If you are a homeowner who is facing an urgent issue with your roof, you may be tempted to contact a roofing contractor right away, with the idea that any delay is wasted time. However, unless you are facing a leak or some other type of damage to the weatherized seal of your roof during a rainstorm or snowstorm, you will probably benefit from doing a little preliminary research before you make that first contact attempt to a roofing contractor. Read on to learn how to prepare for the conversation and to ensure that you receive the best deal on your next roofing project.
Know Your Materials
One of the most important steps that you can take to make yourself knowledgeable and prepared before your conversation with a roofing contractor is to make sure you know the differences between the most popular types of roofing materials, including their price, installation process, and durability.
The most common type of roofing material found in the United States is asphalt, by far. This material is cheap, looks sharp, and has an average durability in comparison to other roofing materials. Despite its popularity and widespread use, this material can come across as flat looking and uninteresting to discerning buyers.
Metal roofing is also extremely popular in commercial, and to a lesser extent residential, roofing construction in the United States. Metal roofing is cheap, very durable, and provides excellent protections against the elements. It is also easy to modify and install new structures on top of a metal roof. However, metal roofing is relatively new and complicated to install and requires a roofing contractor with extensive experience working with this particular material.
Slate and ceramic roofing are the last two types of roofing materials commonly found on residential roofs in the United States. Slate has a long history in the Northeast and is a beautiful and historically significant roofing material that looks fantastic with a brick building. Ceramic tiles, on the other hand, are most commonly associated with the Mediterranean region of the world and look best in tropical or beach environments.
Tear Down or Build Over
Another key decision that you will have to make on your roofing replacement project is whether to completely strip away the existing shingles, or whether to simply roof over them. Most qualified roofers would recommend no more than two layers of shingles, with a single layer being preferable. By layering more than one layer of shingles on top of each other, you increase the overall weight of the roof, which can lead to structural issues with older homes. However, this method does save a significant amount of money.
Understand Cost Variables
Another key thing that you can do to prepare yourself for a roof replacement project is to understand what factors will influence the quote for your roofing project. Key factors such as your home’s square footage, the pitch of your roof, materials used, the roofing contractor used, and in the time of year can influence the cost of your final quote. These costs can range from a minimum of $7,000 to over $100,000. Make sure that you are prepared to look over any quotes that you receive with a fine tooth comb and do your research ahead of time.