Think back to the worst storms that have raged
over your home. Heavy snows, strong winds, dangerous lightning, and pounding hail are bad enough while inside the house, can
you imagine being up on your roof at those times?! That’s what your home's shingles must endure year in and year
out. Every year houses through-out the counties of: Boone, Kenton, and Campbell in Northern KKentucky (NKY), houses in Hamilton,
Clermont, Butler, and Warren counties in Ohio, and the homes in Dearborn county in Indiana are pummeled by storm system after
storm system.The phrase "having a
roof over your head" takes on a whole new meaning and sense of importance, when those shingles begin to fail.
Buying a new roof
is a big investment, so how do you know when it's time? The
two obvious signs are missing shingles and brown ceiling stains, but there are some things you can look for to prevent early
damage.
Miss Mona, who has the distinction of being a woman in a predominantly
man’s field, has an aptly named company; A New Roof Time.
She says that one sign to watch for is the wearing away
of granules from the surface of the shingles. Shoemaker said,” There is no need to get up on the roof to inspect
the shingles, simply look in the gutters. If you see more than a dusting of tiny rock like particles, call a roofer! Those
small rock chips are the top layer that gives your shingles its color and UV sun protection.”
Another indication of shingle aging is a failure of the top layer. You might begin to see
the mat appear through the black of the asphalt, or you may become aware of blistering, cracking, or splitting of the layers.
These signs can be harder to spot from the ground and should be part of an annual examination of the roofing from above. As these warning signs appear, it's time to have an experienced,
reputable roofer make a free written inspection.
Her company offers a professional roof condition assessment, an estimate of the remaining
life (if any) your roof has, as well as, evaluates repairing versus replacing the roof this year. Missy adds, “Remember
that seeing is believing". A good
roofer conducts thorough roof top inspections and brings down color digital pictures to show you the roof’s true condition.
Homeowners beware; contrary
to popular belief, there is no licensing for local roofers!
Tips for finding a better quality roofer include;
1) Asking everyone you know who they have used. You might uncover a little known professional
and be steered clear of an expensive mistake by hiring the high dollar, big ad yellow pages type.
2) Consider joining a service such as Angie’s List. For less than the price of a night out, you can access hundreds
of local contractor reviews posted by homeowners sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly experiences they have had.
3) Meet
everyone you invite out to your home and trust your instincts! Greg Lykens at
Rooftime says, “You do not have to know anything about roofing to judge the information presented about roofing.”
Observe the quality of the roofers truck, and equipment, and if they arrive on time. Consider the roofer himself. Do not allow
yourself to be pressured or talked into doing anything fast.
4) Do not put down a deposit, when you hold
the payment back untill the job ends, you have control over the final look and clean-up of your home.
Asphalt roofing shingles get their name from the fact that they are made up of layers of different
materials. The basic ingredients are fiberglass, asphalt and limestone granules for color. Higher warranty rated (40, 50,
lifetime) shingles will have more of these layers than the basic 25 year variety. Better shingles will have a 10% copper granule
blend to prevent those ugly black stains from growing across your new roof. Shingles today can be expected to have an effective lifespan of 25 to 50 years, when installed by a qualified roofer,
using all of the needed roof system components.
A properly installed roof system will use;
- aluminum trim (rake, gutter) edging or flashing
- ice guard,
- felt paper,
- ventilation,
- metal (not aluminum) flashing at critical areas such as where two roofs intersect (valleys), where dormer walls meet
shingles (step) and around chimneys.
Roofers
have costs (gas - time) associated with giving free quotes, so do not go overboard when inviting
companies to bid your roof. Remember that while you are sizing-up the roofer, he will be sizing you up too! Calling out 7-8
companies wastes your time and their money.
A final tip is that roofers and shingles are not all created equal, so for an investment of this size
and importance, getting two written bids is usually the best idea.
