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What Should I Look For In A Roofing Contractor?

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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 Avoid A Roofing Company With An Unprofessional, Outdated website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

What Could Go Wrong With Hiring the Wrong Contractor?

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The most expensive component of your home is your roof. If you’re thinking about getting a full roof replacement or even a repair job, the local roofing contractor that you consider hiring is not something that should be taken lightly. When you hire a good roofing contractor they will use top-quality roofing materials, the right roofing tools and equipment, and will provide professional installation techniques to ensure that the final result will add value to your home. However, some homeowner’s do, unfortunately, make the mistake of hiring the wrong contractor. The majority of homeowners have a horror story about a horrible contractor and their experience with them. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of unqualified, unlicensed, or even scam artist roofers advertising their services. Hiring the wrong contractor can cause significant damage to your home and will cost a great deal of money to get it redone. 

What’s the real risk of bad contractors?

Hiring a good contractor is very important when you’re looking for the best quality for your home. A roof is what truly makes a place a home and a shelter from the elements. One of the most important indicators of a good roofing contractor is that they have the right credentials, for instance, valid insurance. A bad contractor won’t be able to provide you with valid insurance which most likely puts you, the homeowner, in a predicament. Let’s say that there was accidental damage to your home or someone got injured during the job, the matter can become ugly without having any insurance. 

Another issue that should be considered is the warranties provided on both the labor and the materials used. If you are only covered for one and not the other, if something is amiss you will end up paying out of pocket for work and materials you already paid for. One of the biggest issues with hiring the wrong roofing contractor is that it can result in a financial disaster. Even though you may pay more for a quality roofing contractor and quality home repair work, it’s worth every penny in the end. A great deal isn’t always a great deal in the long run.

Using a roofing contractor without a license 

Knowing that getting a roof done can be extremely expensive, a full roof replacement can cost upwards of $10,000 and a lot more on a larger building or commercial roof. Therefore, some property owners decide to go to a local roofing contractor who would charge for less. Which in many cases result in having a local roofing contractor who is unlicensed. Unlicensed roofing contractors are often likely to be less expensive than those who are properly licensed and insured. 

Unfortunately, taking this kind of financial shortcut with choosing a cheaper contractor could cost you a lot more than you realized. Therefore, when choosing a roofing contractor the first thing that you should do is make sure that they are licensed. Contractors who don’t have the proper training, knowledge, and expertise to be working on roofs may try to take roofing jobs without a license because they don’t have the necessary skills to become licensed. Going with a contractor like this means that you would be trusting your roof with someone that is going to do an inferior job. Poor workmanship often leads to more expensive repairs down the road where you need to have the original work redone. Depending upon where you live, hiring an unlicensed roofing contractor could also land you in hot water legally as well. If your unlicensed contractor fails to complete the job, you may be prevented from using them. And in some states, hiring an unlicensed roofing contractor can carry fines up to $5,000 as well, which could lead your cost-cutting techniques to backfire in a big way. 

Lack of Certification

Many manufacturers that provide roofing products and shingles, such as GAF, offer certification to roofers. When a local roofing contractor has certification it means that the roofer has learned the necessary things to properly install their products. This often makes them a candidate for offering extended manufacturer’s warranties. A roofer who isn’t taking the time to get a proper state license would unlikely follow-through on a manufacturer certification as well. Therefore, it’s more than likely that you’re hiring an amateur who is untrained in installing the specific roofing materials that they are putting on your roof. And if something were to go wrong, you won’t be covered by the extended warranties that can help give you peace of mind and offset the cost of future repairs. 

You may be liable for unpaid bills

Unlicensed local roofing contractors typically may fail to pay their subcontractors or their suppliers after the work is done. Unfortunately, that may leave you in the position of needing to pay them, even if you’ve already paid for the work in full. This can result in a lien being put on your property until you settle the bills. Remember, you often can’t take an unlicensed roofing contractor to court, so you have no recourse to pursue him if he doesn’t pay his bills. 

