How To Start The Roofing Process

At Chase Remodeling, a division of Insulators Home Exteriors, we realize that the roof repair or roof replacement process can be confusing, overwhelming and time consuming. We’ve been doing this for over 38 years with over 35,000 satisfied customers and wanted to share with you some things that should be considered in your buying process.

As you go through your process we would like the opportunity to answer questions you have about your project. Unlike many of our competitors we won’t pressure you into making a decision. If you would like us to come out and give you a free no obligation roofing consultation call us Toll Free at 301-476-8488 or fill out the contact us form.

Get A Free Quote

AN OVERVIEW

In today’s residential roofing market what to look for is “best value and warranty.” In the end after your roof has been replaced the most important part of the job is the piece of paper your left with stating the details of your warranty. Duration and proration are the key components. A licensed, manufacturer certified roofing company with a meticulous record and high standing amongst its customers should be able to offer a non-prorated 50year warranty covering material, workmanship and labor. Keep in mind 50 years is considered “lifetime” in the residential roofing industry. This is crucial because for most of us, we will probably only have to buy one roof in our lifetime.

Roofing products and components are constantly being developed and have come a long way especially in the past 5-10 years. Proper ventilation is key to longevity, manufacturers are focused on developing products that make ventilation for roofing applications more effective, beneficial, durable and versatile. Ventilation products that are out there now have greatly increased the confidence of manufacturers about giving longer warranties, as long as , of course, everything is installed properly.

Shingle construction has varied minimally over the years, the old adage “if it’s not broken don’t fix it” comes into play here. Asphalt base with stone granule is still the way it’s done. What has changed in the higher end manufacturers is the consistency of the shingle construction. This ensures from batch to batch the consumer gets equal quality material and this reduces defectiveness. Another change in some manufacturers is the nail hem size. A larger nail hem gives a bigger target for the installer to hit. Hitting the nail hem during the install is crucial in shingle performance for years to come, so it only made sense to make it bigger, to be exact, it went from 3/4″ doubling in size to 1-1/2″.

CertainTeed who is our shingle manufacturer is a 100 plus year old company and sets that standard when it comes to roofing products and shingle performance.

THE APPOINTMENT

As with all of our other projects “what to expect” during the estimate phase is for a qualified estimator to come to your home on a set appointment at your convenience.

The job of the estimator is to provide you with a detailed estimate of your roof replacement. The estimator will have samples available at the appointment to select color and shingle style. It is the job of the estimator to guide you down a path that is best for you.

THE INSTALL

When the details of your roof replacement are settled the estimator will inform you in writing of the approximate wait time until your job is ready to start. You will receive a letter from our company shortly after your paperwork has been turned in thanking you for your business and pointing out a couple of things to think about, such as, taking down any pictures or delicate items that might fall during the install, covering any storage in the attic. This is more precautionary, but a roof replacement can be noisy with banging causing some vibration throughout your home.

Ok so your job is ready to be scheduled, here’s what we do, you will receive a phone call from our production team, if we don’t happen to talk to you over the phone, we will leave a message asking when a good day would be to start your job based our available days. When we come in contact we will solidify a date. That date is written on our Production schedule board. Now you’re locked in, your job will be started on that date barring any inclement weather or a distribution issue, etc., in which case you will be notified promptly.

Before any job start material will be delivered to your home, this is typically one day prior to the start date, the production manager will talk with you about this during the scheduling phone call and might confirm with you when the material is to be delivered. An ensuing phone call might be needed to confirm the material delivery. In most cases the material will be lifted onto the roof via a conveyer belt, this makes the install go much smoother. If the material cannot be roof loaded, no problem, that’s why we have ladders and the proper equipment. Most single family homes take one-and-a-half-days to complete, townhouses should be finished in a day. We are always responsible for cleanup, meticulous clean up, we use a magnetic tool to clean up loose nails, rakes, shovels, trash cans, brooms, dust pans whatever it takes.