Is it time to get a new roof? Is it your first home or are you thinking of selling your place and want to make it look much more attractive for potential buyers? Let’s not go too fast, though. If this is your first time doing this, you should be asking yourself, ‘What is included in a roof replacement?’ We’re here to help you with that. Just read on to learn about the whole process.
Free Consultations With Local Roofing Businesses
The first thing you want to do is talk with a local roofer or two or three. This is an important part of the whole process. You can ask them for quotes. This way, you can get an idea of what they would charge. Compare the prices and see which one would be the least expensive while also giving you the best materials and results. Here is where you can also ask them what is included in a roof replacement.
By getting the quotes from several companies, it can also keep you from committing one of the cardinal errors of jumping at the first offer. Do some research and see what people are saying about the quality of work that these contractors do. See how many of them are saying that they do high-quality work. If you don’t do this, then you run the risk of hiring people that won’t do the best work, and you might pay a lot more than you should.
Assessing the Scope of the Projects
This is where the local roof repair contractors will take a look at your place and see what kind of work needs to be done. They will look at how big the roof is and the condition it’s in. That second part is for their safety. They want to make sure that they will be able to do the job without any major catastrophes happening, like falling through the roof. Once they do that, they will be able to get down to business. They will see what kind of material you want to use, what your budget is like and estimate how long it takes.
It may seem like a lot, but this is just the start of what is included in a roof repair. When it comes to the schedule, good roofing contractors will build in extra time to allow for any unforeseen things, like bad weather. That way, they can under-promise and over-deliver. You also need to learn about what they will need you to do to prepare for the work, like possibly taking down wall paintings and move your car out of your driveway to let their vehicles pull right up. Now, it’s time to do the actual work.
Tearing Down the Old Roof
Once you’ve decided on the material that you want to use and hammered out a schedule, it’s time to let them do the work. For a while, things might look a bit messy. That’s because the contractors are going to start tearing down the old roof. You’ll see them removing the material in strips and then likely dumping them into a bin. Your roof is going to be a bit bare, but that will soon change. This slight ugly duckling phase is what is included in a roof replacement
Then they will do things like waterproofing so that the new material will keep rain from leaking into your roof. They may put a layer of something below called an underlayment before they put your roofing material on top of it. That will act as another barrier that will keep rainwater out. Once they are satisfied that they have done that correctly, they will move to the next stage, which is the actual installation of the materials.
Installing the Appropriate Materials
Now this is the part that you’re paying the local commercial roofing company for. They are going to install whatever roofing material that you chose, whether it’s asphalt, metal, slate, ceramic, or even wood. This is what is included in a roof replacement. They will carefully lay things out and make sure that it properly covers the entire area of the roof. Then the contractors will start the installation by securing the materials to the roof itself. This part of the process might get noisy, so you might want to see about having your kids and pets stay somewhere else during this time, for their safety as well as their hearing.
Once they are finished with that, they will inspect their work and make sure that everything is where it should be and that it’s secure.
Upgrading to Modern Roofing Materials
The roofing industry has improved a lot over the decades. When it comes to materials, roofing companies offer a lot of things that will last a lot longer than in the past. They include things like underlayer, which can protect from water damage. This sort of thing is what is included in a roof replacement. By getting them, you greatly improve your chances of your roof lasting a long time without the need for certain repairs. Take advantage of these by upgrading them to their fullest capabilities.
Replacing Flashing and Gutters
Your flashing and gutters are what keeps water from pooling on your roof. It’s a good idea to replace those when you get your new roof, since you want to make it easy for the water to run off. When you are talking with the contractors about roof replacements, you should make sure that this is what is included in a roof replacement or not. If not, you should think about paying the extra money to get it.
Adding New Openings if Desired
Are you in the mood for a new addition to your roof? Something like a sunroof or a dormer window? It can add some nice ambient lighting to certain rooms during the day, and it can also be nice to look out at the moon at night. You can definitely have a residential roofer do this for you. This is also what is included in a roof replacement, if you want. There are pros and cons to this, since you might have to worry about the sealant deteriorating faster than ones that are around.