Mechanic’s Lien

A lien is a notice attached to your property informing everyone that you owe the creditor money. It may seem essentially unfair that you can possibly end up paying for the general contractor’s irresponsible behavior. The justification for allowing the mechanic’s lien in the first place is that between the person with an improved property which would be you the homeowner and the person who supplied your new roof, the supplier’s need to get paid is greater. The law also concludes that you can, in turn, sue the general contractor. While this is true, this doesn’t really help you in the short-run. Suppose a supplier places a mechanic’s lien against your house because the general contractor failed to pay him when the general contractor lost all his money. You can certainly go file a lawsuit against the general contractor, and over time maybe garnish his wages or force him to sell his property, but that takes time and wringing money out of someone who doesn’t pay his subcontractors and suppliers can be difficult. Meanwhile, you owe twenty thousand dollars and have a matter of days or months to pay the supplier or else your house will be sold to satisfy the mechanic’s lien against you. 

How do you protect yourself against a mechanic’s lien?

Here are three ways to help protect you and your investment:

  • Make sure you have a list of all the subcontractors, laborers and material suppliers that your primary contractor will be using, and ask for proof that everyone has been paid before releasing your final payment, otherwise you could be held liable.
  • Before making any partial or final payment to your contractor, ask for a Release of Lien or Partial Release of Lien and Affidavit. This just simply means that it reduces the amount claimed to be owed.  These will either indicate that the contractor has paid all laborers or list out who is still owed money and how much. If you pay the subcontractor or laborers directly, make sure to get a release of lien.
  • Even if your state doesn’t require a written agreement, ask for one. Also, keep in mind that contract requirements vary by state. It should be clear and concise and include the who, what, where, when and cost of your project. It’s not a bad idea to have an attorney review the contract before you present one or sign one. 

Can a homeowner file a lien against a contractor?

Not all mechanic’s liens that contractors file against a homeowner to secure payment are right. Sometimes, there can be a genuine dispute between the contractor, subcontractor, and/or owner about what exactly is owed and due. However, there are some instances where there is a subcontractor, contractor or even a supplier who exaggerates the amount of the lien that they filed. There can be a case where the lien amount is intentionally exaggerated, or filed with no legal basis. When dealing with a frivolously filed mechanics lien, there are some states that have legislation that specifically prohibits willfully exaggerated liens. New Jersey for instance, has a statute that creates liability for those who file such liens. They can face damages and penalties, and their lien can be stricken. 

No permissions or permits

If a local roofing contractor is willing to work without pulling a building permit or completing the proper inspections, he’s not doing so to save your time or money. It’s typically because he is not qualified to pull the roofing permit, or he knows that he is doing sub-par work that won’t pass inspection. Whether performing re-roofing or new construction, when a contractor does not pull permits you are at risk for penalties, code compliance issues, possible tear out, the cost of rework and potentially the loss of a home sale. Depending on the type of roofing job, and whether the homeowner chooses the do it yourself option or hires a contractor, certain scopes of work will require construction permits. Failure to obtain necessary construction permits by either you or your contractor may become a safety issue or an unexpected expense far in excess of the cost of the original building permit. 

When you hire the wrong contractor the majority of the time they don’t pull permits for the scope of work required and so the homeowner becomes the responsible party, often with no penalty to the hired contractor. The local governing authority establishes how penalties are assessed. For instance, penalties can range from charging a homeowner double the original fee for tearing out the complete work for an inspection. While passing off unpermitted renovations to a potential unsuspecting home buyer is nothing new, the seller’s maneuver will often be exposed by a qualified home inspector. If discovered, you may be required to provide evidence of valid permits for the work on a file with the local governing authority. 

While a reputable contractor will complete the necessary steps to obtain a building permit and local city, county, or state permission for the jobs completed, an unlicensed contractor won’t. This can mean major problems down the road should you decide to sell your home. Even if you don’t sell, you could be held liable should something bad happen on your property due to faulty and illegal construction practices.

