Archives for June 2020

How Long Will My Roof Last?

June 22, 2020 by Infinite Roofing Leave a Comment

How long will my roof last? This varies a lot due to different material choices. The best roofing contractors are skilled at installing many different systems. Poorly installed roofing shingles may only last until high winds come sweeping through your town! A well installed roofing system is going to last longer than the manufacturer warranties it for. Many factors go into the life expectancy of roofing shingles, including southern facing exposure, drastic temperature changes in different regions, the amount of trees and shade the roof receives, severe or coastal weather, the roofing contractor’s skill level, and of course the brand of shingles and underlayments.

Shingle roofing systems – local roofing contractors who are certified usually are the best choice for installing a new shingle roof because they can offer the extended manufacturer’s warranty. Most certified roofing installers have been trained to install a roof per spec and can not get a manufacturer’s certification without the know how. This alone will usually guarantee your roof installation is performed correctly; having enough nails to prevent high wind blow-offs, installing all flashing correctly to prevent premature leaks and guaranteeing the use of premium roofing materials since most manufacturers will not extend a warranty with the use of knock-off materials. When the best roofing contractors install a fully warrantied roofing system, you can expect to get 20-25 years out of a moderately weathered and or sheltered home.

Having a lot of trees around your home can either be great or detrimental to your roof’s life expectancy. Often, trees will cause more harm than good to your roof for the following reasons:

Branches or even the trees themselves can fall and damage your roof.
Other debris such as leaves and needles can also cause issues, blocking your gutters and valleys and encouraging the growth of mold.
Trees can cause moss and lichen to grow on your roof. Once the moss reaches a certain point it starts getting in between the roofing shingles. If this happens, the moss will absorb any moisture and feeds right onto your roof decking, where it causes further damage. At this point, if your roof is not already leaking then it will be soon. If things progress this far, it will cost much more to repair later.
If the trees are too close, animals may be tempted to jump to or nest on your roof.
Too much shade can mean that your roof does not dry off quickly. It can also mean that snow will linger around much longer on your rooftop. This can be detrimental to your roof if ice dams form consistently over time.

However, in the right environment, trees could also be very beneficial to your roof for the following reasons:

These trees may actually help your roof last longer by protecting it from the sun’s harmful UV rays. UV rays will contribute to the breakdown of the components of your roofing system over time. These components are rated to last a certain amount of time in direct sunlight, but often they would last much longer in a more shaded environment.
The right trees can also protect your home from storms and harsh weather without putting your property at more risk.
Shade from trees can help your home stay cooler in the summer and reduce the strain on your air conditioning units.

A well sheltered asphalt shingle roof will last 25-30 years. These well-sheltered houses would also most likely benefit from having gutter guards installed as some houses in the woods need to have their gutters cleaned up to 5 times a year.

The quality of shingle will also greatly affect the roofing system’s life expectancy. Top brand shingle manufacturing companies have developed their roofing shingles through years and years of research and development. GAF’s test lab recently installed a roof using no nails or any fasteners. The roof was put under extreme 140 mph wind conditions and remained fully intact. GAF is also the only shingle company that makes a shingle that is 50% thicker, known as their ULTRA line. These shingles are known to last anywhere from 30-35 years and also improve the looks of the roof because the increased thickness increases the shadow lines creating more contrast for an overall fancier look. As an experienced local roofing company, we can tell you that no other roofing manufacturer comes close to rivalling the consistently high quality of GAF’s shingles.

The quality of underlayments used under the roofing shingles will be another determining factor on how long your roof will last. An upgraded GAF Deck Armor roof allows the decking to breathe while not letting moisture in. This will allow your house’s attic to remain cooler in the hot months decreasing the overall roof temperature preventing the shingles from prematurely aging due to extreme temperatures. Also a higher quality Ice and Water shield will stick tight to the nails penetrating it so that no moisture will get in between the nail holes if you do have ice dams building up along your eaves. A lot of roofing contractors will try and save hundreds of dollars by using the cheap store brands of ice and water which do not really fully adhere to the roof decking, allowing ice build up to rot out the bottom few feet of decking.

