There has been a lot of hail and wind storms this spring. Many roofs have been damaged and some completely destroyed. These storms typically pull in out-of-town contractors who promise you everything just to get the job, but they usually find the cheapest labor they can find because they are not concerned about quality since they will be gone in a few month leaving you a worthless piece of paper with the word “warranty” on it and a disconnected phone number. Also, with all of this extra available work; many under qualified local contractors without the skill, licenses or workman compensation insurance will seek after to repair your roof.
Property Owners Beware!
Having a roof installed is a major project that many property owners may only do a few times in their lifetime. For the safety of your investment, customers and/or your family; make sure you only hire local contractors who are properly trained and has the proper licenses and workman compensation insurance so you do not end up with a bigger mess than you had with the storm damage. Once the local contractor is hired make sure that they will take the extra effort to protect your siding, landscape and lawn. Plywood should be placed up against windows that could have debris falling near it and also use plywood to deflect debris from the landscape. There is nothing worse than your landscape surviving a hail storm only to get destroyed by fallen debris and being trampled upon. Tarps should be strung out to catch debris and once completed a magnet should be ran around the property to pick up stray nails. It is impossible to get all the nails, but the extra effort goes along ways.
Once the old shingles and tar paper is removed the wood decking needs to be inspected for any water damage and then addressed if need be. The proper flashing, ice and water shield , tar paper and vents should be used to complete the roofing system. During the shingle installation; the minimal amount of nails should be determined by the manufacturer, but not less than four fasteners per strip or two fasteners per individual shingle. Any less then this; your shingles will blow off during the next strong winds.
After installation and clean up; make sure that your contractor does a final inspection making sure everything was done proper.
Be sure to hire a local company that is properly licensed and insured for your safety and to protect your investment.
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