manufacturers and the contractor has to be an elite installer with the manufacture for you to even purchase that! (but still ask about it)
4. DONT ALWAYS BELIEVE GOOGLE REVIEWS- seriously the best form of finding a roofing contractor in your area is word of mouth. People LOVE to talk! ask around A LOT! personal referrals is the best way to find a reputable roofing contractor- DO YOUR RESEARCH! This is NOT a cheap purchase and you do NOT want to be re-doing it in 10 years!
4 Must Know Tips for Roofing Your Home
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