Metal roofing systems have an average life expectancy of about 50 years. It is important to only use contractors who have experience installing metal as it is a highly skilled trade. Metal is something you put on your forever home. Standing seam is the Cadillac of metal roofing and is going to have little to no maintenance due to a snap lock panel system. Corrugated roofing is more economical but will need some maintenance from time to time because it has exposed fasteners. These exposed fasteners have little rubber washers creating a watertight seal that eventually fail over the course of the roof’s lifespan. To properly maintain these penetrations and avoid leaks they will need to be caulked after about 20 years. Taking into consideration the maintenance and overall price of a corrugated metal roofing system, it still remains a huge ROI compared to two and a half lifespans of shingles.

Cedar shakes can be expected to last around 30 years. This system will need some maintenance from time to time. The color of cedar shakes darkens and looks more natural as years go on. The overall cost of a cedar shake roofing system does end up costing around the same price as metal but will not last as long and is typically only purchased for aesthetic purposes. Cedar shakes do come in metal and composite look-a-likes which will have a longer lifespan of 50 years. Most local roofing companies will not install cedar shakes due to inexperience.

Slate is the longest lasting roofing product to this date. Some slate had lasted almost a hundred years in the right conditions. Most slate is going to start looking rough and needing continuous maintenance after about 75 years. Slate now comes in composites and can be expected to last just as long as real slate. Local roofing companies who can install slate are usually hard to come by. Most local roofing contractors will not quote for or repair slate, as you have to be so highly skilled or you can easily cause more damage than good.

Rubber roofing or EPDM roofing is most commonly used for flat commercial roofing or smaller porch roof sections on residential homes and will last between 20-25 years. Most manufacturers offer 20 year full coverage warranties if you use their full roofing system, meaning you have to use all quality, name brand seam tape and cover tape. Commercial roofing companies are usually certified by manufacturers because high standards must be met in order for the manufacturers to back their labor and material warranties once they are installed. Commercial roofing manufacturers will send roofing inspectors out after the work is complete to check it meets all their requirements. If the contractors work is sub-par a warranty will not be issued until all aspects have been installed to spec.

A TPO roofing system will last twenty to twenty five years. Only the best roofing contractors in each area will be geared towards installing TPO. Local roofing contractors usually don’t install this system because they do not have the expensive equipment needed to perform heat welds. TPO is also a white reflective roof which will add years to your cooling units lifespans.

Overall you only need high quality materials and high quality workmanship to get the most bang for your buck over the long term. The best way to get the longest potential lifespan out of a roofing system is to choose a quality product that offers a full warrantied system which has to use all high quality accessories to qualify for full coverage. Make sure to ask your contractor which materials are being used and check the contract for brand names on underlayments.

Choosing certified roofing installers who back their work up with their own in house warranty is the safest bet to achieve maximum lifetime efficiency out of the materials you invest in. Check that the local roofing company is listed on any websites they claim to be certified by to ensure that you will receive an actual manufacturers warranty. Most shingle companies will mail you a warranty within a month after your replacement offering you peace of mind for many years to come.

What Should I Look For In A Roofing Contractor?

June 18, 2020 by Infinite Roofing Leave a Comment

What To Look For In A Roofing Contractor

Choosing an honest roofer among numerous roofing companies and getting one with enough professional experience and expertise to actually know what they’re doing, is the most vital decision you will make as a property owner. Putting a roof on your home is a major project and should be treated that way. Installing a replacement roof is a task every homeowner and roofer should approach professionally and punctiliously . The roofing industry is filled with scammers and money-driven sales people or middlemen who may not really know what they are talking about. They have the skills to tell you all the right things and exactly what you want to hear, appearing to be the best choice when that is actually far from the truth. We have written a previous blog that can relate to this one about what can go wrong with hiring the wrong roofing contractor. This post is another effort from the Infinite Roofing Team to help you make a wise choice concerning such a major investment for your home.

Choosing a well established local roofing company is a very important step towards avoiding roofing companies who are not legitimate. When hiring a roofer, you want to know that they will be around if something goes wrong down the line either with the work or with the shingle materials being used.

