Top 5 Roofing Questions To Consider That Will Help You Keep Your Roof Costs Down

1.) Only consider a reputable installer using quality roofing materials.

Many people are still unaware of the common wisdom that states "I don't have extra money to waste so I can't afford to buy something cheap that won't last long." In all walks of life, cheap items just don't last as long and you end up spending more money on repeated purchases of cheap items than if you had bought quality to start with. The question is, "Can you afford to go cheap?"

Just this week we got another call from someone with a roof failing very prematurely. "We weren't planning on being in the home for too many more years so we did not think we needed a quality roof" was the explanation the frustrated homeowner told us. They had their roof installed by one of the big box stores (why of all places are these stores in the roofing business?) and received a paltry 5 year warranty. Within those five short years, leaks developed on which they had to have repairs done. Then, between years six and seven, more leaks came and they were told that they were flat out of luck. These poor folks are now facing the need for a new roof in less than seven years when if they had gone with a reputable company installing a quality roof with a legitimate warranty, they would be worry free. In today's uncertain economic times, can you really say for certain that you will only be in your existing house for two, five or ten more years? And when you do prepare to sell your home, do you want a roof that is failing or one that has many years of life left and will fly through inspection?

=> Result of choosing a cheap bid; MORE money spent in the long run.

2.) Think long and hard about skylights.

A skylight in the proper location can be a glorious enhancement to your interior living space. Just make sure any suggested skylights are truly in locations you want and that you would reap enjoyment from them. Properly installed skylight rarely leak but nonetheless (due the number of incorrectly installed ones) they are still one of the more common roof leak sources.

=> Remember, any future roof repair cost related to this current roof installation increases your overall TRUE PROJECT COST.

3.) Avoid "feature oversell."

Some roofers have a knack for taking items like an ordinary drip flashing and listing it out as a "Custom Fabricated Metal Moisture Deterrent System" and increasing the cost 50% 100%. The name doesn't change what the item is but only your perception of it (and possibly your misinformed willingness to pay too much for it!)

=> Don't get fooled by FANCY LANGUAGE.

4.) Take a pass on extended shingle manufacturer warranties.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, extended roof warranties are just smoke and mirrors used by the roofing company to up-sell you and increase profit margins. The standard roof warranty is more than adequate IF the roof is properly installed. Enough said.

=> Extended warranties RARELY benefit anyone but the warranty provider.

5.) Keep your existing gutters if they don't need replacing yet.

Often gutter replacement is added in as a "wise" item to replace at the same time as the roof. Sometimes they need replacing, sometimes they don't. Contrary to what you might have been told about it being easier to replace them at the same time as the roof and that is the "way it is always done," gutters can very easily be replaced completely independent of the roof and are commonly done as such. It is worth your while to climb up to their edge and check them out yourself. If they are not rusted or leaking, wait until they are.

=> ONLY replace what you need to replace.

Following these five simple points will help you both keep your costs down while still getting a top quality roof that will last you for years.