Before roofing work begins, a contractor will lay tarps over your house. This keeps your home clean, and helps protect bushes, flowers, and other landscaping features.
A quality roofer will also use flashing to waterproof the valleys of your roof, and around chimneys, windows, and joints. This step is important to prevent water leaks. Connect with Helena Roofing Company for reliable help.
There are many different roofing materials to choose from. Each option has its own benefits and drawbacks. When choosing a material, homeowners must consider cost, durability, waterproof protection, insulation needs, and maintenance requirements. It is also important to consider the climate in which the roof will be installed. This will influence the lifespan of the roofing materials and their impact on energy consumption.
One of the most common roofing materials is asphalt shingles. These are available in a wide variety of colors and styles to match any home. They are also easy to install, making them a popular choice among home owners. In addition, they can be reinforced with fiberglass or organic materials without changing their appearance. Another advantage of asphalt shingles is that they are affordable and can last for up to 40 years.
Clay and concrete tiles offer a unique look to any roof. These are often used on Mediterranean-style and Southwestern-style homes. However, they are expensive and heavy. They also require special framing for installation and must be installed by a professional.
Rolled roofing is the mainstay of low-slope roofs and utilitarian structures like sheds and workshops. It consists of long rolls of mineral-impregnated and asphalt-impregnated material topped with mineral granules. It is typically installed over a wood deck, and it can be secured with either the torch-down or the hammered-down method. Rolled roofing is one of the cheapest roofing materials, but it doesn’t provide much in the way of aesthetics.
Solar shingles are the latest development in roofing technology. They can generate renewable energy for your home and are available in a variety of colors and styles to complement any house style. While these shingles are more expensive than traditional shingles, they can pay for themselves by saving on electricity bills.
Other types of roofing materials include wood shakes and shingles, copper, and metal. While wood shingles are beautiful, they have some limitations, including high maintenance costs and a limited lifespan. Depending on the climate, copper and metal roofing can be an excellent choice. However, they are not ideal for areas that experience frequent rain or wildfires.
Installation
Re-roofing is an intricate process that requires a great deal of attention to detail and expertise. It involves the demolition of the existing roof and laying new shingles or other roofing materials. Once the roof is installed, it will provide protection, energy efficiency and enhanced curb appeal for years to come.
The first step in a roof installation is to determine the best material for your home. Your contractor can explain the different options, including dimensional shingles for added curb appeal, three-tabs for cost savings, wood shakes for a natural look and clay tiles for extreme durability.
Once the roofing project has begun, the crew will get the site ready by covering sensitive areas of your property with tarps and placing wooden boards over anything that can’t be covered. This helps to keep debris from falling onto your lawn or driveway and prevents it from contaminating other parts of the house.
The next phase is to prepare the roof by covering it with underlayment, which is a water-resistant barrier that protects the plywood from moisture. The contractor will also install flashing around chimneys, wood stove pipes, certain vents and along the eaves of your roof. Lastly, the contractor will apply a bead of roofing cement to the raw edges of the underlayment and shingle layers to ensure it’s watertight.
Then the contractor will begin laying the first row of shingles, starting at the bottom and working up to the peak or ridge of the roof. The shingles are overlapped and nailed down with a pattern of close nails near the edge and spread out nails further into the middle. This is repeated for all rows of shingles until the ridge of the roof is reached.
Warranty
Roofing contractors typically offer workmanship warranties, up to 10 years, and material warranties from the manufacturers for the supplies they install at your home. When evaluating the contractor’s warranty, pay special attention to its terms and conditions. These can include stipulations on the type of maintenance required to keep it valid, as well as specific circumstances that could void it. For example, failure to conduct regular inspections may void your roof’s material warranty.
Workmanship warranties typically cover defects that arise in the installation process. They typically last for a shorter period than material warranties, and they can also be voided if the roofing materials are not installed according to manufacturer specifications. Alternatively, some manufacturers offer comprehensive warranties that combine material and workmanship coverage.
A reputable roofing contractor would not dream of trying to drum up business without offering a solid warranty as part of their package. If a roofer is reluctant to put their work and reputation on the line with a warranty, consider working with someone else.
The type of roof warranty that you choose will depend on your needs and budget. Many homeowners prefer to go with a system warranty, which covers both the roofing materials and the installation. However, this option often comes with a higher price tag.
Depending on the warranty, you will also want to make sure that it covers any damage that is not caused by normal wear and tear or an act of nature. For example, hail damage is typically not covered by standard roofing warranties, but it may be covered by homeowner’s insurance.
Choosing the right roofing company is important to help ensure that you get a quality roof that will last for a long time. A quality roofing company will stand behind its work with a robust warranty, and it will be happy to provide references from past clients. In addition to the roof’s warranty, a reputable roofing company will carry general liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and professional liability insurance. This helps to protect the company and its employees in the event of an accident or injury on the job.
Pricing
When you discuss a project with a roofing company, make sure they give you written estimates that include project details and information on materials and warranties. Compare the estimates of several different companies. Also ask about the roofing contractor’s experience. While an inexperienced roofer may do a good job, most homeowners feel more comfortable with longtime professionals who have established track records.
The cost of a roofing installation can vary depending on the type of roof, the size of the roof and the roofing material. Typically, about 60% of the total cost comes from labor and 40% from materials. Some types of materials, such as copper, are more expensive than others.
You should ask the roofing contractor about their warranty options and what the cost will be if you need to file a claim. There are a wide variety of warranties available, from contractor only to materials only and even to manufacturer warranties. You should also ask about the roofing contractor’s profit margin, and how they set their prices compared to the competition.