5 Things to Consider Before Installing a New Roof

Consider the location of your house

Houses are built in various locations and climates. The location of your house can play a role in how often you need to replace your roofing. For example, if you live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, then it's likely that you will have to replace your roof more often than someone who lives on the east coast because hurricanes can be devastating for homeowners who don't take preventative measures beforehand. However, even if you live somewhere with less risk of natural disasters, having regular inspections of the exterior of your home will help ensure its longevity. If there are any damages or leaks from previous storms or other events like high winds, hail damage, etc., then these should be repaired as soon as possible so they don't worsen over time and eventually lead to a complete replacement.

We suggest that you:

·      Keep watch for serious damage like cracks, holes, and discoloration of the shingles and roofing materials (sometimes they are caused by high winds or hailstorms)

·      Contact your insurance company and ask about replacing your roof in case of storm damage. If it's covered by the policy you got from them, then there shouldn't be any problems with getting a new one installed at all.

Once you have made up your mind on what kind of roof you need for the home, call in a professional to conduct an inspection first before proceeding with the installation process. It will then be easier to maintain the quality and appearance of the roof if you've had an expert double-check that everything is in order.

Take into account the size and pitch of your roof

What size and pitch is your roof? This question may sound silly, but it's important to consider. A large roof with a steep pitch will require more material than a smaller roof with a flatter pitch. You also need to think about the extra weight that the roofing materials will add on top of your existing structure, as well as how windy or gusty it typically gets in your area. If you have an older home, you'll want to check for any structural issues before installing new shingles over old ones.  This can prevent any unwanted accidents, injuries, or possible structural damage later on.

The cost of the roofing materials and installation will vary based on the size of your home. Therefore, you should have a pretty good idea about how much extra money you'll be spending after purchasing the new shingles for the roof itself (and not to mention all of those other planning factors discussed previously).  You may also need to purchase new construction materials if there are holes in your existing gutters that need to be repaired or replaced.

We suggest that you:

·      Check with local building authorities for any codes that might apply to your specific area  (for example, certain areas may require baby-resistant ridge vents to ensure safety for infants and small children who are at a higher risk of falling from the roof).

·      Take into consideration that certain material types may be more costly than others (for instance, asphalt shingles are cheaper than fiberglass shingles)

·      Check with local contractors to see if there are any rebates or special offers for having energy-efficient materials installed on your home. These kinds of deals can help offset some costs associated with getting new materials up onto your house. One other thing to keep note of is that while you're replacing your roof, you might as well include insulation in the deal. It's not very expensive in most cases since it can be added along with getting a new roof put up by professionals.

Think about what type of materials you want to use for the roof, such as metal or asphalt shingles

Before deciding on a new roof, you should think about what materials you want to use. If the roof is not in bad condition, it may be better to just replace or repair parts of the old one rather than installing a whole new one. For example, if you want to keep using the current shingles but just have them replaced, you can probably find a lower price that way when comparing it with getting an entirely new one.

If you plan on keeping the same type of roofing material, then go ahead and get estimates for how much each material will cost in installation expenses so you know exactly what to budget for. If you want to use something different than what's already there in your house, then be sure that the contractor is experienced at installing whatever materials that are in question. For example, while asphalt shingles may be easy enough to install, some types of roofs require special training and experience like metal or clay tile roofs do because they may present issues like wind, ice buildup, leaks due to improper installation, and more.

We suggest that you:

·      Consider your budget and how much money you have to spend on repairs  (for example, if the damage to your roof doesn't look severe enough to need a full replacement). You may want to shop around for cheaper estimates for repair work rather than a replacement (you'd just be replacing certain pieces of the old shingles instead of all of them). It's worth contacting several different contractors so that you can compare prices before settling on one.

·      Ask about materials warranties; this way you'll know what kind of coverage or protection you're getting with your investment once a new roof is installed by professionals. Some materials come with lifetime guarantees against any kind of damage, while other warranties are only for a limited number of years.



·      If you want to use more energy-efficient materials, then take into account that these kinds of roofs will be more costly because the shingles and other components used to put them on your home have a higher price tag than conventional ones do. However, they may also offer tax credits from the government in some cases (which can offset costs). Asphalt shingles are generally less expensive than their counterparts when it comes to installation expenses.

Make sure that you have enough space on top of your house for a new roof   

You need to make sure that there is enough space on the top of your house for the installation.  If there's not enough room, you may have to do some demolition work so that the new roof can be put up properly. If you're just getting a portion of the roof replaced or repaired rather than getting an entirely new one, then this isn't as much of an issue in most cases; however, if you want to install completely new shingles on your house (or get sheet metal or clay tiles for example), then they will need to be able to fit on top of your house.

·      If you want to have something installed above your house (such as solar panels), then think about the kind of space that will be needed for installation. The contractor can show you a mock-up of how your roof would look with something being installed on it, so this is the time to consider whether or not you have room for these extra materials and components. For example, if you want solar panels over your house, then there needs to be enough room on top of your home for the installer (or yourself) to get full access and install them without any interference.

·      If you're looking at getting a partial roof replacement job done because certain sections were damaged, then think about what's going to happen with these areas once they are finished being worked on; do they need new shingles? Or did the damage occur because of a small hole or crack in the roofing materials? In those cases, you can probably just replace the damaged areas with new shingles. You can save money by cutting out the middleman and doing this work yourself rather than paying someone else to do it for you.



·      Think about what type of shingles or other roofing components you want to be installed so that you know exactly what kind of job is going to be done on top of your house once everything is taken care of. This way there won't be any surprises later down the road as some contractors have been known to use different kinds of material during roofs installation that wasn’t entirely agreed upon in the first place.

Look at how much it will cost to install a new roof before making any decisions

If you are considering installing a new roof, take some time to consider the cost of this job. Roofs come in many different styles and materials, so it is important to find out what your budget is before making any decisions about which type of roof will be best for you. You should also think about how long your current roof has been on the house and if there have been any leaks or other issues with it. Many factors go into deciding whether or not you need to install a new roof or just repair the one that's already up there.  You don't want to get involved in a job that costs thousands of dollars only to learn later on after the work is done, that your roof was perfectly fine and didn't need replacement.

This is why you should do some investigation into what it will cost to install a new roof over your house before taking any action. Check on the pricing for different materials as well as installation so that you have an idea of how much this type of project will be going into it. You can talk with people who have recently had their roofs installed about how much they paid for the job so that you can gain insight into what kind of ballpark figure you should expect when calling around to other contractors and figuring out whether or not you're being ripped off by the prices they're quoting to you.

Look at the quality of work that went into installing a roof when you are thinking about hiring someone to do another installation

If you are looking for a contractor who can install your new roof, then take some time to look at how well the previous job was done so that you know whether or not this contractor is worth using and trust. Ask around to see if any people have had their roofs installed by this person and what kind of results they got; some may even be able to tell you about specific jobs they had installed by them. This way, you will get an idea of what kind of work goes into one of these projects in case there are problems with the materials later on due to a lack of quality workmanship from a previous job.