4 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring Local Roofing Companies

1. Avoid A Roofing Company With An Unprofessional, Outdated website

You may be thinking, well why is it important for a roofing company to have a professional website? Well, pretty much everyone today has a website. A well-established and legitimate roofing business should at the very least have a professionally done, basic website to let the world know who they are and what they do. If a roofing contractor tells you that they do not have an internet site or they are working on it, they probably don’t deserve your trust. They are likely either just starting out or perhaps they’re hiding something. In either case, you don’t want to trust them with something as complex as a replacement roof installation for your home! Some roofers may give you a URL website which in the end would just direct you to a free google site page which is usually poorly done or is as basic as it can be. What that means is they do not really have a proper website, they just put up something for free to show someone just in case a homeowner asks!

What a professional website tells you about your local roofing contractors is that they are more well-established and committed to providing a quality service. They have an online presence that they care about and provide a main point of contact and a place for you to get customer support and leave feedback or reviews. They stand by their work and they don’t mind customer feedback being public. They will have an established phone number and email address listed on their website, along with their business hours.

More well-established companies will also have their trucks and uniforms printed with their website and their contact number on them. They have invested a significant amount of money, time and effort into their branding and online presence. They have people on their payroll in an office somewhere keeping their website going and answering customer’s calls/emails. A company that has made such an investment and is so well established is not going to be able to easily ignore you and disappear if something goes wrong. You know they are in the roofing industry for the long-term and they are not just playing at being roofers.

2. Avoid A Roofing Company With Negative Reviews

Many local roofing companies may actually have a presence online with a proper website and even social media pages like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even Yelp, Google and Bing. A roofing contractor cannot remove or fake the experiences of their previous customers. It is important to take note of these reviews and comments, especially when a customer has mentioned a negative experience. A customer would go out their way to write a negative review against a roofing company they were not happy with. Checking for reviews is a good way to learn more about the roofing contractor you are considering. Check out their online reviews at google, Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the other places mentioned above to see what their customers have said about them.

3. Avoid a Roofing Company With No General Liability Insurance

Worker’s Compensation insurance covers the employees working on your property; general liability insurance covers your actual property. Some roofers claiming to be legitimate local roofing contractors might not have either. Even if they have worker’s compensation insurance, it doesn’t help you as a homeowner if the roofer accidentally damages your house while on your roof and they don’t carry liability insurance, it could then be you that is responsible for the cost of the repairs. When it involves insurance, don’t simply take the roofer’s word for it. Be certain about the roofer’s credibility; ask them to provide proof of their insurance before they begin any work. Do not simply take their word for it!

4. Avoid A Contractor That Won’t Provide A Written Estimate

A roofing contractor’s estimate can tell you a lot about what kind of roofing company they are. Local roofing companies that try to avoid providing you with a written estimate should immediately be considered a scam. You may ask, why is that? Well the roofer you are dealing with is either a complete amateur or they are not really a true hands-on roof installer. They are quite likely an untrained, commission based salesperson that does not possess the knowledge and experience necessary to prepare a real written roof estimate of their own. Some of these commission sales representatives have been trained purely to get the sale and nothing more. If they don’t know the product they are selling, how can they best advise you on your costly investment?

Also, if you do not have exactly what work you are paying the contractor for in writing, what is to say that they will actually fully complete the work you agreed upon? And what about the quality of the roofing materials? If you agree to getting ice & water barrier installed or getting higher quality shingles but then the contractor only installs the basics, what do you do? Without a written contract detailing exactly what will be installed and the cost, you will be left high and dry without any recourse.

A Master Elite Roofing Contractor Is What You’re Looking For!

First things first, what does it mean to be a Master Elite contractor? You may have seen it with the accompanied logo above and always wondered what it really means to be a Master Elite roofing contractor. Anyone can be a roofer, there are no requirements at all to be one in many states. Therefore, there are so many roofers who are not qualified in any way. Building codes dictate that the roof should be installed a certain way, but in reality when and if the building inspector inspects the roof there is just no way to verify the right code has been met. The roof is already on and you can’t tear it off to check. The first sign might be when water starts pouring into your home months or just a few years later. Considering this fact, it isn’t a mystery why roofing complaints make up 70 percent of the Better Business Bureaus overall complaints. That’s pretty wild when you consider that your roof is easily the single most important element to the protection of your house, and yet only represents 4 percent of the value of your home. So you have to wonder then, why do most people seem so bound and determined to settle on a rock bottom bid!

