Does your home need a new roof? With so many materials and contractors to hire, how do you make your decision? Max Guerra of New Steel Roofers chats about the benefits of a metal roof, while Arnold Getz of Contex Roofing Company gives us an extensive overview of roofing warranties. Let this guide help you decide what’s best for your home!
There are so many different shingles on the market. What shingle material do you prefer working with and why?
New Steel Roofers: Guerra and his team at New Steel Roofers works solely with metal shingles. Why? “It’s the last roof you’ll ever have to replace,” he says. A metal roof is energy-efficient, giving you years of cost savings throughout the winter and summer months. “You can save up to 40 per cent on energy costs,” he says.
A reduced cost in energy bills, less air escaping from the roof, and a roof that’s designed to outlast its warranty? That’s right. “Instead of reroofing eight to 12 years over a 50-year span, incurring multiple costs, for the cost of a metal roof now, you never do it again.”
That’s because a metal roof should last anywhere from 80 to 100 years.
Can you picture this on your home?
Contex Roofing: Getz says in the residential market, there are a lot of different products you can put on a roof. “Metal has been around for quite a number of years.”
In Getz’s personal opinion, a metal roof is a good roof, but it lacks aesthetics in comparison to an asphalt or cedar roof.
No matter which roofing option you choose, Getz says there’s good, better and best.
“What’s most popular is the asphalt shingle,” he says. “I would say it’s in the 90th percentile.”
Contex Roofing Company does a lot of work with asphalt shingles.
How does it compare to other materials that a competitor might sell?
New Steel Roofers: Guerra worked in the roofing business before he opened New Steel Roofers. Therefore, he has experience working with both asphalt and metal shingles. He says when asphalt shingles came on the market, they were made with asbestos.
“Asbestos from the product just doesn’t seem to hold up in heat and the cold,” he says, adding a 20-year shingle that was once able to last up to 25 years can’t hold up. “Now you buy a 25 to 30-year shingle that manufacturers are promoting, but in eight to 12 years, needs to be replaced.”
Households with asphalt shingles are expecting their roofs to last 20 years, but will need to be replaced far sooner than that.
“People are smart and starting to realize this,” he says. “Might as well get something good like metal – and never replace it again.”
Contex Roofing: An asphalt roof may be more economic, but for the homeowner that has more money to spend on a roof that offers a lot of curb appeal, you have more options. ‘You hav eyour tiled roofs, the Spanish tile, and very high-end slate roofs, as well as your cedar.”
Contex Roofing Company can also provide a cedar roof.
What’s the cost difference between the options?
New Steel Roofers: Comparing the cost of asphalt and metal roofs isn’t as simple as comparing apples to apples. That’s because there are different grades of asphalt shingles.
“Nowadays, there are fancy asphalt shingles with unrealistic warranties on them,” says Guerra. “They’re more designer shingles.”
On average, however, Guerra says metal roofs can be up to twice the price of asphalt.
Why would you opt for a pricier metal roof? Guerra advises us below.
More work done by New Steel Roofers.
Contex Roofing: Getz agrees that it’s difficult to compare the cost of shingles because they vary in price for different reasons, he says. The average roof costs $4,500 to $5,000.
“The amount of cost difference is minimal,” he says.
Why should homeowners invest in a good roof? And how long should it last?
New Steel Roofers: While most roofing manufacturers give a 50-year warranty on shingles, Guerra says it’s pro-rated. “By the time you get into the 1oth year [of having that roof], you need to replace it.”
Watering down the warranty by pro-rating it prevents companies from refunding you any of your investment, an action that has led to many cost-action lawsuits against manufacturers. “They’re not holding up their end of it.”
If an asphalt shingle will repeatedly fail, Guerra questions why would you purchase it again? See what New Steel Roofers can do for your home instead.
Contex Roofing: “You want to make an investment you can afford,” Getz stresses. “Once you go with a higher-end shingle or high-end roofing product, you would expect it to last longer.”
A slate roof should last any home up to 100 years. “You do it once and that’s it.”
Some homeowners choose not to invest in a good quality roof because they plan on moving in a few years, therefore are looking for a cheaper price.
“When you start looking at value, you have to take things into consideration. You want a good installer, you want someone who really knows their business.”
Not only that, but you need to pay attention to warranties. Roofs come with a standard 10-year warranty, which Getz says doesn’t believe in. “If a roof doesn’t leak in 2 years, it can’t be assumed there was faulty workmanship if you have a roof leak 9 years later.”
The manufacturer’s warranty applies to the quality of the shingles. “You may get 25 to 40 years, but they’re prorated,” Getz says. “They give you a percentage based on a defect in the manufacturer’s product.”
That’s why Getz urges homeowners to read the warranty and understand what you’re paying for and what’s not covered.
Source: Contex Roofing Company.
Customer service is important for any business. What does your company offer its clients upon purchasing a new roof?
New Steel Roofers: Choosing what roof material to buy is only one part of the roof buying process. First, you have to find a company that you’ll be happy to work with.
“When choosing a contractor, no matter what the product is, the contractor you use [should be] reputable,” he says, adding the company should have good ratings and reviews on the eieihome.com website, or on the Better Business Bureau website.
Customer reviews are a great way to learn about the contractor you’re looking to hire. “Talk to their previous customers, drive by their old houses.” This way, you can see and learn first-hand about the contractor’s workmanship.
“It’s easy to make a promise at the kitchen table when talking to the contractor, but when they actually show up and do the work, you see the true colours of the employees and people behind the company,” he says.
Why should clients hire your company when they need a new roof?
New Steel Roofers: “We’re one of the oldest metal roofing companies around under the same name,” explains Guerra. “A lot of companies change their names to run away from liability. We’ve been out there with the same name and great customer service, great products, and the quality of workmanship is excellent as well.”
Contex Roofing: “Contex Roofing has been in the roofing business since 1939,” says Getz. Hearing that a company has been in business for several years often provides clients with peace of mind when hring a contractor. “That speak for itself.”
Source: Contex Roofing Company.
What advice can you offer homeowners purchasing such products?
New Steel Roofers: Guerra’s company offers metal shingles for a reason: trial and error. “We’ve done all the trials and errors over the years and history has proven that a metal roof is more valuable to you than any other system.”
Guerra says a metal roof can increase your home’s properly value while decreasing energy costs.
“And you’re giving back to the environment,” he says, adding asphalt shingles that get thrown into the garbage end up in landfills.
“You’re being environmentally responsible and at the same time, saving money and investing money in your home.”
Want to learn more about how New Steel Roofers can transform your home with metal shingles? Visit their profile on our website. Contact them to find out about the new high albedo metal roofing!
Contex Roofing: When purchasing a new roof, your roofing contractor should interview you about what you need. “Contractors should ask the right questions about what they are looking for – a simple basic roof, or are they more interested in curb appeal? How much is money a factor and what are their reasons for a new roof?”
Getz says a roofing contractor should assess the roof and determine if the roof needs a tune-up/repair, or a complete redo.
A roof is an expensive home project, one that requires your time and consideration when deciding what material to choose and who to hire. That’s why we recommend you contact the roofing experts directly!
Get your home project started before the first snowfall this season!
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