Need a New Roof... Hints/Pitfalls with Contractors?

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2005 5:33 pm

Hi everyone. I'm obviously not interested in a referral (unless they'll come up to MA) but wanted to ask anyone who's had a roof put in to let me know if there are questions you wish you'd asked, anything you wish you'd done differently, materials to avoid/ask about, etc.

I know nothing about roofing so I feel a bit like I imagine a "typical" woman does dealing with a car repair issue.

Oh, just to make it really fun, the chimney also needs to be rebuilt... the morter is completely gone between some of the bricks. Yay. The pictures are pretty scarey actually.

Thanks for any help/suggestions/warnings you can provide.

Diane

Adam Ligon · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2005 7:07 pm

Best bet with this, or any contracting stuff, is to get the price broken doan as much as possible. That is how much are they chageing you for labor, how much for materials, etc. Never let them give you just a total price or you won't be able to compare accurately or know exactly what is included.

Now as for roofing in general it is done by the "square", that is 100 sgft both in labor and materials. Use those two numbers to compare various bids. Also make sure it is spelled out about unseen repairs, they are almost always there, especailly the more north you go.

Marvin McBride · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:39 pm

Only thing I have to add is that, in general, you can strip the roof down to the tarpaper and build it up from scratch, or put it on top of the existing roof. The latter is usually cheaper, and may be a reasonable thing to do a limited number of times. At least it's worth asking a contractor as to which method they recommend and why. Roofing shingles do come in various grades, with different length warrenties - I believe the best have a 20 year warranty. Of course, the better grades cost more. Depending on how long you plan to stay in that house, it might be something you want to consider compromising on.

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:06 pm

My father was a commercial roofer by trade, so I spent a lt of time on roofs from the time I was big enough to climb a ladder. I'm also from Buffalo, so I'm familiar with the differences in climate needs.
What to ask for: If there is two layers of shingles on the roof already, or if the existing ones are swollen, curled, brittle, or you want a quality job the old shingles will need to be stripped off. The extra costs to strip is usually minimal if they can get a truck close to the roof eaves. I will assume a stripped roof. I would want 30# felt underlayment rather than the typical 15#, metal edge flashing ON TOP the felt all the way around (very important!) Sticky ice dam membrane 3' up on all eaves, The heaviest premium grade fiberglass shingle (My father always prefered to use "double coverage tight-on" interlocking shingles for wind damage resistance, but not everyone liked their appearance over the trandition 3 tab shingle), Open metal flashed valleys (where two roofs meet) widening as they get closer to the eaves to shed snow better, full length ridge vent (Also very important!) If you must have gutters, I'd suggest getting new ones that have an integral flashing that goes up under the shingles. Ice dam damage is the biggest problem in cold climates, so you need to do everything possible to prevent it's formation. I'd also want new double flashing around the chimney and step flashing against any walls. (also a "cricket" behind the chimney if it exits below the roof peak.) A roof like this should last at least 25 years.
By the way, get the chimney repointed or rebuilt BEFORE putting on the new roof.

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:31 pm

Thanks guys!

Ron Spencer · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:30 pm

What, they don't sell blue tarps in Boston??

We missed you at VIR. It was a pretty good event. Hope Jason is doing well.

Ron

steve remchak · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:31 pm

as with anything, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. spend a good while talking to prospective contractors one on one. you should be able to get a feel for who they are and how they run their operations. good luck.

George Bright · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2005 9:18 pm

Diane,
Since you are going to rebuld the chimney, you might want one of these to cap it off. And piss of the neighbors.

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:14 pm

George Bright wrote:

Diane,
Since you are going to rebuld the chimney, you might want one of these to cap it off. And piss of the neighbors.

I REALLY want one of those! Where can I get one George?

George Bright · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2005 6:01 pm

Sorry Frank I don't know where to get this. The picture came in my E-mail. I would have one too. Prank Place has a garden Knome (sp) that squats with his pants down. And

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Need a New Roof... Hints/Pitfalls with Contractors?

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