Roof Shingles

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                                            Choose the right materials, do it once and do it right!       

            Choosing the right material for the job is crucial to a roof that will last the full service life of its warranty.

There are so many brands to choose from: Gaf/Elk, Certainteed, OwensCorning, Tamko, Pabco, Castle,IKO, Malakey

How do you know who is the best? Well, research. Doing your homework is one of the best ways to find out what brands are withstanding time. Which brands are having class action lawsuits? And which brands are honoring their warranties the best? We can tell you from experience that the best asphalt shingle currently on the market is the GAF/ELK brand. Other than that, you will have to do your own research. As for price of material, anything other then GAF/ELK will be cheaper. Trust us when we say this...buy GAF/ELK from an actual supplier and NOT from the popular home improvement stores. They have their own line of GAF. 

                                                     Not every shingle is the same!

The life of your roof depends a lot on venting, quality of installation, and quality of material. Installing your roof during the heat of the day does not make for a good roof. Nails work through the shingle during the heat when walked on and when installed using a roofing gun. You have to be extremely sensitive to shooting the nail so as not to shoot through the shingle on those hot days. It's best to install them as early in the day as possible when it is going to be a warm day. 

We cannot stress it enough. We hear it all the time even from the suppliers...that every shingle now is about the same. They are not! The process of making them is the same but the materials being used to produce them is different. And that's one of the huge reasons your 5 to 8 year old roof looks 15 to 20 years old and maybe even older. They are also made in different places using different material suppliers and made for specific regions. Some, for example, are better when installed in colder climates or seasons. Others are better when installed in warmer climates or seasons. Some are just bad! And as the saying goes... you get what you pay for! We understand that you want to save on your roof because it is expensive to have done. Well consider this...if your home is a one story 1800 square foot home with a 2 car garage, the roof is about 26 squares with cap. The average price to have your roof replaced if it has one layer will be about $7,700.00 (using an average 30 yr. architectural shingle-not three tab). If you use a low grade brand to save some money you might save $400.00. Or if you use a company that is unbelievably affordable, he will be using the cheapest shingle on the market that might only have a 25 yr. warranty. So say you can get your roof done for $6,200.00 or even cheaper.

Well If you plan on living in your home for a while, here is something to think about. Your roofer or whomever is giving you a deal is probably not concerned about adding expensive venting, which helps to prolong the life of your roof. And adding this of course will increase the cost of your roof. Or he might keep out good underlayments, such as ice and weather shield, which helps keep ice out during the winters. This is another added expense he will keep out to keep your bid low. Also felt or underlayment, the roofing contractor and yourself, probably think you can skip on this because you wont see it.

Also, how long do you think it is going to take for the roofer that you saved money on to come back and fix the roof if there is a problem? Do not count on it.

And say you actually don't skip and you have 30 lbs of felt installed (average roofer puts on 15 lbs felt.). You lose some shingles in a wind storm thus leaving your roof open or your felt is exposed to the elements. Did you know that there are new types of underlayment that will last  up to 30 years and can be exposed to the elements for up to 6 months. It definitely can give you peace of mind when we have extreme wind. Such as what occurred during the 2010 summer. The felt is a synthetic felt. Not many companies offer it. It is a standard for us. We eat the price. Because we care! And we want to know that our roofs will take a beating and keep you protected until we can get to your roof.

Now back to the costs. Since you skimped on things to save, think about this...the average low cost roof has to be replaced in 10 to 15 years. And the cost of material goes up about every 3 to 4 months. It seems to never go down. In all the years we have been doing this we have only see a couple price drops and they did not last long. So, do some math. The average price increase is about 5% to 10% per year, not including labor cost increases. So, say its a price increase of about 8% a year. Multiply that by 15 years. The roof you saved on is now even more expensive. So when it might seem like more money now, you will save money in the long run...we guarantee it! So choose wisely.

                   If you have time, check out how shingles are made and the new upgrades coming to roofs.

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