There are so many different materials that you can use for your roof, knowing which one is best for your needs will lengthen the life of the roof. Also, once you have made a determination about which materials you intend to use, finding the best manufacturer and brand can save you considerable headaches in the future. Not only are the materials important, but the installation is what will define the final look. Making sure to find a reputable roofer is key to having a roof that is safe, and will hold out the elements, whatever you should encounter.
Not all roofs are the same
There are certain regions that will experience different types of environmental hazards. If you live in the North you are more likely to need a roof that will stand up to snow and ice. If you live in the Midwest, you may worry more about storms, hail damage and tornados. In the South you worry about torrential rains, hail and high winds. A roof is not just a roof, and choosing the best one for your climate and the look of the house, is not always an easy task.
The first thing to do is to get bids from various toiture contractors. Searching the internet, for roofers who deal with different types of materials, and getting a couple different ones, will give you a better understanding of which is best for your needs. A few of the materials types are:
Wooden shingles
Metal
Asphalt
Each contractor will come with their own samples for you to view. Roofers, in some ways are like salesmen, each of them deal with one brand or manufacturer of roofing. With each different manufacturer you will get different grades, which will all have their own warranties. In general, the longer the warranty, the better the roof is. By getting many different price quotes, and materials, you will have a greater variation to choose from to find the right one.
Before you choose the roofer, and the material, narrow your search down to two or three possibilities. Once you know the type of roofing material, do some research on the proposed manufacturer to make sure that it has a good rating, and a good reputation. If you like a roofer, don’t just take for granted that the materials that he is going to use are satisfactory for your roofing. Do some research about the quality yourself instead of blindly going by what the roofer is telling you.
Lastly, once you have chosen the roofer, make sure to ask for a list of prior jobs and references. It is important to take the extra step to go and speak with previous customers to see what their experiences with the roofer was. They are the best voice for the quality of their work. When you go to talk to the previous customers you will also be able to get a first hand look at what the previous job aesthetically looks like. That is the best way to choose the best roofer for your new roof.
