Value Shopping | Roofing

Posted on April 3, 2012 by masterswa

Last post discussed value shopping and how you can be sure to identify value when looking for a contractor. This time around we’ll look at value shopping for roofing materials.

Shingles

Shingles receive the most attention from customers because they are the part of the roof you can see! The popular trend is to go for what is commonly known as an Architectural shingle. Architectural shingles are often thicker, and have more dimension:

The above shingle is Presidential Shake TL by CertainTeed. It’s a triple laminate, heavy weight shingle. The added weight does provide for a potentially longer life span, but you can find this benefit in an heavy weight shingle that looks more basic.

The architectural style shingle adds a nice touch to to your home, and it’s worth the extra money. But if you’re trying to save a little money, you could go for a heavier shingle that has a more basic appearance. It will be more affordable and offer the same protection to your home.

Underlayments

Felt will be cheaper than enhanced underlayments, but if you intend to be in the home for 30 years or more a product like diamond deck is going to keep you leak free.

Another option is to go for a heavy felt–30lb as opposed to 15lb, for instance.

Plywood

3/4in plywood decking offers plenty of support for the roof of your home in most situations. You should consider going thicker if you suspect trees will fall on your home. Masters encourages you to call a tree removal expert if you have trees around your house that are going to fall on it.

Hardware

Hardware prices will be higher or lower based on the season, and the nature and health of the relationship your roofing company has with its distributor.

Gutters

Gutters are often contracted out to a third party. If your contractor does gutters in house you might save some money. Another way to save money here is to get a gutter replacement estimate from a gutter company and compare it to what your roofing contractor will charge for gutters. The prices should be comparable.

Hopefully these tips help you out!

Value Shopping | Contractors

Posted on March 27, 2012 by masterswa

Last post I briefly touched on the concept of shopping for value, but only in relation to composition shingles. I want to broaden the scope of our discussion in this post by applying the concept of value shopping to the re-roofing project as a whole. Next post will provide more detail about value shopping roofing materials.

Contractor Value Shopping

Looking for a roofing contractor is a lot like shopping for any other product. You’re looking to spend the least amount of money, yet get the best product and service.

But there’s one big difference between shopping for a roof and, say, shopping for a computer; there’s a pre-screening process. In other words, you have to get a quote from a contractor before you actually know how much the product you’re interested in will cost. This creates two separate buying stages when it comes to re-roofing:

Pre-Buying: You look for several contractors who will bid your job. The best way to pre-buy is to read reviews, get in touch with past customers, and talk to the owner. Also check to see if the contractor is bonded, insured, and licensed.
Signing the contract: Here you are basically trying to decide which contractor (out of those who bid your roofing project) you think will offer the best service and value. You make this judgment based on customer reviews, contractor expertise, professionalism, etc. But most importantly…

Price

The truth is that people in the Seattle area make their final decision based on price. And why not? With twenty different licensed, bonded, insured, family owned, customer service oriented roofing contractors, how can you even tell one from the other? The resounding answer: price.

However, my big advice to you for this first section is thus: don’t get too hung up on the price. The roofing contractors you got bids from are bidding against each other every day. They lose jobs to one another over $100-1,000 on a regular basis. I can only speak for Masters Roofing, but estimates are just that: estimations. We’re always willing to price match or even beat some one else’s price just to get a job. So if you are feeling a strong inclination to go with a certain contractor for reasons other than price, just ask him “are you flexible on the price?” If he’s smart he’ll say yes.

Materials, add-ons, and warranties

Take a good look at the contract. What things are included in the price? Does the roof of your home need re-decking, and is it included in the price(decking is the plywood surface between the shingles and the rafters of your home)? It’s a good idea to just ask the contractor if all installation hardware is included and listen to the given response.

Warranties are often worth more than you pay for them. Sometimes a contractor will thrown in an upgraded warranty for free if you’re asking about discounts. It’s something valuable that doesn’t cost a lot–try to get one.