Improving Your Home’s Curb Appeal
One of the main benefits of roof services is making your home much better to look at from outside. Would you rather a potential buyer pull up to your place and see a roof that’s badly in need of repairs, or would you rather they see a brand-new one that will make them consider paying more than you initially were considering putting the place on the market for? You’ll take the second one in a heartbeat, won’t you? Absolutely.
Getting that bit of dazzle is what is included in a roof replacement. Your neighbors will also applaud the new roof, since it means that their property values can go up by default. It might even start a trend of others having their roofs replaced, too. That can make everyone’s selling price go up, since it would indicate that it’s a nice neighborhood to live in.
Preventing Future Roof Leaks
A leaky roof is one of the main reasons that people use roofing services to get a new one. If the old roof was left alone, then it could cause a lot of damage to the attic and other parts of the home. There are a lot of dark places in an attic, which is a perfect breeding ground for mold. The water can also weaken a lot of the structure of your place. Getting a new roof will prevent that from happening.
This also depends on what kind of material you pick. Some of them are extremely durable and can resist things like heavy rain or winds that can reach up to 140 mph. This extra security is part of what is included in a roof replacement. After that, when it rains, snows, hails, or anything else, you will know that your roof is protecting you from both the weather outside but also keeping your interior dry and free of mold or water damage.
Improving Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
Another way that your roof can help is by lowering your energy bill. Deciding on something like metal roofing is what is included in a roof replacement. The metal refects the sun rather than absorbing it. That will work to keep your home much cooler. In fact, you might not even need to have an air conditioner if the roofing works as it should, coupled with things like having your windows or other areas that might have leaks sealed up.
Even if you got other material, that could still help improve your home’s energy efficiency. Read reviews on each type, especially the ones that fit in your budget. Then you can make the most informed decision. You’ll love having a much lower energy bill, won’t you?
This may seem like a lot. Fortunately, you can look online for resources, especially when it comes to hiring the people to do your roof. You want to make sure that you hire the right people. This includes reading reviews that other people leave for them on such sites as Yelp or Angi. Yes, some people may have hidden agendas with these reviews, but use your common sense to determine which ones are real and which are not.
Do your research before you start the whole process of getting quotes and bids. That will help you not even talk to ones that might be bad fits for you. See how communicative they are. Do they answer you right away or do you feel like you’re constantly chasing your own tail trying to get in touch with them? If it’s the second one, then you might be better off looking elsewhere.
An important thing to find out is whether they are licensed and insured to do roof work. Any reputable roofing company will show you the proper documents when you ask. They know that it’s part of the business. If they are hesitant to do that, then you should keep on looking. Also, see if they have a gallery of their previous work. You want to make sure that the end product shows that they do good work. That will make the decision much easier if you see that they are very capable.
Make sure that they are able to explain things in ways that are easy to understand. Get any information, like quotes and bills all in writing. This is to both cover you and them in the even that something happens. You also want to make sure that they don’t have a habit of hiding costs that you have to pay, or they stop working. Then you will be much more comfortable having them do the work for you.
Getting a new roof is a very big undertaking. It’s worth doing, though. It’s also sometimes necessary. Just make sure that you do all the possible research you can about any local roofing company, whether they are going to do commercial work or residential work. That way, you won’t be caught unawares by any unscrupulous contractors. There shouldn’t be, though, since they know that having a bad reputation will lead to lost business. That makes it hard for them to stay in business. So it makes sense that they would do everything by the book.
A lot of things go into making your roof look good. The professionals, especially experienced ones, will be able to walk you through everything and make sure that you make the best choices when it comes to materials and also working within your budget. You can help yourself some by reading this to understand the process. That way, when you do wind up talking with a contractor, you will be able to show them that you know what you’re talking about. Then that will make the whole thing go much smoother for all involved.