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Metal Roofing Information: |
There are many variables that will determine final estimate of your metal roofing project. In this in depth review we will examine how metal roofing plays out as a choice for a new roof, when compared with asphalt shingle roof. It is a side by side all-inclusive consideration that looks into benefits of various roofing materials and other considerations when obtaining a roofing estimate. To get you started you will want to find out the approximate area of your house’s roofing coverage. In order to get the ballpark roof area, we need to figure roofing squares on your existing roof. You can either do it yourself by measuring and multiplying the length times the width of your house, dividing a total by 100 and multiplying it by a roofing slope multiplier. Or you could get a local roofing contractor to tell you the approximate roofing square footage when they perform a free roofing estimate for you.
The later one involves less work for you, and is done by the professional. I would highly recommend getting a few estimates and asking the same questions again and again in order to arrive at more accurate figures.
It may not be a bad idea to call a few different roofing contractors in your area and get their re-roofing quotes to get you started. You could pick up your yellow pages or go onto the internet to find the roof contractors nearby.
Before you schedule an appointment for the potential roofer to come and take a look at your house you need to make sure that their estimate will be free of charge. When you do get the estimate make sure to get it in writing so you can refer to it if the contractor suddenly forgets about the extra cost of re - flashing your chimney, or some other unpleasant last minute surprise.
Make sure that you ask plenty of qualifying questions such as whether your roof contractor has proper liability insurance. How long have they been in business? Who will be the guys working on your roof? What type of warranty will the job include? And what kind of roofing materials will be used? Ask as many roofing questions as you have to until you get the warm and fuzzy feeling.
At this point you should not only know the approximate size of your roof, but you should also have a pretty good idea of what contractor will charge per square.
As far as the bottom line is concerned, taller buildings will usually involve more labor effort intensity, and as such will be priced higher per square than those of lower height. For example, a three story house will be more expensive to re – roof than a single story house with identical roof.
The tear off requirements and number of existing layers will also affect the bottom line. For example, if the building only has one layer, then it is usually ok to re roof right over top, whereas if there is already three roof layers piled up can be a somewhat costly tear off.
Next determinant will be the simplicity of the roof, or the opposite extreme of funky roofing shapes involving multiple dormers, towers, skylights, huge chimneys and other obstacles.
Roofing materials:
There is a wide selection of various roofing materials that could be used in your roofing project. Among the top choices a few stand out:
Asphalt shingle roofing, which is considered a conventional roofing material for many commercial and residential buildings. It is not particularly expensive and provides a good value for the money, but it has its many disadvantages such as relatively short life span. I recommend paying extra for a premium line of asphalt shingle so that you don’t have to re roof in 10 years. It may not be a bad idea to use ice and water over valleys, and on the edges of the eves, especially for the lower slopped buildings, which in fact may be a requirement, in many building code zones across the U.S.
I highly recommend checking with your roofing contractor as to weather they will use ice and water for your house, and have this information included in the contract of the work to be done. There are many dupe run of the mill roofers that will try to cut corners and not use all the things they should have used if they really had your best interest in mind.
If you live in the northern climate with huge amounts of ice build up and snow, then you may want to consider metal roofing as your choice for a new roof. Did you know that metal roofing is a very popular roofing material in northern part of Canada, which gets some very significant amounts if snow and ice build-up.
With metal roofing you may expect to pay somewhat higher prices as it is a premium roofing material but there are many great benefits to metal roofing that are not available with asphalt shingle. For instance, in a lot of cases snow will simply slide down from the metal roof where as it would just sit over the asphalt shingle roof. In case the ice build up does occur, as it frequently happens in the Northern states of New Hampshire and Vermont, it will not cause the damage to the roofing surface and the ice will melt and slide down eventually. So this stuff is great for the winter.
Now, what makes metal roofing really cool is the fact that not only is it great for the winter months, but it is also an amazing performer during the summer when it reflects much of the heat saving you some good dough on the energy costs.
Metal roofing’s sun reflectivity properties are what earned it its great popularity in the sunny state of Florida, where no one could survive without some type of air-conditioning. The energy saving in there are truly amazing, never mind the fact that metal roofing is also storm and wind resistant, which can be excellent means of your home’s defense during a hurricane.
Many great numbers of metal roofing choices today are given a wind rating of over 100 miles per hour and sometimes as high as 130mph.
I am sure that many Floridians would attest that it is very common to see a bunch of naked roofs where the strong hurricane winds blew away the asphalt shingle, but there might be some lonely metal roofs standing intact among its balding neighbors.
Thus, consider metal roofing if you are looking for a solid investment in your home that will last for a long time and provide energy savings and protection for your home in northern and hurricane notorious climate zones across the globe.
Points to keep in mind are that metal roofing unlike asphalt shingle roof systems, requires a specialized installation by a properly trained contractor. You will want to ensure that your roofing contractor has in fact installed metal roofs in the past and has a positive track record.
Wide selection considerations: Metal roofing comes in an infinite number of various forms and styles ranging from standing seam to galvalume steel roofing used in residentially and commercially. Steel offers excellent durability and long lasting protection for your roof. There are many steel roof choices available on the market. For instance you could get a steel slate metal roof in a great variety of colors. Steel metal roofing is pricier than conventional roofing but it is still very much affordable, and can provide significant benefits over asphalt roofs.
Another choice would be aluminum roofing, which is more expensive than steel, but is completely rust resistant and can be longer lasting as such. Aluminum is also much lighter than steel, and as such it is easier to install. Aluminum roofing is a very popular choice among homeowners in New England.
Those are primarily the top choices with metal roofing, followed up with copper metal roofing which can be way more costly and usually has limited use such as decorative covering of the porches of the residential buildings. It provides great looks and is extremely long lasting. Once again, because copper is a highly expensive metal it is not as widely used as aluminum and steel metal roofing materials.
Regardless of the roof material you decide to use your price estimate will be affected by the size, the easiness of access, relative roof complexity, and possible tear off with debris removal.
Keep in mind that obtaining multiple quotes will
put you in the position of power, and provide the insight as to how your
bottom line is arrived at. L | A metal roof LLC, services Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and southern NH. |
