Helpful Roof Maintenance Tips
Your home’s roofing is a major investment and you want it to hold up strongly for as long as possible. By taking some basic preventative measures, you can potentially extend the life of your roofing. Here’s a look at tips for roof maintenance.
Keep Gutters Clean
If your gutters are filled with leaves and other debris, then they may not be able to properly send away water. In such a scenario, water could spill over onto the roof, which could increase the risk of a roof leak occurring.
Trim Nearby Trees
Tall trees are a beautiful property feature, but they can pose a hazard to your roof if they are dropping significant amounts of twigs and cones, which could trap water.
Visual Inspection
Twice yearly, it’s a good idea to get up on the ladder and check your roofing for issues such as missing/damaged shingles, broken gutters, missing flashing, and piles of granules.
Seal Off Potential Nesting Sites
Your roof eaves could potentially provide ideal nesting sites for a variety of unwanted creatures. You’ll want to look for openings and seal them off as necessary.
COMMERCIAL ROOFING CONTRACTORS: SELECTING THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Business building roofs such as complexes, retail shops, warehouses and even offices require a professional roofing contractor in order to ensure the quality and efficiency of output. Since these roofs differ in sizes, shapes and materials, it is helpful to ask an experts opinion on which best types of roofs suit your business establishment.
Finding the fitting commercial roofing contractor might be a little difficult due to the increased competition of equally good contractors in the market today. It is best to read tips and guidelines on how to select the best people for the job to avoid wasting time, money and effort altogether.
The first thing that you need to do is ascertain the legitimacy of the contractors you’re eyeing at working with; this helps warrant the work they do. Moreover, legal commercial roofing companies have verifiable addresses and work history that could be helpful in establishing credibility and even assurance of quality workmanship. You need to be cautious of companies or contractors that hesitate on providing certification proofs; a reliable and truthful commercial roofing contractor is one who’s prepared to make available legal information and written proposal since they have nothing to hide.
Second, you need to establish and consider the outcome you have envisioned for the contractor to achieve. Having the commercial roofing contractor see your desired result will lead you both to the same direction. Also, try not to hesitate in asking questions and clarifications to your contractor; many of them specialize in certain types of commercial roofing, thus, asking them queries about such can give them time to study, research and even ask other professional commercial roofing contractors in case they have little knowledge on the matter.
Third, verifying the contractor’s previous works through people who have had earlier involvement with them could arrange for a great appraisal on your part. You can simply ask around the neighbourhood, or better yet check out their work profile or online customer feedback sites. People prove most contractors’ trustworthiness according to what previous clients have to say about them. It’s the common SOP people do nowadays.
HELPFUL TIPS ON HANDLING STORM ROOF DAMAGE
The first thing you should do after a storm hits your area is ensure your family’s safety and make sure you have emergency supplies. Shelter is also critical, so if your roof appears to be damaged, here are some tips from your trusted residential roofing expert on what to do.
Inspect Your Roof
If your roof has sustained significant damage, keep your family away from the affected area, perhaps even have your kids stay at a friend or family member’s home while you deal with your roof. You can inspect your roof from the ground with a pair of binoculars, so keep your own safety in mind and leave the roof-climbing to roofing professionals.
In addition to impact damage, note signs of wind damage at the roof edges. Other areas you should check are the valleys, dormers and pipes – areas where flashing would be. Inspect all the ceilings in your home and note any leaks. Knowing the extent of the storm damage can help you determine whether repair, re roofing or roof replacement is the best solution.
Avoid Storm Chasers
Storm chasers are transient roofing contractors that typically arrive after storms. They prey on homeowners who are desperate to have a shelter over their heads, and thus offer what can only be described as cleverly disguised hack jobs. For example, the roof might look like it’s fixed, but will come apart a few weeks down the line. By then, these shoddy roofers will be long gone. In situations like this, it’s better to entrust your home to local, established professionals.
Contact Your Insurance Agent
A homeowner’s insurance agent and a roofing professional will assess the extent of the repair work needed and provide a written estimate. Coordinating between the two can be complicated, which is why you need to hire a contractor with extensive experience navigating the insurance claims process. This helps ensure you get the compensation you deserve
What You Need to Know About Commercial Roof Maintenance
Commercial roofs are meant to be functional and durable. Depending on the roofing material used, with proper maintenance, a roof put on a commercial building can last anywhere between 20 and 50 years.
Have Your Roof Carefully Inspected
Though you likely won’t be getting on your roof regularly, it is still useful to know what types of problems roofing contractors are looking for when they inspect your commercial roof. The problems will vary depending on the type of roofing material that you chose, so an experienced contractor will use a detailed checklist tailored to the needs of your roof.
Here are a few problems that are sure to be included on those lists:
Flat roofs are prone to leaks and surface degradation due to weathering, so you should look out for granular loss, bending, holes and punctures.
You’ll need to examine a shingled roof for granular loss, curling and bending.
Metal roofs should be checked for rust and corrosion as well as loose, bent or damaged panels.
If you come across chips or cracks in your tile roof, you’ll need to call a roofing professional to further inspect it
Correct Problems Right Away
Having your roof inspected is only the first step. Following the inspection, you need to prioritize any recommended repairs to ensure your roof is not further damaged. Typically, contractors will prepare a detailed report that notes any deficiencies and provide you with cost estimates. This allows property managers and business owners to plan and budget for their repairs.
Keep Detailed Records
When you visit your doctor for a check-up, the doctor or nurse will have your medical records handy to ensure they can give an adequate assessment about what is ailing you. The same concept should be applied to your roof when asking a contractor to give you an assessment on your roof’s health.
Helpful Tips in Finding Legit Roofing Companies
Nowadays, it’s hard to come by a trustworthy company that can provide you with your roofing needs. However, do not let this discourage you. There are still a number of legit roofing companies that will not take advantage of you. The key is knowing how to find them.
Check for business licenses This is the best way to confirm the legitimacy of a roofing company. Simply, check if they have a business license to operate. This will verify that they have fulfilled all legal requirements that are imposed by the state.
Find out about their insurance When a company is bonded, you’ll be secured that you are protected financially. This means that the company will not run away without completing the job. Roofing companies that are insured, on the other hand, makes sure that the contractors are covered for any liability issues that can come up during the working period. In this way, the company will less likely to blame you for the accident and demand that you pay the hospital expenses.
Always remember that a legitimate roofing company will always have up-to-date bonding and insurance. However, it is so easy for any roofing company to claim that they have these. Be smart enough to confirm these claims by asking them for a physical copy to serve as evidence.
Ask Questions Responsible and trustworthy roofing companies are likely to have a list of references you can contact to inquire about the quality of their work. Bee sure to call and check multiple references, not just one or two. This allows you to fully understand the services that the roofing company really has to offer. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, particularly about the roofer’s project-related behavior and consistency.
