Introduction

If you spend more than once or twice a year thinking about your roof, you are very unusual. However, the signs of water coming into a living area are enough to rev up your thinking process. It could be a minor leak that can be repaired quickly and inexpensively by the homeowner. The worst-case solution would be installing a complete new roof. If that is the situation you are faced with, this article will acquaint you with some of the considerations in replacing your roof.

Products

There are many types of roofing products in the marketplace for replacing a roof, but we will concentrate our discussion here on composition roofing only, because it is relatively inexpensive and survives a long time on your roof. This type of roofing comes with manufacturers' warranties of 20, 25 and 30 years.

Composition roofing gets its name because it is manufactured from a composite or combination of materials. Composition roofing, which is also known as asphalt roofing, now ranks as the most common residential roofing material in the United States.

Composition roofing products vary in quality and price, but even the most economical ones can produce a handsome result if you choose carefully. A word of caution, heavy products do not necessarily perform better than lightweight products.

Traditional composition roofing does not resemble tile or shake shingles. However, newer products contain patterns that result in a three-dimensional appearance that is very attractive. Composition shingles come in a variety of different styles and colors. They perform well, especially given their affordable price.

Contact any qualified roofing contractor in your area to get information concerning colors, styles and pricing.

Choosing a Contractor

Roofing installation can be complicated work and should only be carried out by a professional roofing contractor. When looking for a roofing contractor, you should look for a company that will do what they say, put everything in writing, and conduct the transaction in a business like manner. With a big job ahead of you and a considerable investment, you obviously want to be very satisfied with the way your contractor conducts business.

One of the most important aspects of the roofing business is providing quotations to customers. But clients want quotes yesterday, if not sooner. This causes roofers to rush their estimates and can sometimes lead to unreliable quotes. This is one of the primary reasons to get several quotations from contractors you are soliciting.

When shopping for a contractor, make sure they have been in good standing with the Better Business Bureau.

Also, the length of time the contractor has been in business is paramount. Here's the choice you must make with regard to warranty of installation. Wouldn't you rather have a warranty from a contractor that's been around awhile?

Your other choice could be a contractor who might retire or sell his business in a couple of years.

Here's Your Checklist Before Signing On the Dotted Line

• You will need several bids for any major roofing job. Prices from different firms for the very same task can sometime differ by up to 100 percent. This difference could represent thousands of dollars.
• Get some feedback from all of your estimators when they are at your home doing their estimate. Sort through all the comments received, and go back to all of them with the final description of that you want in your roofing job so they can all bid on exactly the same job.
• To protect yourself, make sure that your selected firm is licensed and that it has liability and worker's compensation insurance.
• There are two warranties you will need to go ahead with your roofing job. (1) You will need a warranty from the manufacturer of the roofing materials being used. Make sure to get a copy of the manufacturer's warranty. (2) You will also need a warranty on the roofer's work. The minimum you should accept is ten years. If you can get more, that's even better. Ask the roofer to write it into your contract. The warranty clause should contain some wording that specifies how long the contractor will assume the cost of labor and material to repair all the leaks within the specified period.
• Accept only a fixed-price contract for the work to be done. Arrange to pay for the work as late in the job progress as possible. Arrange to withhold at least a portion of the price until your roof has been completed to your satisfaction.

Conclusion

Keep your eyes and ears wide open when arranging for a roof installation job. If any of your neighbors have recently had their roofs replaced, find out what their experience was with the contractor they used. Many times, the knowledge of a person who had work done can save you a lot of time searching and interviewing potential contractors.