Virginia Roofing Services https://fastaffordableroof.com/ Fast & Affordable Roofing Tue, 05 Oct 2021 22:08:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.4 https://fastaffordableroof.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-fastaffrodableroofing-favicon-32x32.png Virginia Roofing Services https://fastaffordableroof.com/ 32 32 Roof Tune Up https://fastaffordableroof.com/roof-tune-up/ https://fastaffordableroof.com/roof-tune-up/#respond Tue, 05 Oct 2021 22:08:24 +0000 https://fastaffordableroof.com/?p=648 “Your roof is about 10 years old and it’s getting a little rough and it needs a tune up.”  “Yeah sure, it needs new spark plugs, plug wires, air filter, oil change and a cap and button, if its real old it will need new points.” “Ok I’m being serious; it needs a tune up.” […]

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“Your roof is about 10 years old and it’s getting a little rough and it needs a tune up.”

 “Yeah sure, it needs new spark plugs, plug wires, air filter, oil change and a cap and button, if its real old it will need new points.”

“Ok I’m being serious; it needs a tune up.”

“What are you talking about, have you lost your mind?”

“Let me explain.”

From the day a roof is installed it starts aging. This means the roof is starting to dry out and lose granules, as this happens the shingles become less flexible and do not expand and contract as it did day one. This can cause several things to happen. It can pull away some flashing from say a chimney or siding, if the flashing is installed this shouldn’t happen but it’s rare that I see flashing 100% correctly installed. Some other things that can happen is as the roof decking moves and shingles do not move as easily with the deck as it once did, causing roofing nails to pop up lifting the shingle above and sometimes popping all the way through the layers. And if the decking installer missed the truss as they were nailing that sheathing nail can push up through the shingles as well.

So while a tune up does not include new spark plugs or injector cleaner it does include fixing these “little” issues before they become major issues. I recommend having a roofer walk your roof every year or two looking for and fixing these items as week as others such as tree or hail damage. Someone that knows what they are looking for will spot nail pops, flashing issues, and worn-out vent boots right away.

Now that you understand what and why you need a tune up, let’s discuss who is qualified. Because as sad as this is, not every roofer is qualified to perform a tune up. If your roofer wants to go up with a just a caulk tube of silicone, then you need to send him down the road, let that guy fix your annoying neighbor’s house, and sit back and laugh. But seriously, a caulk tube is only going to give you about a year of no leaks in those nail pops. And I can hear everyone now “well if you recommend he come back every year then he can just recaulk while he is there.” BONK…

The idea is to find an issue and fix it before it’s a problem, not find an issue and repair the same issue every year. Caulk also isn’t what’s needed for the roof, not typical caulk anyways. You need something specifically designed for roofing but also something that can have long term exposure to the weather. Just running a bead of the correct caulk along the top edge of flashing might not be the repair it truly needs. Pushing a nail back down and caulking or taring over it wont last. Caulking is not a magical product, regardless of what marketing says. Remember do your research, you’ll be glad you did!

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Roof Aging Is Not a Manufacture Defect https://fastaffordableroof.com/roof-aging-manufacture-defect/ https://fastaffordableroof.com/roof-aging-manufacture-defect/#respond Mon, 26 Apr 2021 18:34:56 +0000 https://fastaffordableroof.com/?p=585 I hear too often “I’ll just get Lifetime shingles”. Did you know your roof should have a regular inspection (once every year or two) and tune up as needed to maximize the health and life of your roof, Lifetime shingles included! What is a lifetime shingle and what is covered? Well let’s start with what […]

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I hear too often “I’ll just get Lifetime shingles”. Did you know your roof should have a regular inspection (once every year or two) and tune up as needed to maximize the health and life of your roof, Lifetime shingles included!

What is a lifetime shingle and what is covered? Well let’s start with what a shingle itself is. A shingle is a multi-layer of asphalt and fiber topped with granules. The shingle gives protection to the house and the granules give protection to the shingle by bouncing off the UV rays. As a shingle ages it loses granules exposing the shingle to more UV speeding up the, yup, aging process.

Shingles used to be rated by weight but then manufacturers started using less oil and adding in fillers. This made shingles lighter and less durable and then marketing came along and changed the rating to years, 20, 30 even 50 year shingles. Today most if not all shingles are lifetime shingles and only last about 15 years, whose 15 years is a lifetime you ask? Honestly I don’t have a clue, but I can tell you I’ve outlived that twice already, almost 3 times, moving along…

So now the big secret: what is actually covered in the lifetime warranty. From one manufacture to the other they vary, but all manufactures are pretty much 10 years for Granule loss, algae growth and staining and 15 years for blow offs.

Basically, after the 15 years if the roof fails it doesn’t come down to a manufactures defect. Most defects are found within the first 10 years mostly in the first 5. So, after the 10 year period, granule coverage is over and the roof keeps aging.  If in year 16 you have dried shingles, lots of lost granules and now blow offs you are not covered under the lifetime warranty unless you can prove it’s a manufacture defect, good luck!

Lifetime warranty is for the life that you have those shingles for as long as you own the house, the coverage for lifetime is on manufacture defects aging is not a defect.

Now, you can upgrade the warranty but that will cost you extra. Most manufactures require the use of special products, a minimum of 3 of their brand materials and a specific install such as 4 nails per shingle not 3 not 5 AND contractors that are certified installers. All of that comes with a price tag and the upgraded warranty can have some added costs as well.  Don’t forget most basic lifetime warranties prorate material and sometimes labor for a period of time depending on the type of claim or do not cover labor at all. If you are after the typical 15 years and you make a claim if, not likely, but if you win you may get a few grand off the bill of a new roof but be prepared to just fork out the cash for a new roof.

Buyer beware when it comes to roofing and shingles. That is one of the reasons I make sure to have a conversation with every client about all their options and to attempt to explain some of the commonly misunderstood terms like ‘lifetime shingles’. Comment below or reach out to me through a private message. I love roofs!

old roof shingles

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Roanoke, VA Roof Replacement – Ranch https://fastaffordableroof.com/roanoke-va-roof-replacement-ranch/ https://fastaffordableroof.com/roanoke-va-roof-replacement-ranch/#respond Fri, 16 Apr 2021 12:24:03 +0000 https://fastaffordableroof.com/?p=539 Just wrapped up a roof on Grandin Rd in Roanoke, VA! This roof was in ROUGH shape and the building had been empty for years. It was leaking in so much water the inside was completely uninhabitable. Now that the new roof is on, the owners will be able to rehab the inside of the […]

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Just wrapped up a roof on Grandin Rd in Roanoke, VA! This roof was in ROUGH shape and the building had been empty for years. It was leaking in so much water the inside was completely uninhabitable. Now that the new roof is on, the owners will be able to rehab the inside of the property and start generating some cashflow again. And it’s improving the neighborhood, increasing the value of the property, and giving someone a nice DRY place to live. Doesn’t get much better than that for us!

Before photos:

After photos:

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