By James Allen
June of Rineyville KY: I have had several estimates on replacing the roof. Now I can't get anyone else to come out. Why? I told one company the name of the roofers who had put on our roof we have now. It was a very bad job.
There could be a dozen reasons. The most likely, IMHO, is that most roofers are very, very busy in good weather. Was there something wrong with the estimates you received? Were they all within about 10% of each other for the same scope of work? You could always politely ask them why they cant get to you. I would.
Steve of Surrey BC, Canada:
Is cedar roof restoration any good? Does it last ten years like the company
says? My roof now is 15 years old; with repairs and stain they want $5,800
for a 2900 sq foot roof. A new roof is much more
money. Is this a rip off?
If the shingles are in good shape they can be treated (cleaned and treated?). How much more life is a function of your environment. Cost-wise, not knowing your region, I can only suggest that you obtain multiple estimates to see if there is a trend in pricing. Good luck.
Betty of New York, NY:
My mother is a nursing home in the south and her vacant house has had a severly leaking roof for some time. The leak is between the walls of the kitchen and bedroom and has ruined the wall and floor. I just found her 25-year warranty for the roof shingles. Is the roofer who guaratees the shingles obligated to find and fix the leak? (I've tarred and one crook put silicone on the roof and said he'd be back if it didn't work.)
The first question that comes to mind is, how old
is the roof? Shingle warranties are made by the
manufacturer, and are (in my experience) pro-rated.
"Workmanship" is guaranteed by the installer, and
there are limits to that liability, usually specified
in the contract, or by state statute.
What to do is to get a roofer to look and determine
the cause, then provide a contract and guarantee for
the work. Remember: licensed and insured contractors
are the ones to deal with. And, I've never heard of
applying silicone to a roof.
As for estimates -- the more, the merrier.
Betty B. of Anytown
A recommended roofing company here in this small town
no longer does small roofing jobs but the company
recommended one of its workers. He and two of his
"partners" looked at my mother's house and determined
that she has a "dead" valley, through which they claim
the water doesn't run, but remains stagnant.
Therefore they said they would put a piece of roofing
rubber there (with no shingles over them) to stop the
leak.
They said this is used on flat roofs and would
be the only answer for the problem. I objected and
asked questions and they became annoyed.
Are they telling me the truth? The area doesn't look
flat to me from the ground. (They are not insured nor
a bona fide company - just workers for the company I
mentioned earlier that no longer does houses.)
I'm not a roofer. When I'm faced with issues
in disciplines in which I'm not skilled,
I'm forced to look to others. One of the ways I try
to obtain assurance is by dealing with those who
have been licensed by the state. That way I'm assured
(somewhat) that the license holder has at least met the
state requirements for knowledge and experience in
that discipline.
Another way is to get multiple
opinions and estimates from licensed contractors to
compare. Also, many trades have a general membership
organization that not only promotes the discipline, but
helps sets standards. They could be a good source of
information.
The fellows you dealt with may not be experienced
in customer relations, but may have the knowledge
requisite to solving your problem. And maybe not.
Seems like you need more information.
