What Did the Contractor Find During My Roof Replacement Quote That Might Affect My New Roof Installation?
The last thing any of us would want is a service professional providing us with a quote and finding a bunch of issues or problems that we were not prepared to address or spend money on. However, allowing yourself to be convinced by those who are just looking to do the minimum and cover over issues which will cost you thousands later is insane.
Take it from me, we see this every day when we do our initial inspection for homeowners and provide them with a bid. Here are some tips that will help you make sound decisions and point you in the right direction when they are presented to you.
- Get explanations on problem areas that you know of or don’t know of. Missing shingle areas, existing leaks, etc. may be damaged beyond what is seen.
- If you are shopping for a new roof expect to have some issues pointed out. You must realize you may have a problem sooner than later. So what are they? Get answers.
- Sometimes it’s just not the roof. It could be the chimney, siding, gutters, etc. that’s actually causing the problem. Distinguish those problems so that the same problem does not exist once the new roof has been installed.
- Update to modern technology. If tin is found, you need to replace it with aluminum. Your installation should always include all new flashings. (Pipes, chimney, valleys, etc.)
- Unlike duct tape, caulking does not fix everything. Caulking is designed to make things look pretty and “aid” in the performance of the installation, not be the determining factor. Having caulking issues pointed out could be the difference between a new roof now and a new roof 5 years from now.
Knowing what the real problems are vs. letting someone tell you what you want to hear will be the difference in getting a project installed the correct way. The good roofing contractors will let you know what needs done to do the job the right way. The bad ones will try and convince that you just need what they want to do. In most cases that’s just pound shingles on your roof.
