Hey everyone!
For those that follow the blog, you'll know that all of October we've been talking about your shingle roof. Without dipping into stuff we're all sure you already know, we've been trying to educate our people about what we see when you call us to give an estimate on your roof. After all, you don't really need us to just tell you the obvious.
This post is meant as a nice wrap-up to it all. Firstly, we answer general questions posted through our Facebook page, our Twitter account, or comments here on the blog. If you have any questions about your home in specific, call us at 888-382-2001 and have one of our trained and experienced technicians come out to your home for a free estimate, where you can ask them anything you want.
Remember that your roof requires seasonal maintenance every few months. In the summer and spring, you have to watch out for heat and rain. In autumn and winter, you have to take care for falling leaves, snow, and other cold-related issues - especially ice dams. Remember to keep your attic at a controlled, even temperature through the use of attic vents and fans.
Your gutters don't exist independently either, requiring periodic cleanings and checks on their general structure to see that they're not a liability to your home.
There are many ways to protect your roof, and no one is more qualified to tell you about those options than a licensed roofer. So call us already!
10/22/2012
Roofing Month, Week 4
Many people nowadays are commenting on the Web that roof repair costs have become outrageous in the last few years. There are many reasons for this, and it's as good a time to address them now in this post, which is the second-to-last in our series on shingled roofing. There's one big obvious reason that seems to be the elephant in the room here.
Shingles are, generally, made from asphalt. Some other materials are being experimented with, but right now that's the standard. In the last few years, the cost of asphalt has gone way up with the cost of crude oil, along with the price of gasoline, as you probably noticed. So we in the roofing biz are struggling from two sides here. First, we have the price of asphalt rising, so the cost of our materials is going up fairly astronomically. Second, we also have the transport costs which lump onto that for delivery. In addition, the cost of lumber is also going up, and we need all of those things to make your roof safe.
And most of all, the labor is the greatest section of your roofing cost. Bad labor is what hurts your roof the most. Paying a little more for the best allows you to know that your roof is safe for years to come. Having skilled roofers, especially GAF certified roofers, is the best insurance you can have.
More next week!
Shingles are, generally, made from asphalt. Some other materials are being experimented with, but right now that's the standard. In the last few years, the cost of asphalt has gone way up with the cost of crude oil, along with the price of gasoline, as you probably noticed. So we in the roofing biz are struggling from two sides here. First, we have the price of asphalt rising, so the cost of our materials is going up fairly astronomically. Second, we also have the transport costs which lump onto that for delivery. In addition, the cost of lumber is also going up, and we need all of those things to make your roof safe.
And most of all, the labor is the greatest section of your roofing cost. Bad labor is what hurts your roof the most. Paying a little more for the best allows you to know that your roof is safe for years to come. Having skilled roofers, especially GAF certified roofers, is the best insurance you can have.
More next week!
10/14/2012
Roofing Month, Week 3: What's a professional roofer good for, anyway?
The third post of our Roofing Month is going to focus on one question that's been asked of people like the office staff of Dream Team for many many years. Some homeowners have a very "do-it-yourself" opinion about their roof, gutters, and chimneys. But at the end of the day, contractors are necessary and a good one who trains their employees well, like Dream Team, are priceless. Remember, we are GAF certified - meaning that our technicians are trained by the material makers for the work they do.
There are several reasons to work with a roofer:
1. As said above, we know the material well. Unlike a homeowner (who might be coming in contact with shingles (and the dizzying array of shingles available) for the first time) we know our material, and we have professional ties with the material makers, GAF Roofing. If there's an issue, we'll know before it ever touches your home.
2. We have more skilled people available. Every one of our technicians are professionally trained before they go out to work and we never send just one person alone. And with that comes another major issue:
3. Your Safety. One of the first things we worry about is the safety of both the homeowner and the workers. We regularly check our tools (vehicles, ladders and safety equipment) to be sure that everyone is going to be safe when we go up to your roof. We follow all applicable professional safety codes.
4. Your Time. Let's be honest, this is a big reason too. Rather than spend hours up on the roof to do any work on your home, we work for you and allow you to keep going about your life while we work.
So overall, there is a great value in working with a roofer, rather than trying to work on your home by yourself.
And one thing I didn't mention: we provide warranties. We guarantee our work and the skill of our workers. The worst problems that a roof can have are bad installation and a lack of maintenance, which lead to major problems down the line (especially leaks and loss of shingles in windstorms). As a certified contractor, we know what a good roof is, and how to insure that every roof we work on is a good roof that will last for a long time.
There are several reasons to work with a roofer:
1. As said above, we know the material well. Unlike a homeowner (who might be coming in contact with shingles (and the dizzying array of shingles available) for the first time) we know our material, and we have professional ties with the material makers, GAF Roofing. If there's an issue, we'll know before it ever touches your home.
