Understanding information on roof warranties is extremely important. Does the purchase of a new roof mean you get to sit back and enjoy the next 20 years with no worries? The best answer is that it depends on what you just purchased.
Most property owners tend to focus on the length of the warranty and don’t fully understand what is and what is not covered, leaving you open to some surprises later.
Understanding the information on roof warranties can help you get the most out of your coverage.
It probably isn’t a surprise to learn that information on roof warranties is usually more geared toward protecting the manufacturer than the property owner.
Roofing manufacturers spend big money to compose lots of fine print that tries to limit their own liability if something goes wrong with their roofing products.
That’s why it’s so critical that you understand the information on roof warranties before signing off on your project. Here are some good questions to ask before making the purchase:
If you haven’t purchased your new roof yet, ask for a sample of the roof warranty template and read through it, and ask for clarifications from your roofing contractor.
What are the differences between a contractor roof warranty and a manufacturer roof warranty?
This one is pretty simple. One comes from the roofing company that installed the roof and one comes from the manufacturer of the roofing materials.
Manufacturer warranties differ – some cover only the material while others cover the whole system. Most manufacturer warranties also require the contractor to perform warranted repairs for the first few years after they install the roof.
Contractor roof warranties usually don’t cover materials and only cover the actual workmanship.
Material Only Warranties typically have a lower cost than a full system warranty but will only cover manufacturing defects and premature deterioration for the term of the warranty. Material-only warranties cover the roof membrane and not other accessories such as flashings, adhesives, metal edge, etc.
It only covers the cost of materials to repair or offers credit toward buying a new membrane. These warranties don’t cover or include any labor or coverage for installation issues. They also don’t provide coverage for fixing leak repairs.
Labor Only Warranties cover only the labor required to fix a roof defect and doesn’t cover the cost of materials. They are usually offered by the roof installation contractor. This type of warranty isn’t a roof workmanship warranty and probably won’t cover repairs for installation errors.
Full System Warranties usually cover not only the material but also manufacturer-approved flashings, accessories, and metalwork used in the original installation. They typically cover the full cost, labor included, for any roof leak repairs within the warranty terms and conditions. Again, this type of warranty might not cover installation errors.
Labor Warranties cover the costs associated with repairing a defective roof within the terms of the roof system coverage. Most full system warranties include labor.
However, they don’t cover the cost of repairs associated with installation failures. That’s why the most critical step of your roof system is a good, solid, professional installation.
There isn’t much that can protect you against installation issues besides a roof workmanship warranty from the roof installer.
Also, remember that a warranty is only as good as the roofing company backing it. Make sure you have a professional, long-standing roofing contractor install your roof.
Roof Workmanship Warranties cover you against costs related to actual installation problems and errors which a labor-only warranty might not cover. However, some system warranties do cover workmanship. If your warranty doesn’t include workmanship coverage you might be able to get it directly from the installer.
A roof warranty is only as good as the company backing it. Looking for a professional, experienced roofing contractor to install your roof? Contact Mikku and Sons Roofing today, at 623-465-1068.
Again, this depends on the actual type of warranty you have. You could be surprised by what you are or are not covered for. That’s why it’s so critical to know what the roof warranty will cover before you invest in a new roof system. Always read the fine print and exceptions.
Be aware that certain warranty coverage extras such as puncture coverage or high wind coverage require certain roof materials or installation methods which may impact the cost of the roof installation itself.
When you need an emergency roof repair service, we don’t recommend that homeowners try to tarp or repair a roof on their own. It is work best handled by an expert repair company that has a lot of experience with it. However, there are times when professional cannot be found immediately and a property owner may need to take drastic action to preserve their property.
Tarping a roof is a project to be completed only when a professional roofing contractor is not available, and the situation needs immediate attention to prevent further damage. This type of emergency roof repair is a temporary fix for a major roof leak and should only be attempted in a safe environment with the right array of safety equipment being used. Make sure you have at least one additional person to help in the repair. Final repairs are best left to a roofing professional that has the equipment and expertise to do it safely and permanently.
Rooftops are dangerous when wet, especially with tarps. Tarps can even be slippery when they are dry, so extreme caution is advised at all times. Be careful.
