If you live in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby or Coquitlam, finding a good roofing company can be a real challenge. Greater Vancouver homes are exposed to a great deal of moisture and precipitation for several months of the year. As such, a great roofing company needs address a number of things to ensure your roof doesn't leak when the Fall and Winter rains hit.
When it is time to replace or repair your home’s roof, there are a number of important considerations to weigh before you call a renovation company so that you can make an informed decision that best suits your situation.
Here is a list of 5 issues to consider, when deciding to repair your roof:
1 - VALUE
A major issue is value. Cheaper roofing materials, particularly when looking at asphalt shingles, may save money in the short term, but will likely require earlier replacement. So, if you are planning on selling your house soon after getting a new roof, then going with a lesser quality material may suit your purpose. Otherwise, it is highly recommended to go with the slightly more expensive, but much higher quality product which will last longer, and likely look more attractive.
2 - LOOK AND STYLE
The look of current roofing materials will also likely impact your roofing decision. Cedar shingles, while attractive, are getting more expensive, are more labour-intensive to apply, and may not last as long as the cedar shingle roofs of yesteryear due to lower quality sources. Switching from cedar to asphalt shingles, however, requires a new sub-roof to be laid down, a further expense.
3 - ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MATERIALS
The move to ecologically friendly product has brought some new roofing products to the table, such as “enviro-shake,” made of recycled rubber, with hemp or flax to bind the rubber particles. Asphalt shingles can also be made of recycled materials, and be recycled again when replaced. Other options include slate, clay, aluminum, “snap-lock” style, but most of these will require an analysis by your roofing contractor to confirm that your home is built to stand certain load levels.
4 - WARRANTY
All roof materials have undergone testing that will give a good idea of what the life-span of the roofing product is, and this will be reflected in the warranty life. Common are 25, 35 and 50 year warranties. However, you should also look at what the warranty specifically covers. Some will cover “normal” weather conditions, some will outline specific conditions, such as wind, rain, and snow exposure. A very important note on warranties is that most have a clause requiring the roof be installed by a professional contractor for the warranty to be valid. Be sure that the contractor you have hired is honest, reliable and will hopefully be around more than a few years so that you can follow up with them if there is a failure to your roofing system.
5 - APPEARANCE
A final consideration to your roofing material choice is the look or appearance of the final product. The tiny samples handed out by contractors or given out in hardware stores are likely not large enough to give you an idea of what the final work will look like. A good start is to tour the homes in your neighbourhood and take photos of the ones that you like the most, to show your contractor. Alternatively, you can ask your contractor to provide a list of local houses that he has worked on to check the quality of workmanship, and also to get a sense of the specific product options he has worked with.
If you're not sure whether your roof needs repair or replacement, and you want to make sure your roof is ready for when it gets cold and dark in the fall, please call us. We'd be more than happy to send over a representative to give you a free assessment.
