This is part 2 (of 2) of a series on the elements of a good roof installation. If you have not read part 1, please read it here and then come back to part 2….
As you can see there are many elements to think about and execute well to ensure that your roof will last you for a long time and keep your family safe. Let’s continue with our list and if you have any questions, please call us at (901) 459-2334
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6. Following the Manufacture Instructions
You would be surprised how many roofs are installed not according to the manufacture specifications. All manufactures have different recommendations and certain requirements that cannot be overlooked.
Two extremely important details are the layout of the shingles (which roofers refer to as the offsets), and the nail pattern used to secure the shingles to the decking. Remember, there is nothing about a shingle roof that is waterproof.
Shingles just deflect water to the edge of the roof and away from the house. So, laying out the shingles perfectly and nail the shingles exactly where they should be nailed is extremely important. The margin for error up or down and left to right is very small.
Other details to follow includes marking lines to make sure the shingles are aligned and spaced right as they being installed on the roof. And manufactures have many other detailed instructions about where and how to install step flashings, leak barriers, drip edge, and ventilation.
It’s important for you that your contractor and his crew know exactly what they doing and following the manufacture instructions. If the shingles are installed wrong and the roof does not perform correctly, this could void any future warranty claims on the complete roof system.
7. Replace Other Roof Installation Components and Accessories
If your roof has other components, such as skylights, this is a good time to replace them. Once a roof has reached it’s full life-cycle, most skylights are in need of replacement as well. And it’s much less expensive to replace a skylight during a roof replacement, rather than down the road.
Other important items that may need replacing during a roof replacement are bad siding or masonry work on a chimney, or replacing a rusted out exhaust vent for a water heater, HVAC unit, kitchen or bathroom vents, or even a roof dryer vent. It’s also important to check the step and counter flashing and replace them if needed.
*Pro Tip – An often-overlooked item is installing drip edge or eave metal at the edges of the roof. A good drip edge protects water from getting on the wood at the edges of the roof, gives the shingles needed support so they don’t bend over time at the edges of the roof, and provides protection to close off the construction gap at the eave edge of the roof so critters like roof rats, birds, squirrels, bees and wasps cannot get into the attic areas of the home.
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8. Thorough Cleanup After Roof Installation
There can never be enough cleanup! Once the roof is completed it is critical to do a thorough cleanup of the customer’s property. This means cleaning through the landscaping and the gutters. This also means rolling the yard, driveways and streets multiple times with a rolling magnet.
You can roll a magnet over the grass 10 times in the same place and sometimes still find nails which each pass. When houses are close in proximity, it’s also important to ask the neighbors if any roofing debris has made it on their property.
The neighbors surrounding the roof replacement will also appreciate the project not looking like a hurricane went through the property. And last but not least, check the attic areas.
If the earlier pro-tip is followed about laying plastic in the attic, it will make this cleanup a lot easier. A good roof installation is one that leaves the property cleaner than it was when you started.
9. Registered Warranty
Once the project is complete and the bill is paid, the roofing contractor should document the new roofing system warranty is registered with the manufacture to cover the homeowner if the shingles ever fail as a result of being defective.
Some certified contractors may even issue an upgraded warranty where the manufacture warranty even covers workmanship errors by the contractor from 10-25 years. The warranties that cover both labor and material and workmanship cost more and the roofing contractor has to be certified at a certain level with the manufacture in order to offer these types of warranties.
Whatever the case may be, make sure you receive a workmanship warranty from the roofing contractor once the job is complete. The workmanship warranty covers repairing or replacing any roofing that results in a leak that was caused by human error during installation.
99.9% of the time, if a roof fails after insulation, it’s going to be because of a human error like being installed incorrectly or by mother nature with wind, hail, or animals. Roofs almost never fail or leak because of material defects. That’s why roofing manufactures can offer such bold warranties on their shingles.
10. Hire a Trusted Roofing Contractor
There are still many good roofing contractors out there, and finding one isn’t as hard as you think. If you know what you are looking for, and the right questions to ask, then you’re probably on the right track. If you feel like you’re getting sold to or hustled or pressured, those are never good signs.
A professional roofing contractor will always share great information and represent themselves as a trusted and knowledgeable specialist that you need them to be. The roof installation will only be as good as the contractor you hire to install it. Make sure you hire a good one!
If you are looking for a free estimate from a certified, insured and professional roofing contractor, you can schedule an estimate online.
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We only use the best materials available for every service we provide. Because we use the best materials on the market, each crew member and project manager are required to have the best training and supervision.