Another roofing trade secret is that a couple of roofing shingle manufacturers have come up with a certification program that permits contractors to supply better warranties and successively offer more protection than your everyday roofer/handyman or some guy with a hammer. These programs are fantastic but there are still some holes in your overall protection. Standard roofing certification programs from major roofing manufacturers only require you to use 3 of their system components (felt, ice and water shield) to ensure an upgraded warranty. That is a step up from a basic roofing warranty, but it still doesn’t cover any components produced by other manufacturers and may leave you with a nasty bill if you ever get to the point that you need to claim on your roofing warranty coverage.

Hire a Master Elite contractor from GAF— a Master Elite roofing contractor is the only roofer that can provide the GAF 25 Year Golden Pledge Warranty, the most encompassing and substantial roofing warranty in the roofing industry. The GAF Golden Pledge Warranty is the only warranty that needs the whole roof system to be from GAF (one single manufacturer). GAF is the largest roofing manufacturer in North America. The real beauty of the Golden Pledge is that once your new roof is installed, a representative from GAF comes out and puts their stamp of approval on the job when we are done. And if for any reason we were to fail their extensive 40 point inspection process, we’ve got to come back and repair it right away, at no cost to you! There is really not very much extra cost to install your roof in this manner. We are only talking a few hundred bucks on a mid-size roof. You will probably spend more on buying a warranty on a new tv set, and the tv does a crummy job of keeping your living room free of rain and snow.

What makes a Master Elite contractor so special, and how are they different from a typical roofer or a licensed contractor?

Master Elite contractors make up only 2 percent of the total roofers nationwide. The reason it is so rare is that it is very hard to achieve. GAF verifies all the following requirements before granting any roofing company their prized Master Elite status.

Minimum 7 years in business and 1 year in their certification program
99 percent customer satisfaction based on independent surveys from GAF
1 million general liability coverage and proper and valid workers compensation
Satisfactory rating with BBB
GOOD or better credit rating
Clean banking record ( no overdrafts, negative info)
Clean distributor reference
No liens, or judgments unresolved on record
Good workmanship record

You can see why it is almost impossible for 98 percent of companies to achieve even these base requirements, but still the final test is a face-to-face meeting with the GAF territory managers to doubly verify all information and personally check out our previous jobs and talk to some of our previous customers. It is a true partnership with GAF, and that is fantastic for you, us, and them. This is what a good business relationship is like. A roofing contractor who is not even certified couldn’t build that kind of relationship.

Quality Roofing Work Matters

Another very important aspect of installing a quality roof is properly ventilating the attic space. This is yet another major opportunity being missed by a lot of homeowners simply because they are listening to a greedy salesperson or middleman. Proper attic ventilation is imperative to any shingle roofing system’s longevity. Unfortunately, many homeowners are not being told the truth about their attic ventilation simply so the roofing contractor can make more of a profit. Giving up any of your insurance money towards an upgrade of any kind means less money in the roofing companies pocket. This can and will have a negative impact on your product warranty. Most shingle manufacturing companies won’t provide a guarantee when the roof has been installed without proper attic ventilation or if the roof was installed improperly. Make sure you examine your contracts and material information very carefully. Most good quality local roofing companies post their warranty information and details right on their website. A good local roofing contractor will not mind a customer who asks questions because they will have nothing to hide. Check your material list against the warranty requirements and confirm nothing is missing.

For local roofing contractors you can count on, call Infinite Roofing on 518-444-ROOF or email info@infiniteroofingny.com. Book your free roofing estimate, today!

Infinite Roofing GAF Master Elite Infinite Roofing

Does Your Home Need Roof Ventilation?

