Did you know not all roofers are created equal? Not even by a long shot. There's lots of roofers out there selling jobs today who may be really good at putting down shingles and making sure water doesn't get in, but have no idea how the ventilation systems and attic insulation go hand in hand for a healthy roof.
Most roofers know you need some sort of ventilation. However; lacking a solid understanding of ventilation or having an improperly insulated attic can also have serious negative effects on your roofs lifespan as well. Things inside the attic like blocked soffit vents to improper air leaks, and much more,.. What seems like a tiny harmless overlooked detail can wreak serious havoc on your health, your home and your pocket book down the road!
What makes us so different you ask? We evolved into being the best roofers we can be by not only understanding the roof, but also having a higher understanding of underlying attic issues which often prevent roofs from lasting their expected lifetime.
One of the best pieces of advice I can give anyone shopping for a new roof is this: Don't hire a roofer that doesn't take the time and visually inspect your attic prior to taking care of your roofing needs, (this is a lot more important than you might think).
They should be looking for a plethora of things depending on the situation, such as: Is the insulation sufficient? Are the soffits open and not blocked with insulation? Do they need baffle plates to breathe better? Is the attic floor properly air sealed? Are there any bathroom or kitchen exhaust vents that are improperly venting directly into the attic? Is there any questionable areas of discoloration which could be signs of leaks or suspected mold growth, etc.
Average homeowners shouldn't have to know these things and can be unsuspecting. They don't realize the importance of these hidden issues, (I mean, how could they, lots of roofers don't even know). Just because it's time to get a new roof doesn't mean these things should be assumed were all done right the first time the roof was done!
Not all roofing problems are seen from the roof
Ask yourself, did you get the average life expectancy out of your current roof, and whether you did or not you still want to make sure you get the most life expectancy you can out of your next roof. if you're already paying for it, make sure you get it done right so you don't have to worry about paying for it again for as long as you should have to.
"Do it nice, or do it twice" as we say.
New roofs certainly aren't cheap and they're even more expensive when they're not done right the first time! Did you know a seemingly small and unnoticed ventilation problem can go set you back thousands of dollars in cleaning up the damage it causes?
(Insert Pictures Of Moisture Damaged Attics)
We've made a decent living cleaning these up for almost 15 years. Most people are usually never aware of the problem at all until they go to sell their house and then a home inspector discovers these areas and the homeowner had no clue even existed. Now they're faced with having it cleaned professionally or replacing the roof. (Having it professionally cleaned is usually always cheaper, but not cheap).
Another common problem we see all the time is homeowners get blindsided by an extra expense shortly after getting a new roof because roofers only replace the wood if they think it's "soft" or has visible water damage from the roof side. They're completely unaware if the wood is going bad on the under side of the wood, where it may be covered in mold or mildew on the attic side. Fast Forward to when The homeowner goes to sell their home a couple years later and find out the inside of their attic is completely covered in a mold like substance by a home inspector0. Now this brings up lots of questions and unknowns, like: Was it there before the roofers replaced the shingles? If not, why didn't they notice it? Did they even look? Or is this perhaps new? There's always the chance that it may have occured after the new roof because of something the roofer didn't take care of properly.
In these cases, we usually find things that were done improperly but that doesn't mean it wasn't there before and there is no real way to know for sure. If it was already there before the roofer even started, they certainly didn't do you any favors because It would of been cheaper and better to have replaced the wood when they had the shingles off compared to cleaning it up professionally now.
Don't get us wrong, we're not out here to bash the competition. They usually have the best intentions. Many of them just lack the experience required in a wide variety of situations. There's lots of guys out there who are jacks of all trades but ace of none types, or your do it yourself homeowners trying to save a buck. Then you have guys that were on a roofing crew for a summer or a couple years but they were only confined to the shingling aspect, or you have the handy brother or brother-in-law that has a construction business that can do roofs but it's not something they're specialists at by any means.
It's important to remember that not all roofs are the same and the industry is constantly changing, with new and improved products to help achieve the best results possible!
We believe a new roof should be a home improvement and should add value, not problems. Call us now for a free estimate and we'll help you make sure you get the roof you deserve and not just the roof someone wants to sell you. 1-888-406-PROS