And so we come now to shingles

This sets us up nicely for our deeper discussion on roofing material value shopping. You’ll notice that the contractor proposals you’ve received have pretty specific details about what materials will be used. Next post we’ll learn what some of these materials are and how to shop for value even after you’ve signed a contract.

The Truth about Roofing Manufacturers

Posted on March 26, 2012 by masterswa

Roofing manufacturers—like roofing contractors—have to compete for your business. But as a home or property owner, you probably have less interaction with the roofing manufacturer than you might normally have with a company who manufactures something you are interested in purchasing.

If you’re like many roofing consumers you’re learning about roofing products solely through your contractor. Many contractors have specific manufacturers they like to work with based on

Supplier Inventory

If a supplier has a surplus of a certain material some contractors can lower their overhead by buying these materials at a discounted rate.

Certifications

A contractor who holds a certification from CertainTeed can give 4 and 5 star CertainTeed-backed warranties at a minimal cost to the customer if only CertainTeed materials are used. Other roofing manufacturers have similar warranty upgrade programs for certified installers.

Shingle Strengths

A home with wind damage will benefit from wind resistant shingles, a home with algae problems; algae resistant shingles. Your roofing contractor should be thinking about what type of shingle fits your needs best. Some companies offer things like algae resistance as an option for all their shingles, while others only offer it on their most expensive products. Just remember that you shouldn’t have to go for the most expensive shingle available to get the options you need.

The point

Don’t get too stuck up on brand names—every major manufacturer makes at least some good products. The trick is finding the value you’re looking for. Next post we’ll be looking at some specific examples of value shingle shopping and how you can work with your contractor to get the most useful features for your money.

Friday Roofing Mashup

Posted on March 23, 2012 by masterswa

The sun is out in Seattle and the guys are loving it, especially cause tomorrow is Saturday! Work hard, play hard.

The sun is shining, the weather is sweet

Watch out for roofing scams!

Billy Ray Noris, a man charged with scamming elderly people in three metro Atlanta cities, is now under arrest. The Lilburn Patch tells us that he had been taking deposits from elderly people who believed they were hiring him to re-roof their home and then vanishing. If you’re hiring a roofing contractor this weekend, be sure to check references!

Roofers save couple from burning house

On Wednesday in western New York a roofing crew noticed smoke billowing out of the windows of a neighboring home. They quickly got down off the roof they were working on and used their ladders (and fancy footwork, no doubt) to save James and Norma Sittnick. Boston.com says the couple was stuck in a bedroom and unable to escape. So there you go, roofers are good guys sometimes too!

CertainTeed has rolled out a new line of sustainable roofing products for 2012. Installing solar instruments and energy saving roofing products can get you big tax breaks, and also save on electricity. If you have any questions on how tax breaks or sustainable solar energy works in Seattle, just ask.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!

5 questions to ask a roofing contractor

Posted on March 20, 2012 by masterswa

So you’ve scheduled an appointment with a roofing contractor to come to your home and asses your leaky or dilapidated roof. Even if roof materials and construction practices are foreign to you, here are five quick-fire questions that will serve well as a basis for assessing the expertise and qualification of your contractor.

Do you payroll your employees?

Many contractors will sub-contract your home out to other contractors–usually less reputable ones. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can lead to problems down the road. When a job is sub-contracted, workmanship standards tend to suffer. There are also cases where we see sub-contractors bail on jobs when they realize they bid it too low–usually once the old roof has already been torn off the house. This will cost the initial contractor a lot of money, and he may decide to break his contract and bail on the job as well. This can lead to an unfinished project and a deposit you will never see again.

Avoid this...

This question is also good because if your contractor is paying his employees under the table this could lead to Labor and Industry (L&I) violations. This wont affect you directly–unless L&I closes the business down or penalizes the contractor to the point where he bails on the job due to excessive costs. This undoubtedly happens less than the first scenario, but it is still something to be mindful off when choosing a contractor.

