As a homeowner, it is in your best interest to maintain your house. When doing so, you can improve the comfort of your home while avoiding serious expenses from structural failures. While some maintenance and repair projects can be undertaken on weekends or as DIY projects, most require professional help.
Roof replacements or new roof installations are jobs that require expert advice. Unfortunately, amateur roofers don’t always know the most effective ways to install a new roof. As a homeowner, you would never want a bad roof to ruin your home. To help you avoid the stress of financial loss, our crew at Capital Roofing has put together a guide to help you identify a bad roofing job. We will also talk about how you can rectify these mistakes.
What Are The Signs Of A Bad Roofing Job?
We’ve been here to witness some of these bad roofing jobs; believe us, it is not fun. It takes thousands of dollars and can take a significant amount of time to fix these mistakes. You can ensure you don’t fall for the same traps if you read about them beforehand.
Image source: indroofingcontractors.com
1. Not Showing Permits
Roofing contractors need building permits for large-scale roofing projects like roof replacement or house remodeling. A permit ensures that the job is up to the residential code, which protects you and your home from premature roof failures.
2. Improper Placement Of Shingles
You can identify a bad roofing job by looking at the shingles. Shoddy contractors may not align shingles in a straight line or leave gaps between them. Look for uneven shingle placement around flashing and vents. Also, check whether the nails are correctly installed.
3. No Underlayment And Drip Edge
A drip edge is a piece of metal (or other material) at the roof ridge, and underlayment is a waterproof layer under the shingles. Without these roof components, moisture can enter through gaps and cracks in shingles, damaging your roof structure and interiors. It counts as a bad roofing job if you don’t find a drip edge and an underlay.
4. Insufficient Attic Ventilation
An under-ventilated home may cause health issues to the residents. Shockingly, most US homes are under-ventilated. This is usually because of a bad roofing job, or because homeowners don’t know what to look for. Poor ventilation creates too much moisture in the attic, which is the main reason for mold growth. Mold and algae weaken your home’s structure and may cause respiratory illness and allergic reactions. Under ventilation heats the attic, which may lead to a fire.
5. Not Protecting Landscapes
You don’t want to see dead shrubs and paint blobs on the grass or porch. If you see that the roofing contractor is not covering your landscape with tarps, wait for them to start the job. If they are about to begin without protecting the landscape, stop them right there.
6. Not Disposing Waste Material
Whether it’s minor repairs or a new roof installation, the last thing you want is a mess for you to clean. You should know that a good roofing contractor will clean the lawn and yard, discard the waste roofing materials properly, and take old shingles for recycling. If your roofing contractors are gone long, and you see a lot of trash in your lawn or yard, this is a bad roofing job.
7. Reusing Old Roofing Materials
We will never recommend reusing old roofing materials for several good reasons. The first installation creates holes in the shingles due to nails. Weather exposure damages the shingles over time, and pulling them off underlayment or sheathing can tear them in the process. Reusing damaged roof components is neither valuable nor economical, and roofing contractors know that. If a contractor is still reusing old shingles and flashing, they are not being honest with you. You may need to call a good roofing contractor soon after a bad roofing job.
8. Leaving Behind Nails Or Screws
Nails and screws left in your yard, porch, or lawn pose a risk of injury. While walking, you could easily step on a nail and get hurt.
Whether you need to repair a few roof leaks, or you require a complete roof replacement, we advise that you do thorough research on your local roofing contractors. Safety and clean-up should be the most crucial factor when hiring a local roofing contractor.
9. No Ice & Water Shield
Ice and water shields are special underlayments. It’s heavier and will give a more secure area around valley edges and eaves. Ice protection layers are an essential component for a new roof in Oklahoma. These roofing products are not visible, but they are necessary for preventing leaks and damage to your roof. A bad roofing contractor may skip installing this layer to seem affordable.
10. Sagging rooflines
You can easily see if the roof is sagging because the rooflines should have an angled shape. The roofing system may be flat, or it might be curved, and it might cause problems. Roofs can sag when the underlying structures and decking installation are faulty; again, a bad roofing job.
How To Rectify A Bad Roofing Job?
To rectify the mistakes of shoddy contractors, you must learn how to find a good roofing company and ask them to help you. In our previous blog, you can learn what to look for in a roofing contractor. By following the advice in our guide, you can hire an experienced roofing contractor for your next project and avoid a poor roofing job in the future.
You may feel a sense of urgency in hiring a reputable roofing company, especially if your roof leaks or a storm hits the area. But before calling anyone, you must take your time to find them via proper research and recommendations.
Looking For Experienced And Reputed Roofing Professionals?
If you are looking for someone to fix a bad roofing job for your Claremore home, Capital Roofing is here to help. Hundreds of people in Oklahoma depend on our honest and skilled team for all roofing services- from minor repairs to complete roof replacements.
We take pride in sharing our most prized possession with you: the title ‘Best of Claremore’ awarded to us by the Claremore community for four years in a row.
If you feel we can help you too, call us at (918) 260-4075 for a free consultation. Our team is always excited to help homeowners by offering quality services at fair prices, giving them the peace of mind they deserve.