New Year’s Roof Resolutions

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The Infinite Roofing Team is reminding homeowners and business owners of the importance of the roof over their heads. Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home or business, both aesthetically and functionally, so it makes perfect sense to keep a close eye on it to keep it in good health. We’re recommending that you add your roof to this year’s list of important New Year’s Resolutions.

Scheduling A Professional Inspection 

Most homeowners and business owners are unable to spot faults on their own in a roofing system until it’s too late or until water has penetrated the surface. Therefore, by scheduling an inspection with your local roofing contractor, they can help pinpoint any potential problems before it is too late. The point of having a roofing contractor is so that they can provide a complete and thorough inspection of your roofing system. As a homeowner possibly without very much roofing experience, it would be much harder for you to spot any problems than a trained and experienced professional. A professional roofing contractor could find any leaks, roof membrane damage, and membrane deterioration. Your local roofing contractor can also give you advice and recommendations on how you can improve the safety, longevity and durability of your roofing system.

Think of a roof inspection as a preventative measure that could save you thousands of dollars in per year. A professional roof inspection can reveal structural weaknesses in your roof, deficiencies, or damage that can lead to much more expensive roof repairs if left unchecked. A roof inspection also includes a thorough check-up of your home’s ceilings and interior walls for possible water infiltration such as ceiling tile stains, incorrect roof flashing, excessive debris, and curb or pipe penetrations. A comprehensive roof inspection can catch membrane deterioration early and have it fixed, if possible.

Make your new year’s goal, getting your roof checked at least twice per year! Some warranties won’t be completed without a thorough roofing inspection by a reputable local roofing contractor. Roof penetrations and incorrect flashing could potentially void the manufacturer’s roof warranty. Deterioration and damage can lead to premature roof leaks and cause serious emergency situations or disruption to your property. Preventative action always pays off! Therefore, we strongly recommend that you make scheduling a professional roof inspection a New Year’s Resolution.

Keep An Eye On Your Gutters

It’s critical to keep your gutters in working order to allow water overflow to drain from your roofing system. You want to ensure that water flows away from your roof without pooling in corners. You can also check your gutters to find out if you have significant and threatening shingle or tile breakage as well. The role of gutters is to route rainwater away from your home. It can be difficult for homeowners to identify minor gutter issues before they become full-blown failures. Neglect leads to clogs, which can cause leaks in the gutters. These leaks typically form at the joints, at the areas where gutters lengths and downspout meet. These areas are often sealed using a sealant, which can get worn out due to weather exposure. Gutters will also tend to overflow if clogged, so cleaning them regularly at least twice a year is important. Holes from rust spots are yet another source of leaks and can develop from the smallest exposed metal surfaces.

Water pooling around your home’s foundation is the biggest risk you would face when neglecting your gutters. This weakens the ground that the foundation sits on, which could cause the house to settle inappropriately. Also, your home’s foundation is made of concrete and concrete absorbs water. Water pooling around the foundation due to faulty gutters can weaken the foundation, causing irreparable damage. The fascia boards that hold the gutters in place could get damaged as well. The exposed wood will begin to rot if soaked in water. Gutter hangers could come loose, necessitating a complete gutter replacement.

Replace Missing Shingles Or Tiles

If your home or business has loose or missing shingles or tiles, you may wind up facing much more than an aesthetic problem. With missing or damaged shingles or tiles, your roof is much less likely to remain weatherproof. 

When shingles from your roof fall from their adhesive backing or nails give out, they leave the insulating and adhesive layers open to the elements. This exposure can cause roof leaks, structural damage, weatherproofing damage and dry rot. Even if the open patch of a roof is small, average amounts of rainfall are enough to soak the layers between the exposed area of your roof and the inside of your home. Unwanted wetness in your home will cause roof damage as well as weaken floorboards, soak the insulation, and let moisture into your foundation. 