June 10, 2020 by Infinite Roofing Leave a Comment

You’re probably aware that most attic and roofs are vented. Maybe you’re also aware of the ridge vent that’s at the peak of your roof. However, what you may not be aware of is that some homes may not have enough ventilation or don’t have any ventilation at all. Now, you may be asking if a roof ventilation system is even necessary? Roof ventilation helps keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, therefore giving your roof a longer lifespan and a much lower risk of roof damages. A well-designed roof ventilation system also helps eliminate moisture in your attic and crawl spaces by allowing cool, dry air to enter while exhausting out the warm, moist air. Your local roofing contractors know that in order to stay healthy, your home actually needs to breathe just like you do! Allowing your home to breathe will help prevent damp and deter dangerous mold growth in your attic and crawl spaces.

Why Are Roof Vents Needed?

If you have an attic, an unheated space in the basement or an upper floor attached to the roof, ventilation is necessary to help correct air conditioning of your area. In summer, your roof’s ventilation helps cool the roof and underlying water barrier materials, reducing the expansion of the metal and slows the aging of asphalt shingles, which suffer from the heat. That’s not all though; roof vents are crucial in winter too. By keeping your roof cool, you can prevent snow from melting on top of the roof and freezing again in your rain gutters where they would create an ice dam that can cause leaks and water damage. Even if there are no leaks, additional weight can cause structural damage to your roof. The vents prevent this by circulating the coldest air from the eaves through the vent in the roof peak.

Extend The Life Of Your Roof

Have you ever seen icicles build up on the edge of roofs and gutters? This ice buildup is known as ice damming. You can see the icicles, but you can’t see the damage that they’re doing to the edge of your roof. Ice damming happens when heat from inside your attic combines with heat from the sun to melt snow and ice on your warm roof. When the resulting water runs to the edge of your roof, it begins to refreeze. As the ice and water build up at the edges of the roof, it can back up behind/underneath the roofing materials, causing damage to your whole roof system, your attic and even inside the walls of your home.

Proper ventilation helps warm air escape before it has a chance to melt the snow and ice on your roof. A well-vented roof can be easy to see in the wintertime. It will still have snow on the roof, but there will not be an icicle in sight.

Ventilation will benefit a roof when it’s hot outside as well. When the outside temperature rises, the temperature on your roof can be nearly double that. A hot roof over a poorly vented attic will give you a very hot attic.

The reason for this is that unventilated or poorly ventilated attics don’t have an escape route for the heat that builds up. This buildup of heat can damage your shingles from the inside out. An evenly vented roof will allow the hot air to escape keeping your roof and attic cooler.

Reducing Energy Costs

When the temperature increases outside, everyone wishes to shelter away and stay cool inside. A properly vented roof allows the heat to escape, thereby reducing the workload on your air conditioner. An air conditioner that’s running less means you will have a lower electric bill.

Reduces Indoor Temperature Extremes

Have you ever walked upstairs and thought it was at least 10 degrees warmer than it was in your living room? These indoor temperature extremes are often the result of poorly vented roofs. Once your roof is adequately vented to allow the hot air to escape and the cool air enter the attic space, your home will be more comfortable year-round.

Attic Vents Control Moisture & Temperature

When air stagnates in the attic, moisture tends to condense out and settle on the framing and insulation. This provides a perfect environment for mold and rot to set in. Mold loves to grow in damp attic insulation, and damp insulation has a tendency to clump, which reduces its effectiveness. Rot affects the framing and the roof decking, and the end result can be a sagging roof. Sagging roofs leak, which worsens the moisture problem in the attic and creates a big problem in living areas below.

The Proper Attic Ventilation

Soffit vents, which are grids that fit over holes you cut in the soffits, come in different sizes. On some aluminum or vinyl soffit systems, the vents are integrated into soffit panels. Since the roof line and soffit form a corner in the attic, you usually have to fit baffles over the soffit vents, running up along the roof sheathing beneath the insulation. These are cardboard or plastic air passageways that you fasten to the underside of the roof decking. They prevent insulation from blocking the vents and keep air flowing freely.

Ridge vents are the most economical roof vents. A roof’s ridge vent is a continuous vent that runs along the peak of a sloped roof. It is usually covered with shingles to match the rest of the roof. You can also choose a number of vent styles that open directly onto the roof deck. Care should be taken to make sure that the vent openings aren’t covered by snow in the winter as this will seriously hinder their functionality. If your house accommodates them, you can also satisfy the roof vent area requirement by installing gable vents that penetrate the siding and open into the unheated attic space. You have to exercise some care when designing a ventilation system to ensure uniform circulation throughout the attic, especially in corners and behind obstacles.

