Long Island Roofing Company specializing in all phases of roofing and siding. Commercial Roofing & Residential roofing from Suffolk to Nassau County. We are also Long Island roof repair experts.
Even roofers get a leak sometimes. After the last 48 hour downpour here in the UK I got a leak in my felt flat roof, it’s a Job that has been scheduled for last year that I never quite got round to.
In this video you can see me using a very common liquid waterproofer used in the trade for various small repairs just like sealing this felt roof. It seals to most surfaces with no adverse reaction and is ideal for no flame roof repairs, especially when reinforced over small splits or cracks.
Relatively cheap to buy in some roofing yards, but often overpriced in builders merchants, the link above will take you to my webpage dedicated to various types of flat roof repair, and there is an affiliate link to some Acrylic waterproofer at the best price I could find if you want some.
You’ll get the most out of a roofing service if you have a checklist of what you need to ask a roofer. The following information will help you make a roofing contractor checklist so you’re not stuck with a bad service when all is said and done.
Ask the roofer what they are going to charge you. Don’t hire anyone until you’ve gotten a price from a number of contractors. If you don’t make a list of who charges what, then you may never know if what you’re paying is a fair price or not. It’s pretty easy to come up with what you’re going to have to pay on average after getting 3 or more prices. Some services may cost more than others because they are better, but sometimes they are just making you overpay because they know some people don’t do research.
Will they recommend that you get a repair or a whole new roof installed? A good roofer will be able to let you know what your options are and what the cheapest route is for you to go down. If you keep having to pay someone to do a repair, then after time that is not going to be worth it because a new roof would have been cheaper. Get a second opinion on this if you have a contractor that keeps having to come out to do the same job time and again in case they are just ripping you off.
Roofers need to have a good reputation. You can ask them about it, but some people may just lie about their experience. It’s best to make them wait a while before they are hired so you have time to look them up. Have they been able to make past customers happy or are they always being talked about in a negative manner? People may say they are great to your face but their work experiences will tell another story a lot of the time. Anyone that is new must be avoided until they have some reviews or at least some references under their belts.
Prior to hiring a roofing contractor, it can help to know what to ask them. You now have found out a little more when it comes to working with a roofer so you don’t waste money. Never hire someone until you know that they are capable of doing what you’re paying them for.
A bit of footage of a conservatory roof being changed from a polycarbonate roof to an insulated conservatory roof by Thermotec – by Spire Windows (Double Glazing) in Louth, Lincolnshire.
Who can you trust to do a good job on your roof? There are ways top tell if someone did a bad job and you can also find out how to avoid people that are no good at this completely. In the end, it’s worth the money and time to be careful.
First of all, you need to know what you’re getting into before you pay someone for a job like this. You can usually look up the name of a roofer or roofing company to see if anyone else liked their services. If you just find a bunch of negative press associated with them, then it may be a good idea to steer clear. While some reviews that are negative are from really picky people or even the competition, if there are no good reviews at all then that’s a sure sign that you shouldn’t do business with someone.
Does the roofer seem to know what they are doing and have the right tools for the job? You cannot just hire someone from down the street that says they think they can work on the roof. How hard can it be? That’s a question that a lot of people ask themselves, only to find out they should have left it to a professional. Chances are if you hire an amateur or try to do it yourself, you will fail at it and make the problems you’re having that much more expensive to take care of.
When you have work done, if you keep having to have someone come out to do it then you know something is up. A sign of bad work is a roofer that can’t keep a problem fixed for more than a few months at a time. While sometimes you have to get a good roof because there will be problems with it until that time, the roofer should have told you that. Otherwise, if you keep having to fix the same area of the roof or the same issue keeps going on, that may mean they’re trying to scam you in some way.
These were signs of bad roofing work and bad roofers in general. Never pay someone for a shoddy job if you can help it. Also be careful not to let someone keep fixing the same issues over and over because you shouldn’t have to do that with quality work.
Questions You Should Ask Your Roofer before Hiring Them
There may be many home improvement projects that need to be done over the years but one of the most significant and perhaps most expensive is having the roof repaired or replaced. Hiring a roofer requires more than simply firing up your search engine and taking the first result that comes your way. It would require some due diligence on your part.
Not only is it a good idea to check for any reviews that may be available on the roofer, it is also important to ask the right questions. You want to make sure that you are comfortable when you hire somebody to work on your property, especially if they are working on the roof. The fact that they are working safely is a priority and you want to ensure that they are leaving your property and your roof in the best condition possible.
The following questions can be asked of any roofer for you make the decision to hire them. It will let you know that you are using a reputable company that is able to handle the job professionally.
The first question you should ask is in regards to licensing and insurance. In most cases, it is necessary for them to be licensed in the state prior to the time when they work on your home. In addition, they should have insurance, including liability insurance and Workmen’s Comp. This would cover them while they are on your property, including their employees.
The next question may be more difficult, but it is one that is important consider. Most homeowners are interested in saving money but you should not cut corners that would end up costing you in the long run. If a roofer looks at your roof and tells you that they can simply install a new roof over the existing shingles, it may be time for you to look elsewhere. Ask them if they are going to remove the old roof and expect “yes” as an answer.
Other questions can center on how they will treat your property. Are they going to use ladder stabilizers to protect your gutters? Will they have a container on site for old material and where will they place it? A professional roofer will take care of your property as if it were their own.
Finally, make sure that the roofer is going to warranty the job and stand behind their work. If they answer the questions in the right way, you can feel confident in hiring them to do the job.
If you want to keep water damage from happening to your home, then keeping your gutters properly maintained is the biggest thing you can do to accomplish this. Gutters have one purpose, and that is get water away from your home’s foundation, which maintains the structural integrity of your home. However, for gutters to do this, they have to stay in good condition, free of sags, holes, and clogs.
The very first step in saving money on common gutter repairs is preventing them. A semiannual inspection is a common recommendation in many areas. Typically these inspections happen in the spring and fall. However, areas with frequent or severe precipitation, such as northern states with a lot of snow or ice, or any area that gets abundant rain, might need to check things out more often. Arid climates or regions might get away with checking less frequently, as can places where leaves and foliage debris might not be clogging hazards.
These routine inspections are good times to also clean out gutters, as just keeping gutters clean and free prevents most issues. The inspections can also be done by gutter professionals or the homeowners themselves, as the task and indication checklists are widely available online and easy to follow. So while having a gutter professional can mean not having to do it yourself, a gutter inspection does not actually take that long.
Should you have a professional inspection anyway, you don’t necessarily need to have them fix everything that they find. As important as gutters are to the safety and structural integrity of a home, they are actually rather simple in their design and function. Many of the repairs a professional might recommend are things you can look up and research online and then do yourself. Pretty much everything you need is available at your local home improvement or hardware store.
A gutter professional will likely try and convince you he should just handle such matters right then and there, but you can let him know that you might look into it on your own, or that you’ll shop around for other contractors. That can often get the gutter professional to offer a discount or deal to get your business while they still can. If they do call your bluff, don’t let it be a bluff. Handle the matters on your own or shop around.