It’s no secret that a new roof can be a costly project, even if you’re working with affordable contractors. Your roof protects your home from the elements, and ensuring you get a high-quality roof job is essential.
A bad roofing job can mean additional expenses down the road, leaks, and other issues. Even if you’re not a contractor, knowing how to recognize a good roofing job can save you from costly repairs and problems in the future.
Qualities of a Good Roofing Job
If you’re thinking of getting a new roofing job in your property and are unsure how to choose a contractor or whether yours is good enough, you should know what qualities make up a good roofing job.
#1. The Roof Looks Uniform
You need to take a good look at your roof once the contractors have finished the job. It might seem silly to mention, but most people don’t think about this and trust the contractors without assessing the results themselves. A good roofing job will look uniform throughout.
You want to look for any shingles that look uneven or if the roofline is sagging. A good roofing job uses all the same materials throughout the process to create a uniform appearance. Try to look for any color differences that can indicate a poor roofing job.
If you notice even a tiny area that’s not uniform, you’ll need to contact the roofing company to fix the issues.
#2. It Has Proper Flashing
Leaks from rainfall are one of the leading causes of damage to a home’s roof and structure. That’s why properly installing flashing is critical to a good roofing job. Flashing refers to metal plaques that go under the tiles or other materials of your roof in order to prevent leaks.
Contractors should apply metal flashing to areas of the roof prone to leaking, like a chimney.
A good roofing company will usually determine the type of flashing required to protect your roof and home before the roofing job starts. Some roofs need both step and counter flashing for adequate protection.
A tell-tale sign that your roofing job isn’t good is that the contractors will try to use roof cement or caulk instead of metal flashing. These sealants can work in a pinch, but for long-term effectiveness, these aren’t the sealants they should be using.
Another sign that your roofing job doesn’t have proper flashing is when the contractors try to reuse older materials. A good roofing job will have new and adequate flashing and rodent covers to prevent pests from damaging the pies and debris from doing the same.
If your roofers used rodent covers, rest assured that they’ve done an excellent job protecting your roof against rodent damage and the potential debris that can enter plumbing.
#3. The Underlayment Is Properly Done
As you inspect your roofing job, you’ll need to check the underlayment. This term refers to the layer below the most external roofing material, such as the shingles – that offer an extra layer of protection.
If you don’t even see an underlayment, that’s a red flag of a bad roofing job. Underlayments get placed between sheathing and shingles as another barrier of protection for your house from moisture and leaks.
If you require a solution that will help prevent structural damage from water and extend your roof’s life to save you money in the long run, you’ll understand the importance of underlayment. A high-quality contracting company will ensure that they use a strong synthetic underlay to protect your home.
Synthetic underlays are much stronger than the older felt-paper underlayments. They don’t break down over time like felt paper and will lay better under your shingles. If you have a contractor using anything other than a strong synthetic underlayment, then you’re not getting the best roofing job you can.
#4. It Has Drip Edge Flashing
Drip edge flashing is one of the most common aspects that contractors seem to neglect with roofing jobs. Have you had recent water damage to your house?
Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that they have inadequate drip edge flashing or none whatsoever until they start experiencing leaks in the home. Houses with shingle roofs should always have a drip edge. You can look for metal material between the underlayment and shingles, but if you can’t tell, you can always ask a professional to assess.
When hiring a new contractor, you should ask if they use drip edge flashing. If they say you don’t need it, you might want to look into other contractors who will help prevent damage to your home.
#5. The Contractors Leave the Area as Clean as When They Found It
Last but not least, a sign of a good roofing job is when the contractors leave the job site as clean as they found it. Professionals won’t leave your yard looking worse than it was when they began. If they do, they may not be the company for you.
Most contractors will have a dumpster brought to your house to dispose of all materials because it tends to be easier than filling up all your smaller trash cans. This dumpster will sit on your lot until they finish the job, but they’ll use it to keep it as tidy as possible and remove it and all debris after concluding work.
Even if your contractors do a great job on the roof but don’t clean up after themselves, it’s hard to call that a good roofing job. If they don’t do this, they’re cutting corners. Besides cleaning up after themselves and disposing of all roofing debris, they should leave all landscaping as it was.
Their presence shouldn’t cause your lawn, plants, flowers, trees, and bushes to wilt or die. The same goes for windows and sliding. Mistakes happen, and if one does, as long as they assist in fixing it promptly, it can still be deemed a good roofing job.
Conclusion
Whether you need a new roof or aren’t happy with the roofing job from your previous contractors, Advantage Construction can help. Our contractors perform a detailed assessment and work with you to decide on the best option for your room. We ensure a high-quality job from start to finish.
Advantage Construction doesn’t leave behind any construction materials. We make sure to dispose of debris, old shingles, empty packaging, supplies, and any food waste we consume on breaks.
Contact Advantage Construction today to learn more about our roofing services.