The Flat Roof Vent System

Whichever roof ventilation system you select, you will want to make sure that you preserve the integrity of your roof. If you install a turbine or other ventilation duct across the roof surface, you must ensure that it includes enough solenoid and sealant to prevent water from flowing into the home and causing moisture problems. A ridge vent will have to be fixed on the roof, the asphalt fabric, the minimal roll or the metal. It is necessary to provide the room with circulating air under the roof covering.

How Does Roof Ventilation Work?

A roof ventilation system works by providing continuous flow of air through your attic space, helping remove overheated air and moisture from the attic and roof system and reduce the impact of changing temperatures and moisture conditions both inside and outside the home. The system that allows the ventilation of air to take place consist of intake vents and exhaust vents installed at strategic intervals in the attic or roof area. Several different types of vents may be used in different locations to provide ventilation for the attic or roof area. Several different types of vents may be used in different locations to provide for attic air to circulate in the right amounts and directions throughout the roofing system.

A good local roofing company knows that correct design and construction of the roof ventilation system is critical. The roof’s design should provide plenty of open air space for insulation and air flow under the roof and eaves. And, a correctly designed system will precisely balance the intake and exhaust ventilation under the roof so that the attic is slightly pressurized, preventing conditioned air from being sucked out too quickly through the vents, thereby increasing heating and cooling costs.

What Happens If Your Attic Is Not Vented?

Any professional local roofing contractors will tell you that proper attic ventilation is crucial to keep the air flowing through your attic, rather than simply letting it sit. Ventilation essentially helps outside air pass through and out of your attic, removing excess heat and moisture from the air of your attic as it does so. Air is taken in through areas like your soffits and eaves and is exhausted through the roof at your ridge cap or by a roof vent. This helps create the right air balance in your attic, which plays an important role in keeping your home healthy and comfortable to be in.

How Much Attic Ventilation Do You Need?

Since most roofs are under ventilated, many people have no idea just how much roof ventilation they need, or what kind of purchase. The FHA recommends that you have 1 square foot of attic exhaust (both intake and exhaust) for every 300 square feet of attic square.

When there is a lack of ventilation it can cause a whole host of problems in and around your home. Depending on the climate that you live in, lack of proper ventilation can have a serious impact on your energy bills and the lifespan of things like your roof.

If your home lacks sufficient ventilation, it can create a super heated attic. Without the air moving through the space, the air trapped inside starts to heat up with the sun beating down on the roof. This heat then transfers itself through the floor of your attic and begins to warm the rooms of your home. This in turn leads to higher energy bills as your fans and AC work to combat it. Another issue with the fact that your attic is becoming superheated is the lifespan of your roof shingles. The heat from your attic won’t just be transferred down into your living space; it will also be transferred back to the roof itself. This causes the shingles to become overheated, essentially frying them and decreasing their lifespan.

The heat transfer from a super heated attic can damage a lot more than your roof and your energy bills. It can also warp the wood framing in your attic, which in turn can warp walls and door frames, as well as transfer down the walls to blister your paint and wallpaper.

Moisture Build Up

The summer isn’t the only time you need to worry about a lack of attic ventilation. During the winter the steam from your shower, clothes dryer, and pots and pans can all get trapped in the attic where it condenses. This condensation can drip back down onto your insulation, rendering it less effective. It can also lead to the growth of mold and mildew in your attic and in your insulation where it can harm your family’s health.

Condensation and excess moisture can also form on your eaves and soffits, driving moisture back under your roof and forming ice dams that can cause leaks as well. Proper ventilation keeps the air moving all year long, which moves moisture out of the attic before it can condense.

Summary

Proper ventilation is essential to the well-being of your home and everyone within. If you are concerned that your roof is lacking sufficient ventilation or you have noticed some of the issues mentioned here in your home, you should contact professional local roofing contractors to have a look and let you know what your options are. Call 518-444-ROOF and we will be happy to help you address any concerns you may have.