2. We have more skilled people available. Every one of our technicians are professionally trained before they go out to work and we never send just one person alone. And with that comes another major issue:
3. Your Safety. One of the first things we worry about is the safety of both the homeowner and the workers. We regularly check our tools (vehicles, ladders and safety equipment) to be sure that everyone is going to be safe when we go up to your roof. We follow all applicable professional safety codes.
4. Your Time. Let's be honest, this is a big reason too. Rather than spend hours up on the roof to do any work on your home, we work for you and allow you to keep going about your life while we work.
So overall, there is a great value in working with a roofer, rather than trying to work on your home by yourself.
And one thing I didn't mention: we provide warranties. We guarantee our work and the skill of our workers. The worst problems that a roof can have are bad installation and a lack of maintenance, which lead to major problems down the line (especially leaks and loss of shingles in windstorms). As a certified contractor, we know what a good roof is, and how to insure that every roof we work on is a good roof that will last for a long time.
10/07/2012
Roofing Month, Week 2: Ice Dams!
Week 2 of October, and we're looking at a nippy month, but we're still in decent temperatures. But this winter, our homes are going to have a few massive hazards. The worst and foremost amongst these is:
Ice Dams!
The first thing you should do is contact your local roofing contractor. Your roof needs maintenance, and beyond that, contractors have insurances, safety equipment, knowledge, and time that you might not. The simplest fix the contractors have is to take a roof rake and push broom and simply clear the snow off the roof to prevent formation of the dam. Otherwise, the insulation in your roof could be faulty and need repair. And there is one natural, permanent solution.
Now, I'm not going to sit here and argue with you about whether icicles look nice or not. But this collection of them on the side of a house is properly called an ice dam: a ridge of ice that forms at the
edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof. The
water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home. And we already know what water can do from this summer's posts, don't we?
This whole awful mess gets started when your roof is above freezing at the top (where the runoff begins), and below freezing by the time the water hits the edge (where the dam forms). There are a few solutions to this damaging and dangerous condition for your home.
The first thing you should do is contact your local roofing contractor. Your roof needs maintenance, and beyond that, contractors have insurances, safety equipment, knowledge, and time that you might not. The simplest fix the contractors have is to take a roof rake and push broom and simply clear the snow off the roof to prevent formation of the dam. Otherwise, the insulation in your roof could be faulty and need repair. And there is one natural, permanent solution.
Attic vents and fans help to keep the temperature in your attic even, which in turn keeps your roof temperature even, which prevents ice dams before they can even form.
So, if you're in Westchester or Orange Counties in New York, or anywhere in New Jersey call Dream Team Construction today at our toll-free number, (888)382-2001! Let's keep your home safe before you have to worry!
9/30/2012
Dream Team's Roofing Month
Welcome to October, everyone! Here at the Dream Team Blog, we're going to drill down on one subject this month, and that's shingled roofing. Each week this month, we're going to focus on one element of your roof and when having it is the most important.
To kick it off, let's talk about what happens when you replace a roof, in order.
1. Removal of existing roof to plywood: If you didn't know, your home is allowed to have up to three full layers of shingle, stacked one on top of the next, leading to a very, very thick roof. Sometimes this much shingle can hide serious problems that replacement will make come up. We want to know, so that we can head these problems off at the pass - and you want us to know, because the very safety of your home could be at stake. Plus, if there's any problem with the plywood, we can replace it right then, to keep your roof looking good and being safe.
2. Insulation Installation: The next step in the process is to install all the various forms of insulation on top of your plywood. The first of these is a strip of metal known as a drip edge, which is placed between your gutters and the fascia board behind, to insure that runoff is directed into the gutter only and not to the vulnerable wood behind - we'. Placed on top of this is a layer of material referred to as an "ice & water shield'. This protects your roof from water damage and protects the vulnerable wood underneath.
3. Shingles: There's some technical data about installing shingles specifically, but just knowing what goes before is the point of this post.
Not as simple as we all thought, huh?
That's why we need qualified roofers!
To kick it off, let's talk about what happens when you replace a roof, in order.
1. Removal of existing roof to plywood: If you didn't know, your home is allowed to have up to three full layers of shingle, stacked one on top of the next, leading to a very, very thick roof. Sometimes this much shingle can hide serious problems that replacement will make come up. We want to know, so that we can head these problems off at the pass - and you want us to know, because the very safety of your home could be at stake. Plus, if there's any problem with the plywood, we can replace it right then, to keep your roof looking good and being safe.
2. Insulation Installation: The next step in the process is to install all the various forms of insulation on top of your plywood. The first of these is a strip of metal known as a drip edge, which is placed between your gutters and the fascia board behind, to insure that runoff is directed into the gutter only and not to the vulnerable wood behind - we'. Placed on top of this is a layer of material referred to as an "ice & water shield'. This protects your roof from water damage and protects the vulnerable wood underneath.
3. Shingles: There's some technical data about installing shingles specifically, but just knowing what goes before is the point of this post.
Not as simple as we all thought, huh?
That's why we need qualified roofers!
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