Finding the exact spot that is causing the leak might be hard if an obvious damage spot is not clearly seen. Storm damage can range from large, highly visible damage or tears to almost undetectable penetrations. Even small types of damage can hurt the surface of your roof and lead to bigger problems over time. Leaks look like they start in one area, but water usually moves in ways that you don’t expect.
Start by checking the underside of the roof for water stains. Go up into the attic, if you have one, and see if you can spot where the water is coming from that is leaking into your property.
Find the problem area in question on the roof.
Make sure to install your material over the ridge. If the material is installed just shy of the ridge, it allows water to run freely right under the plastic and, again, inside your house.
For more tips and tricks on how to measure your roof, take a look at our guide!
Its great to own your own home, but when you own a property you have to perform the dreaded word, maintenance. However, if you schedule time annually for preventative maintenance, it won’t to be such a burdensome task. This means you’ll need to give equal importance to both the interior of your property and the exterior. Take your roof as an example. Roofs get more abuse from weather and the elements than any other part of your property. Preventative maintenance is a major factor to your roof providing the longest service life possible.
Whether it’s a commercial or residential roof, all roofing systems need some scheduled maintenance during the year. Concrete or clay tile roofs, under normal situations, don’t require much upkeep. Twice-yearly inspections should take place to findand fix issues as they occur. The best time to perform these inspections would be in the spring, before the monsoon storm season begins, and in the fall, after its over.
A lot of roof damage happens before anyone at ground level notices it. Finding ponding, gaps around penetrations, loose flashings or other roof damage should be promptly reported to a professional, properly licensed, roofing company. If your property has any leaks, it’s critical to get a comprehensive leak inspection completed as soon as possible. A visible interior leak could mean there’s an outside entryway for water to enter your roof structure, which could cause significant and more expensive damage. Here’s some important tile maintenance tips to consider when having your roof and the surrounding areas inspected.
A good tip to having the best kept tile roof in the neighborhood is to have it cleaned and inspected by a licensed and insured tile roof repair contractor while these semi-annual dates are being scheduled. In monsoon seasons, its especially important to check your roof visually after each storm, in case tiles have been misplaced by high winds or flying broken branches.
If you have water coming into your property, you have a leak and need roof leak repair. There are a lot of reasons that a roof might begin to let water into your home. By identifying what causes roof leaks most commonly, you might be able to help your roofer find a solution to your roof leak repair faster.
Also, we have provided a guide on quick ways to fix an emergency leak until you can find a professional to repair or replace your damage roof.
There lots of reasons a section of your shingles or tiles can go missing. High winds or sudden heavy rains can rip the shingles right off your roof, which will require roof leak repair. Also, missing shingles or tiles could mean that your roof has reached the end of its lifespan and you’re in need of a new roof. No matter the cause, having new shingles or tiles installed should be done right away to avoid major water damage inside.
You may not consider gutters to be a part of your roof system, but they play an important part when it comes to keeping roof leak repair to a minimum.They take rain water away from the roof and the foundation of your property, preventing water from backing up under shingles or ending up pooling next to your foundation. Your gutters can become clogged by debris, causing rainwater to back up, which means another roof leak repair.
Many property like to do their own roof leak repair to keep costs down. While DIY roof leak repair can save money, it might also result in the need for major roof leak repair. Walking on the roof can cause damage to the shingles and the underlying structure. If the roof is already damaged, one wrong step could cause a major roof leak repair problem that can be hard to find.
Flashing is metal installed around roof penetrations. They form a barrier to keep moisture from finding its way in between the shingles and the weaker areas of your roof. Over time, the metal can corrode away or the seal around it may crack, giving rain access to the attic and your living space. If the rest of the roof is in good shape, the old flashing can be replaced. A professional roofing contractor will just lift the surrounding shingles or tiles, pull the old sheet metal out and install new pieces. Once its sealed, the roof leak repair is complete and your roof should stop leaking.
Roof valleys are where two roof planes come together to create an inverted corner. They can add a dynamic roof line, but these areas are also weaker than other areas and they can collect water. If the leak is coming from a valley, you’ll see a line of water running where the seam occurs, and you’ll need another roof leak repair. New leak barriers could be needed. A new layer of shingles keeps the water moving down the roof and collected by the gutters.
There are likely some near you as well. If you are planning to replace your existing roof with a new one or want to fix your damaged roof, you’ll definitely need to work with a professional roofing contractor or roofing company.