Over time, the water from roof leakage can weaken your home’s structural beams and foundation, causing much larger, permanent problems. If your support beams fail to provide support for the weight of your house, you may experience foundation cracking, roof caving, and wall breakage.

Dry and hot as well as frequently changing weather conditions will stretch, condense, and water down the weatherproofing and adhesive layers beneath your roof tile. After these layers are exposed to dry air and direct sunlight due to missing shingles, they will lose their protective properties. 

In hot weather areas, unprotected parts of your roof will experience dry, scorching air throughout the entire day. The air saps the moisture from places that need oil and moisture to function properly, causing them to expand without pliability. They will crack and weaken, leaving them vulnerable to breakage. These problems can also occur in combination. When they do, small problems with over-dryness or excessive moisture can cause much larger problems for the entirety of your house. 

Since residential and commercial roofs in the region have to put with so much constantly changing weather, the cause of slipped, broken, and missing roof tiles or shingles can be one of a combination of the following:

  • Wind – Even if your roof is built with consideration for wind damage, strong, gusting winds can still pull shingles from their place if the come with enough force. 
  • Trauma- Unusual weather events such as hail, rainstorms, or blizzards can pull tiles from their place. Tiles will slowly weaken and break from too much impact.
  • Dryness- Most types of roofing require moisture to stay weatherproof and secure. Droughts and severely hot weather will pull that necessary moisture from the tiles.
  • Weakening- Underlayment and sheathing underneath your tiles will start to give in to the elements over time. This allows your shingles to slip and opens them up to damage.


Consider Roof Cleaning

Cleaning your roof not only helps to please the eye, but it also helps in keeping it in efficient working order. Eliminating leaf and debris buildup can reduce the risk of mold and mildew that can seriously threaten the functionality of your roofing system. 

Roof cleaning is commonly overlooked, however, when the siding of your home is dirty or the paint is peeling, it becomes an obvious sign that it is time for maintenance. However, the roof of your home tends to be a bit more out of the line of sight. As they say— “Out of sight, out of mind”. What many homeowners fail to consider is that a roof that is not properly cleaned and maintained can lead to damage which will shorten the lifespan of perhaps the most important protective feature of your home. 

Your roof is exposed to the elements all day, every day. Dirt and debris will collect on it. Natural rainfall is typically enough to wash off the appearance of most superficial dirt. However, the dark stains and green areas that appear on your roof are caused by other natural elements. Some of these elements are algae, lichens, and moss.

If you have ever noticed any black stains on your roof, these stains are a growth called algae. Algae feed off both asphalt and limestone roofing in moist, cool and shaded areas of your roof. When there is minimal light, algae forms a blue-green color. The more shaded areas of the roof are more likely to have this algae, which can also harbor various types of molds. This explains why some roofs are stained only on one side. These algae spores are transported by wind or animals and can quickly spread from rooftop to rooftop in neighborhoods of single-family homes, townhomes, apartments and commercial complexes.

Lichens are essentially a combination of algae and fungus. Lichens are a fungus that grows along with algae. These plant-like organisms from a branching growth of root-like tentacles that penetrate deep into the shingle’s base for nourishment. Lichens are tough to remove from the roof and can reappear from humidity and rain. 

Unlike algae and lichens, moss is an actual plant. Moss has a shallow root system and requires a lot of moisture to survive. Areas with less sunlight remain damp longer. Overhanging tree branches not only provide more shade, but they also drop debris that serves as a food source for moss. Like algae, moss spores are often transferred by wind or animals and can easily spread throughout neighborhoods. 

The staining and growth patches caused by algae, fungi and moss can damage your roof through shingle deterioration and wood rot. Both lead to expensive repairs and can shorten the life of your roof. A thorough, professional roof cleaning can help minimize or reverse this damage.

Use these top roofing tips to get the year started right. Happy New Year from the Infinite Roofing team.