Roofing Cost » Roofing Cost

Hailstorm Roofing Scam

admin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:46:14 +0000

The Old Hailstorm Scam

This is a scam that has been going on for a number of years now. It occurs after a major hail storm, and on the surface it seems legitimate. But beware, because this may double your roofing cost, and most times it will occur to somebody who never had any need of roof repair.

What the scammer does is to take off to an area where a major hail storm has occurred. He will then hang doorknob hangers on homes, stating that “Your roof may have had damage due to the recent storm.” It will go on to say that a free roof inspection will be offered, and that the homeowners insurance will pay for any roof repair – all roofing cost will be paid. It will instruct the homeowner to call the scammer’s 800 number to initiate the free inspection.

What happens next is this: During the free inspection, the scammer will intentionally damage the roof, making it look like hail damage has occurred. The scammer will have the homeowner call their insurance company, and have them issue the check to the scammer. The scammer happily takes the check – then is never seen again, and leaving the homeowner with a damaged roof.

Beware of this type of scam. Although this happens mainly in areas prone to hailstorms (mainly in the southwest), this type of roofing scam can turn up in any area hit by a hailstorm. Always check for references, licenses, and contractor insurance. Look on line to make sure that the contractor has a local address, and try to find out how long the contractor has been in business. Check with your chamber of commerce to research the contractor.

Is Roof Paint The Future?

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:14:00 +0000

Imagine all homes and buildings capped like snow-covered mountains. Many environmentalists are hoping that this will be fact in the near future. Reflective roof paint can cut down the temperatures of rooftops by reflecting off infrared light. Temperatures can be significantly reduced, and consumers will have lower energy bills because air conditioners do not have to work as long to cool the building with the roof paint.

Critics point out that the reflective material will cause an increase in power use due to the need to run furnaces longer in the winter. While it is true that winter homes will not benefit from the sun’s rays on their roofs, one must point out that it does not matter if the roof is covered with snow.

Combustible Metal Deck Roofs

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:37:43 +0000

Metal roof decking has been used for years. One major concern is the potential for them being fire hazards. Adding fire retardant will increase your roofing cost, but the peace-of-mind gained would be well worth it.

If you have a metal deck roof, I would suggest that you read the article “Construction Concerns: Combustible Metal Deck Roofs“, by Gregory Havel. This article on metal deck roofs is very detailed, and gives you tell-tale signs that you should look out for, like asphalt “icicles”.

In any type of construction, fire safety should be a top concern. If you do have a metal deck roof, please be sure it is up to code.

Roof Gutter Cleaning and Roofing Cost

admin — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:14:51 +0000

It’s A Dirty Job!

I don’t wake up on Saturday mornings and get excited about cleaning gutters, but it is a job that needs to be done – sometimes several times each year. Proper gutter cleaning will help to minimize roofing cost, as well as prevent other problems with your home.

First, consider what gutters do; they direct rainwater away from your home. How much water do gutters direct away from the home? LOTS!! For example, a 1500 square foot roof will collect approximately 500 gallons of water during a rain event of 0.5 inches! So during a year of rainfall, your talking about thousands of gallons of water.

Thousands of gallons of water will cause all sorts of problems if it is not directed away from the home via clean gutters:

1) Standing water in gutters can seep into roofing edges and cause wood rot of the underlying roofing material.

2) Standing water in gutters can weigh down gutters and cause damage to the gutters and to the areas where the gutters are attached.

3) Standing water in gutters can cause rusting of the gutter material.

But wait – there’s more!

4) Water allowed to flow over clogged gutters can find it’s way onto house siding and cause eventual wood rot.

5) Water allowed to flow near the foundation can cause foundation damage.

6) Water allowed to flow near the perimeter of the home can cause damp, musty basements.

7) Water allowed to flow near the perimeter of the home can cause insect infestation due to high moisture accumulation.

I’m sure there are other problems I forgot to mention, but the point is that a lot of problems can be prevented just by spending a little bit of time and cleaning out your gutters.

Roof Types – Gable Roofs

admin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:54:14 +0000

One of the most common types of roofs is the gable type. The simple form of gable roof has two surfaces of the same size and pitch. Looking at a gable roof edge-on resembles the outer perimeter of a capital letter “A”:

This simple design makes gable roofs cheap and easy to build, so the initial roofing cost is relatively low. They shed water efficiently, provides good attic space, and provide for plentiful ventilation.

The simple gable design is seldom seen on most homes; homes with gable roof types typically have multiple gables – each gable perpendicular to adjoining gables. Have you ever heard of the “House of Seven Gables”? Right – a house with seven gables:

The old house where I grew up had three gables, and was no where near as complex as this great example of a house of seven gables.

Unfortunately for gable-roofed homes, gable roofs do not hold up well to high winds. If you have a gabled-roof house in a high wind area, be sure to have it properly braced to your end wall by a professional contractor.

Roof Damage is Sometimes Unavoidable

admin — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:50:09 +0000

Yep – sometimes it is a storm, and sometimes it is something else entirely. But one thing is for sure, roof damage will occur when you least expect it, and you will have to deal with roofing cost:

This may be an extreme example, but the point is that roofing cost can hit your wallet at the worse times. The best advice is to be sure that you have the right homeowners insurance to cover it!

Roofing Cost

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:53:31 +0000

This is my first post to roofing cost, and it is really an introductory. I have been a homeowner since 1999, my first home being a condominium. Before that, I lived in apartments, and had no concerns about roofing cost. But after a few years living in my condo, the roof had to be replaced. Luckily, I observed the work closely, and learned a lot during the experience.

last February, we purchased a three bedroom house – two kids and a wife will make you do things like this Anyway, the roof needed patch repair, and was yet again aware that roofing cost would figure into our budget. Well, armed with experience, this ordeal was not so bad. I knew what was involved, and was able to minimize my expenses.

I hope to pass down some wisdom to my visitors, and hope that their needs will be met with a minimum drain from their bank accounts.