QUESTION AND ANSWER POSTING
Do you have a roofing question? We may have an answer. Please browse our question and answer posting and feel free to ask one of your own by clicking the Ask a Question box to the side.

A: Properly installed, metal roofing will withstand high winds, hail, snow and rain. Metal roofing does not rot, split, or crack and is impervious to termites and pest. It reflects and absorbs heat efficiently, which translates to lower cooling costs. If properly installed a good metal roof should last the lifetime of the owner. It is important to choose quality metal roof manufacturer and confirm their warranty.

Q: What is the difference between a 30-year and 40-year in laminated architectural shingles? How do I know the shingles will last 30 to 40 years?

A: Shingles are referred to as "30 Year" and "40 Year" because of the manufacturer's warranty. The difference in the two is the thickness, which corresponds to the weight of the shingle. 30 year shingles are generally between 240 and 265 pounds per 100 square feet while 40 year shingles weigh between 265 and 300 pounds per 100 square feet. Talk to your roofing contractor, roofing distributor and roofing manufacturer about the shingle's warranty. There are numerous factors that affect their life... roof angle, amount of sun, attic ventilation, etc. Proper installation, good ventilation and consistent maintenance will dramatically extend the life of your shingles.

Q: What is the maximum number of layers of shingles I can have on my roof and still be within building codes? Can I have three layers?

A: Most roofing contractors advice to remove all layers, as there may be damage to the roof deck and this should be taken care of. The damage I refer to will probably be dry rot, which is: "Wood rot caused by certain fungi. Dry rot can result from condensation build-up, roof leaks that go untended, or from other problems. Dry rot will not remain localized. It can spread and damage any lumber touching the affected area." If you do not wish to remove all layers, then remove everything but the bottom layer and install a new layer over that. Please note that the bottom layer is liable to be extremely brittle and in very poor condition and may not make a suitable underlayment for the new roof. Call your town/city's building inspector and ask.

Q: What is the ballpark cost to re-roof my house? I have 2 layers of shingles, so it would need to be torn off. The footprint size is approx. 40' by 24', a typical suburban ranch house with a single peak running the length of the house. Approximately, what do you think we should budget?

A: It depends on the type of roofing material chosen. If it is mid-range composition shingles a ballpark figure would be $250 per square. You have about 14 squares, which translates to about $3500 depending where you live, the materials and the current condition of your roof.

Q: I have a 2100 sq. ft tri- level home with a low slope roof that is in need of a re-roof. It currently has a built up roof. I am considering replacing it with composition shingles but some contractors say you can't put shingles on that low a slope. Others say it would be OK. Also, some say a tear-off would be necessary some say it would not be necessary. What would you suggest?

A: Roof manufactures do say shingles can go on a roof with a 2/12 pitch. Most roofing contractors are reluctant since they recognize that shingles on that slope could have problems and would rather not deal with warranty issues. As for tearing off or not, again the roofing contractors may be reluctant to cover the old since there is a hazard it won't lay flat or may cover up problems under the old roof. This is especially true on low-pitched roofs. I think the best you can do, is check with the better business bureau, local roofing associations or us, the roofing distributor for quality, trustworthy roofing contractors. Get three bids and see which proposal makes the most sense.

Q: I have a 2800 square foot house with an average slope and I want to install the right vents the next time I re-roof. What type of ventilation and how much do you recommend?

A: Proper attic/roof space ventilation will help with energy efficiency, help reduce ice damming, and also help prolong the life of your roof. The amount of ventilation needed is easy to figure. Industry standard is that for every 300 square feet of attic space, you need one square foot of intake ventilation and one square foot of exhaust ventilation. An even better way to do it is to run continuous soffit ventilation (intake) and continuous ridge ventilation (exhaust).

Q: What type of questions should we ask potential roofing contractors?

A: Here are some questions that we recommend.
· Are they licensed?
· Are they bonded?
· Do they hold public liability insurance?
· When will they start and finish?
· Will they provide release liens?
· Will there be sub-contractors. If so, what are the names and license numbers?
· Has the company changed their business name? If yes, why?
· Check customer references.
· Check trade references.