Lots of streaking going on, and we don’t mean the clothe-less type. These photos were taken in Highland Park, an Avon, Ohio community. Clearly, the “algae inhibitors” didn’t do much good. Since approximately 1/2 the view of all homes is the roof, think of how much nicer these once beautiful homes would look with no streaking. Metal roofs never streak, of course. Not now, not 50 years from now.
INSTALL A NEW ASPHALT ROOF IN THE COLD WEATHER?
Verbatim, this is a printed statement from a GAF Smart Choice Shingle “Lifetime” Limited Warranty. If you’ve installed asphalt shingles of any kind since September, you have cause for concern….
“All self-sealing shingles, including GAF’s, must be exposed to warm, sunny conditions for several days before they completely seal. Before sealing occurs, shingles are vulnerable to blow-offs and wind damage. Shingles installed in fall or winter may not seal until the following spring. Shingles installed in the fall or winter may not seal until the following spring. Singles which are not exposed to direct sunlight or to adequate surface temperatures or that are not fastened properly may never seal. Failure to seal, blow-offs, and wind damage under these circumstances result from the nature of self sealing shingles, not a manufacturing defect, and are not covered under this warranty.”
Integrity of an installer means everything. We’ve seen many asphalt roofs installed this winter by unscrupulous asphalt roofing installers. Did you get a “better deal” because the company was slow in the winter? The best asphalt roofing companies simply DON’T install asphalt roofing in the winter months. Fortunately, metal can be installed any time of year as there are no “blow off” or “sealing” issues related to metal roofing.
WESTLAKE ADDS A BEAUTIFUL NEW METAL ROOF!
The first Kassel and Irons Black Onyx/Copper Penny steel panel installation in the area! Looks fantastic…great choice!
Common Roofing Scams and How To Avoid Them
Each year, homeowners are targeted by less than reputable roofing companies, who do the bare minimum, fail to address any of the problems, leaving trusting families with poorly installed roofs that fail prematurely, or have ongoing water issues and repairs. Keep reading to learn how to avoid the most common roofing scams.
Door-to-Door Scammers
Roofing door-to-door sales are not common in the industry, but they are common roofing scams that unreliable individuals practice. Homeowners should always partner with reliable roofing companies they find—not the other way around. If a roofer comes to your home, you should be immediately skeptical. Two common signs that show the salesperson at your door is a scammer is if they mention your insurance, and if they arrive soon after a storm hits your local area. “Storm chasers” is a common term used for salespeople who listen to the weather bureau to find out which areas have wind or hail damage, knowing that insurance companies will allow for roof replacement in those areas. The “storm chaser” essentially blankets the area hit by storm damage and looks for unsuspecting homeowners in need for roof repairs, while also offering free roof inspections. Because they know how insurance companies work based upon the overall square footage of your roof, the salesperson will determine the cost to install the cheapest roof possible to maximize their profit. The trusting home owner is left poorly installed roof, and in many cases, the fraudulent company is no longer in business to help when roof problems begin to occur. Of course, these aren’t the only signs they’re scammers, but both tactics are prevalent among door-to-door roofing scammers.
Dodging the Scammers
For many people, the idea of getting a brand-new roof for free is appealing, especially if their roof was damaged or are convinced their roof needs repair. What can be easier, a problem solved, little or no money exchanged, and you have a new roof… right? Wrong. Roof scammers or “storm chasers” have no incentive to do a quality roof installation, and there is no way to hold them accountable when issues occur because they will most likely be long gone when problems do arise. Because the roof is cheaply installed, it is not unusual to see their roof needing to be replaced again in as little as 5 – 7 years.
So, now that you know the most common roofing scams, let’s break down the best tactics to avoid such situations. Unfortunately, scammers exist in almost every industry, and roofing is no exception. Thankfully, tactics for avoiding scammers are fairly straightforward. To put it simply, do your own research instead of taking the word of an uninvited stranger at your door. When the salesperson insists your roof is damaged and can be repaired cheaply, say no and stand your ground. After saying no to the salesperson, ask friends and family for referrals or research roofing contractors online. No matter how you hear about a company, research customer reviews, check their Better Business Bureau rating, and ask for examples of previous work. A reputable roofing contractor will be happy to provide you a list of references for you to see the roofs they have installed and obtain feedback on the quality of their work. You shouldn’t settle on a roofing provider until collecting multiple quotes, consider which ones address your roofing needs, and holds the most value to you. If your roof was damaged due to a recent storm, be sure to re-read your homeowner’s insurance policy to avoid breaching it in the process.
FREE ROOFING ESTIMATES FOR NORTHERN OHIO!
Don’t forget, we provide FREE ESTIMATES! If you are ready, or thinking about replacing your roof, don’t hesitate to call!
