Roof – Roofing

Nov3

Roofing Blog

Roof Tips for New Homeowners

If you have just purchased a new home or are in the process of buying a house, then surely you have a lot on your mind. There are finances to consider, inspections, realtor costs and visits, upgrades, renovations, moving logistics, and much more. It is important to consider, additionally, issues connected particularly with the roof. This is especially important in a hurricane and storm prone area like Florida where roof damage is frequent and can be compounded by repeated storms. Here we would like to lay out for you some of the issues to consider.

Firstly, if possible, inspect the roof before finalizing your purchase. Roofing repairs and replacements can carry significant costs. These costs can vary from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. It is important to understand what kind of roof your new home has and its condition before purchasing. For instance, firstly determine the roof type. Is it a shingle, metal, or tile roof? This will help you determine current and future costs.

Shingle roofs are most common and they are also the cheapest. This means that your costs of upkeep in the future will be lower. Every roof needs maintenance, which will include occasional repairs and eventually full roof replacement. It is important to keep these costs in mind at the initial purchase. You should have a qualified and licensed contractor or inspector determine the roof replacement cost at first purchase, as prices vary widely by size, shape, and material. For instance, tile roofs are often preferred for their aesthetic and long life expectancy. Yet, many are unaware that replacing a tile roof can cost upward of fifty thousand dollars. While tile roofs are often marketed with promises of lifetime life expectancies or warranties, it is not unusual for them to get damaged in Florida’s storms. When that happens, repairs can cost several thousand dollars and if the damage is bad enough, then full replacement may be required.

Shingle roofs and metal roofs are cheaper to repair or replace. Still, metal is more expensive (sometimes double the cost of or triple the cost of shingle). It is important to keep these costs in mind at first purchase. On the other hand, the more expensive material roofs generally last longer in the first place. Tile and metal have a higher life expectancy than shingle. This does not mean that they will last forever, nor does it mean that shingle roofs will go in the first storm or the first few years. Recent developments in shingle technologies have led to increased life expectancies for shingle roofs at times rivaling those of metal or tile.

The second thing to consider is the condition of the roof at the time of purchase. We strongly recommend that you have the roof and the whole house inspected by a qualified professional before purchase. This way you can avoid getting stuck with unexpected repair or renovation costs. Regarding the roof in particular, there are several questions to be answered. How old is the roof? Has it ever been repaired or replaced? Has the roof ever leaked and how was the issue resolved if it had? What is the status of the warranties on the roof? Can they be transferred? Is there any current visible damage to the roof that needs immediate attention? Will the seller take care of these repairs or are they discounting the cost of the house based on the condition of the roof? If there is a discount, is it enough to cover the costs you will bear? Keep in mind that if a roof is old enough or damaged extensively, repairs are at best a brief stop-gap measure and full replacement is certainly going to be required soon. Also, be particularly mindful of hail damage. It can be difficult to detect and does not immediately result in leaks. However, hail damaged roofs will degrade further more and more over the months following the damage and eventually develop leaks.

It is important to get all these questions answered prior to purchase to avoid being blindsided by roofing costs on top of the cost of buying a house and the expenses involved with moving. If you have already bought the property, you should still take steps to get to know your roof. We will address these steps and the options you may have in the next post.

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Sep12

Roofing Blog

Roof Replacement and Roof Repair–Done Remotely!

Did you know that you can get your roof replaced or repaired without ever having to go into an office or meet in person with a contractor? In these times there may be several reasons that you are hesitant to begin roof replacement or roof repairs on your home. You may be traveling or currently residing outside the area of your home. Or you might own an investment or rental property and be unwilling to travel to deal with its renovations. Or you might be self-isolating due to health concerns and COVID-19. As we have discussed before at length, however, the roof is an integral part of the home and any roofing issues (especially if there is a leak) should be top priority and addressed as soon as possible. For this reason we want to make our customers aware that roof repair and replacement can be accomplished entirely through remote means: by computer, phone, and/or mail.

Step 1: Getting an Estimate

If you notice that you need a roof repair or want to have your roof replaced, your first step should be to get an estimate. Ideally, you may want to contact several contractors to compare estimates. To get a free estimate from Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. you can just call us at 386-263-7906 or send an email to [email protected] or go to our website: floridasbestroofing.us.

While we may need to physically look at your roof in order to give you an estimate, you do not need to be present for the inspection. If there are interior damages or leaks that concern you, simply take photos of the relevant areas and send those to us by email. Your estimate/proposal will also be sent to you by email. If at any point you have any questions about your estimate, our company, or roofing in general do not hesitate to give us a call or send us an email and we will be happy to help you out. A lot of information can also be found on our website.

Step 2: Contract Agreement

Once you have the estimate(s) for your roof and have chosen a contractor, it is time to sign an agreement so that you can be put on their schedule. When working with Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. we are happy to accept your signed proposal by email and will email you back a copy co-signed by us. If necessary, we can work through the postal system as well.

If you are replacing the roof, you will also need to sign, notarize, and submit permitting papers as any licensed contractor will need to pull a permit from the city or county where the home is located to replace a roof. Beware any company that attempts to replace a roof without a permit! Based on your location, we will pre-fill and email you the appropriate permitting paperwork for your roof replacement. Oftentimes the original copies of these documents are required for the permit so you will simply need to print, notarize, and mail these documents to us at our physical address: 1 Enterprise Dr. Unit 6 Bunnell, FL 32110.

When replacing your roof you will also have to make a choice as to the color of your new roof. Colors can be viewed online at the shingle manufacturers’ websites. Our preferred shingle manufacturers are Owens Corning (owenscorning.com) and Atlas (atlasroofing.com). On these websites you can view sample shingle colors, request free shingle samples to be sent to you, look at other roofing materials, and find out more about roofing in general! Another great way to choose a color is to drive around and look at recently replaced roofs. We would be happy to provide you with addresses in the Flagler and Volusia county areas where we recently completed roof replacement in order to help you with color choice.