Are you comprehensively insured?

It’s unlikely that your contractor doesn’t have insurance, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. The contract you sign probably doesn’t protect you if an un-insured worker falls from your roof. In fact this point applies to workers who are paid under the table too. Just make sure your contractor has workers comp insurance so there’s no possibility of you getting sued by an injured worker.

What certifications do you/your employees have?

A contractor who is smart will have at least some form of workmanship certification. One common form of certification is the CertainTeed Shinglemaster program where contractors and at least two of their supervisors are required to take a test centered around correct installation practices and safety measures. Ask how many people have been certified in the company and if a certified supervisor will be overseeing your project.

Go for this!

What safety measures are taken on your jobs?

By law in Washington state, roofing contractors must have a current and adequate safety manual. Furthermore, they must implement their safety plan through work site safety meetings (at least one at the start of the construction). Not having this system in place can lead to an L&I violation–again this wont affect you personally, but it could affect your contractor’s motivation to see your project to completion. And besides, roofing is dangerous. It’s stupid to ignore the rules, as they are there to protect the workers.

Do you work exclusively with one roofing manufacturer?

Contractors who are only willing to supply one type of roofing product pose two potential problems for the home owner. First, you might not get the best deal. Savings on materials in the roofing contractor world often come in the form of surplus goods. For example, to get the best prices on a certain grade of shingle, have your contractor call the suppliers and ask if there are any overstock or surplus shingles that fit your needs. Every once in a while you can get some really good savings passed on to you.

The second potential problem you may face with contractors who only use one brand of roofing materials is lack of options. While most major companies have fairly equivalent product lines, certain manufacturers may produce specialized product that will work better for your home than others. An example would be algae-resistant shingles in multiple weights or enhanced underlayments.

So…

These 5 questions to ask a roofing contractor give you a starting point for meaningful interaction with your roofing contractor. Remember to check references and read reviews too. Speaking of which, check out our Customer Lobby review page below!

Felt or DiamondDeck: What Roofing Underlayment Protects Your Home Best?

Posted on January 29, 2011 by masterswa

Traditionally, 15lb or 30lb tar-treated felt paper is installed between the plywood roof deck of your home and the actual shingles as a vapor barrier. The material is relatively cheap to produce, easy to install, and is highly resistant to corosion and mold. However, felt as a vapor barrier may not be the best option where maximum protection and roof lifetime are concerned.

While felt does have some fantastic properties, it has one major flaw as well: it tears very easily. This would not be a problem, one would think, if the installers are gentle with the material, but tar treated felt paper can develop small tears even after the shingles have been installed—especially if new plywood roof decking has been installed. After roof installation, the plywood decking beneath the roof will go through some changes; the wood can expand, shirnk, or warp deppending on environmental factors such as humidity and temperature. As the plywood changes, the fasteners used to hold down the felt paper and shingles can put stress on the felt due to the movements in the plywood, causing small tears that can let moisture through to the roof decking. As the roof decking becomes saturated with moisture over the years, it will continue to warp resulting in more underlayment tears and eventually leaking.

But this is all assuming that the felt was not torn at all during installation, which is nearly never the case, no matter how expert the installer. Even small tears caused by stepping on nails or dropping a hammer can compromise the integrity of your roof. Issues with felt paper take several years to manifest themselves, so when choosing a roofing contractor be sure to ask what types of underlayments are available.

DiamondDeck is a synthetic underlayment manufactured by CertainTeed. It is waterproof, enviromentaly friendly, and nearly impossible to tear. Where felt underlayments tear easily, DiamondDeck is strong enough to withstand serious abuse—it’s like a roof under your roof! Masters Roofing suggests DiamondDeck on all new roof installations. Not only does it give you peace of mind about the integrity of your roof, DiamondDeck is also very affordable; the cost difference between traditional underlayment and DiamondDeck is marginal.