HAIL DAMAGED ROOFS IN CLEVELAND, AKRON, AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Once again, Spring is here with the potential for both wonderful, and not so wonderful weather. Predictions have been made for a rough Spring. Should hail appear during a storm, it’s important to inspect your roof for hail damage. Hail can cause significant granule loss wherever it strikes which leads to direct sun exposure to the underlying asphalt on the shingles it effects. This will lead to cracked shingles over time and the potential for leaks. Have an insurance inspector analyze the damage after a storm if you suspect damage to your asphalt roof.
Metal roofing isn’t subject to hail damage like an asphalt roof is. Corrugated steel panels are dimpled to begin with and standing seam roofs don’t generally show dimpling. Both products are warranted for hail penetration. Kassel and Irons steel roofing is warranted for a lifetime against hail and wind uplift on a non pro-rated basis. You won’t find asphalt roofing manufacturers offering any protection for hail damage in their warranties.
WIND DAMAGED ROOFS IN CLEVELAND, AKRON, AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Tis the season! The season for fluke storms that cause wind and hail damage to roofs, that is. Asphalt roofs are subject to blow off for some of the following reasons:
IMPROPER INSTALLATION
1. Nail pattern wasn’t followed properly
2. Installed in cold weather which never allowed them to seal to one another
3. Staples instead of nails were used to install them
Metal roofs are warranted with a non pro-rated lifetime warranty to provide coverage for winds up to 130 m.p.h., or more. They mechanically attach to each other, so they don’t rely on sealants to keep them attached. And needless to say, staples are never used when installing a metal roof. Plus, there’s no way NOT to follow the nail pattern due to the design of each panel.
OLMSTED FALLS ADDS A NEW METAL ROOF!
A beautiful standing seam roof adds to the charm of this farm house in Olmsted Township. What a difference!
COMPOSITE / SYNTHETIC SLATE MATERIALS – A GOOD ROOFING CHOICE FOR CLEVELAND?
Always on the lookout for new permanent products that may provide a good alternative to asphalt, we’ve examined several manufacturer’s synthetic, or “composite” slate shingles. Why wouldn’t we consider them? They’re gorgeous, much lighter than slate, a fraction of the cost of slate, and much easier to install with no maintenance needed. We were hopeful that we had found a compliment to our metal roofing selections for those interested in a slate roof, without the budget for slate.
As usual, we explored the warranty. And keep in mind, this is a material that rivals metal from a cost perspective, though again, much less expensive than real slate. What did we find in the warranty of several manufacturers? Believe it or not, pro-rated warranties, just like these companies provide for their asphalt products. The best of the warranties offered its 50 year pro-rated warranty with a non pro-rated period for “7 years against manufacturing defects that cause leaks”.
However, our biggest cause for concern came from a paragraph under “LIMITATIONS”. It read “Shading, stains, or discoloration to the shingles arising from outside sources such as but not limited to the sun, algae, fungus, moss, lichens or other vegetation, mole or mildew growth, or paints, chemicals or other similar materials.” Alright…so now we know that there’s no warranty against fading (shading , as they term it) or discoloration from the sun…PERIOD. Keep in mind that this is a polymer (plastic) material.
Conclusion? We’re not going near this product any more than we’re going near an asphalt product. Both appear to be temporary, with pro-rated warranties. Do you expect more from your roofing warranty? Let us know…we’d love to hear from you.
HAS YOUR ASPHALT ROOF FAILED “BEFORE IT’S TIME”?
We see it all day, every day during our appointments – people who are beyond frustrated that they purchased a temporary asphalt roof 8 – 15 years ago that came with a 30/40/50 or lifetime warranty, only to find it failing decades earlier. We beg you to please read the warranty in full before you commit.
One of the largest temporary asphalt roofing company’s warranty was recently extended to a “LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY”. Granted, from what I know, every warranty on a product of any kind today is “limited”. But not by as much as we see from manufacturers of asphalt roofing. In this particular warranty, in addition to being a pro-rated warranty (diminishing value every year), we see the following verbiage:
Failure to Seal/Blow-offs/Wind Damage: Coverage lasts for 15 years if lifetime shingles are installed on your roof. If other shingles are installed on your roof, coverage lasts for 5 years.
Algae Discoloration: All lifetime shingles are warranted against algae discoloration for 10 years.
It’s upsetting to us that in the same sentence, this major manufacturer uses “coverage lasts for 15 years” and “lifetime” in the same sentence. It turns out that manufacturing defects are covered for the long term and that’s about it. And most of us know that if there’s a manufacturing defect, it will usually become visible very early in the life of a product, if they ever do. The major temporary asphalt shingle manufacturers know that, thus offering you a “lifetime warranty.” They have little to lose because what they fail to cover are the things that usually happen.
As you read asphalt manufacturer’s warranties even further, you’ll find even more exclusions in the warranties. It makes us wonder how asphalt manufacturers get away with what they do. Then we remember that petroleum (aka oil) is a key component of asphalt shingles. Once again, we don’t get a fair shake from the oil companies which is unsettling.
Buyers…please beware, and read warranties for your own protection. Then read the warranties for our products. A night and day difference, I promise!