Step 3: Relax!

Once all the paperwork is signed, we will put your roof on our schedule and complete the work professionally and in accordance with all local and state building codes. We are committed to quality. We will keep you informed by phone or email of material deliveries and work progress. If you have any questions anytime throughout the process we would be happy to answer them by phone or email. You do not need to be present during the work process; in fact, many homeowners choose not to be because the work itself can be quite noisy.

Step 4: Payment

Once your roof is complete and passes all inspections as required by the city or county where the home is located, we will give you a call and send you an invoice by email or mail, as you prefer. We would be happy to answer any questions at this point. Payment can be made remotely, ordinarily by mailing a check, and once paid you will receive confirmation of payment and warranty information by email or mail, again, as preferred.

So, as you see, there is no reason to wait to get your necessary roof repairs or replacement. If you have been waiting to take care of your roof because you do not want to meet a contractor in person and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give Florida’s Best Roofing a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Dec7

Roofing Blog

Rare and Unusual Roof Shapes

In our last post we discussed some of the most common roof shapes and styles in the United States (and really across the world). This time we will provide you with information on rare and unusual roof shapes. These shapes are all unique and most often chosen for aesthetic reasons, heightening the impact of a structure’s style. Due to their unique qualities, these types of roofs are often more expensive to repair and replace since they require contractors with very specialized knowledge and skills. Below we discuss nine of these roof shapes.

Bonnet: Bonnet roofs can be like either gambrel or mansard roofs (see our previous post for these), only in reverse. There are two panes on each side, with different slopes. Instead of the upper panes having a lower slope and the lower a steep slope, as is the case with gambrel and mansard roofs, bonnet roofs have steep upper panes and low sloped bottom panes. Bonnet roofs can have two sides (like a spruced-up gable roof) or four sides (like a hip roof). Bonnet style roofs are popular in particular geographic areas such as Cape Cod and other places in the Northeast, but fairly rare elsewhere.

Saltbox: Homes with saltbox roof styles gained popularity in colonial America, but examples can still be seen today across the country and elsewhere. Saltbox roofs have two sides, like a gable shape, but what makes them unique is that these sides are not equal or symmetrical. The two sides meet at the top ridge, but drop down unequal distances. In fact, one side is significantly shorter than the other, but equal in width. Most frequently, the slope also differs between the two sides. One side usually has a much steeper slope than the other side. Either the short or the long side may be steep.

Butterfly: A butterfly roof is a striking shape arising out of contemporary architecture. It is essentially the reverse of a gable roof, the result of which resembles the shape of the insect that lends its name to this roofing style. While two sides rise up to a ridge in a gable roof, the two sides of a butterfly roof actually slope down into a central valley. As you can imagine, this can easily lead to water retention issues and snow pile ups in colder environments, if special care is not taken to ensure positive drainage and snow is not regularly cleared.

Sawtooth: Sawtooth roofs are similar to butterfly roofs in that they have central valleys created by two sides sloping down. However, sawtooth roofs differ in that their valleys are created due to the repetition of components sloping up and then down, which results in a facade resembling the teeth of a saw. The repeating components can be straight or curved and can vary in slope–the only requirement is that they repeat exactly several times. This is a style most often seen in commercial roofing, and as with butterfly roofs, special care must be taken to ensure proper drainage.

Curved: Curved roofs provide a contemporary stylistic alternative to the straight lines seen in all traditional roofing styles. They give a structure a modern, sleek look, but require specialized skills and materials to install. Creating and designing such shapes requires experienced architects, structural engineers, and specialized contractors, which make them expensive to build and maintain, but the aesthetic possibilities are endless!

Pyramid: Almost five thousand years ago the ancient Egyptians figured out that the pyramid shape gives stability to structures of almost any size. The fruits of their labors are still standing today! The balance of weight and tension makes pyramid shapes and pyramid shaped roofs very strong. In this, pyramid roofs are closely related to hip roofs; in fact, they are a subset of hip roofs in which all four sides have equal dimensions and slope.

Jerkinhead: These are also called half-hip roofs. The origin of this terminology becomes clear with a quick glance (or in this case description) of the jerkinhead roof’s shape. The half-hip or jerkinhead roof has four sides. Two are just like those of a gable roof that meet at the top ridge. At both ends of the ridge you will then find a very short hip. This roof shape has the advantage of strength and stability provided by the hip elements and an old-world aesthetic.

Skillion: Skillion roofs are made of one sloped pane. The slope can be steep or low and the shape closely resembles a lean-to. This does not mean, however, that a skillion roof looks cheap or simple. Homes and other structures with skillion roofs often have two or more skillion roofs at varying elevations which give a very contemporary, modern, look and provide opportunities for more windows which allow for a brightly lit interior.

Dome: Dome roofs look exactly like you might imagine: essentially the roof is in the shape of half of a sphere. The force distribution in these roofs, if properly constructed, makes them incredibly strong and long-lasting. This is borne out by the fact that some dome-roofed structures, like the Pantheon in Rome, are still standing after thousands of years under the original roof! For a closer example, you might want to imagine the Capitol building in Washington D.C. Dome roofs are rarely seen in residential structures and require very specialized architects and structural engineers for their construction.

We hope this post has opened your eyes to the variety of shapes and styles that are out there in roofing. As always, for all your roofing needs in Flagler, Palm Coast, Bunnell, Daytona Beach, and Deland call Florida’s Best Roofing at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Tag: Roof