To identify the right roofing company to work with, you should know what makes a good roofing contractor. Whether you are looking for a roof installation, roof repair or complete roof replacement, you’ll never want to hire or work with just anyone you come across.
When you need a roofing company, don’t make hasty decisions. Take your time, do your homework and follow these tips so that you can choose a roofing contractor that provides a great return on your investment.
If you want to avoid roofing scams and hire a roofing contractor that’s both reputable and reliable, you should first seek advice from your friends and peers. If someone close to you recommends a roofing company that they have worked with themselves, you can be sure that at least you won’t be hiring a scammer or an unscrupulous contractor. Plus, you can easily ask your friends about the quality of services they received from the roofing company.
State licenses for roofing contractor businesses aren’t easy to get. If you come across or hear about a roofing contractor, one of the key questions you should ask or find out is whether they have the necessary licenses and permits to conduct their job in a particular location.
Since roof work can prove to be a big investment, you don’t want a novice to handle the job. In fact, you should choose a roofing contractor who has been offering the service for at least 5-10 years. When you hire an established roofing company, you can be sure that the warranty they give you will be served and honored.
It’s actually the skill level of the workers and crews that ultimately makes a roofing company good or bad. Regardless of the warranty the roofing contractor offers and how well they communicate with you, what’s important is to find out whether they have highly skilled and trained workers to accomplish their projects. The kind of workers they hire and their overall hiring process should give you a good idea about the quality of the roofing contractor themselves.
People tend to put off fixing small roof leaks because they have a tight budget. Or perhaps it’s the thought that it can be managed with a strategically placed bucket. Either way, delaying a repair by a roof repair contractor will likely lead to a variety of additional issues, resulting in much higher repair costs.
Regardless of the size of a roof leak, significant damage and other problems can result over time. Move quickly to fix a leak with a professional roof repair contractor. By doing so, you’ll get repairs done when they are at their least expensive point. You’ll also be avoiding other issues that can be costly as well as hazardous.
The nature of roof leaks is that they will grow over time, saturating larger areas with increasing amounts of water. Delaying a repair by your roof repair contractor can start bubbling paint and/or staining ceilings and walls if the water is carrying roofing materials such as tar with it. Repeated saturation also starts breaking down drywall materials, turning them from a solid structure to a powdery substance.
Insulation materials lose their effectiveness when damp, with an immediate result being an increase of demand on heating/cooling systems and higher energy bills. Additional costs can be incurred if cold and wet conditions keep insulation from drying out, creating the ideal environment for mildew. The combination of compromised insulation and mildew growth will require replacement of the affected materials.• Electrical issues – Water leaking down the walls can potentially lead to electrical shock and/or short out electrical circuits.
In addition to breaking down drywall, framing and beams that are constantly exposed to moisture over the long term can start rotting as well, with the result being a steady decline in structural support. Once this process of degradation starts, it is difficult to stop and will ultimately necessitate the re-building of the home’s structural support system.
The damp environment created by a roof leak not addressed by a roof repair contractor can result in the rapid build-up of mold that releases mycotoxins in high enough quantities to cause a variety of respiratory ailments including asthma, bronchitis, and other allergic reactions. These types of mold spores are particularly dangerous to people with weak respiratory and immune systems.
There are a variety of ways that weather can incur damage to your roof, even in moderate storms. When a storm has passed, the absence of leaks doesn’t guarantee the roof is undamaged. Whether the storm brought rain, wind, and/or hail, doing an assessment quickly can start the repair process before more damage incurs.
The most dangerous residual effect of high winds is downed power lines, so look for those first. Make this assessment from as far away from the lines as possible for safety purposes. Report any issues to your electric utility immediately.
Many areas of a roof may not be visible from the ground, but if you have trees that are missing branches that can’t be found, they may be up there.
Many leaks start small and grow over time. You may not see water damage unless you’re up in the attic. Look for damp insulation and inspect the areas around the chimney, the vents, and any other apparatus that penetrates the deck.
Take a walking inspection around the grounds of your home. Look for all types of roofing materials including shingles, fascia, and flashing that may have been blown off of the roof. Take a look around the mouths of all of your downspouts as well to see if any roofing materials came loose and were carried down by the drainage system. You may also be able to assess any separation of the shingles from the deck by inspecting the roof’s edges, which can be caused by storms with high winds. Remember that finding one broken shingle on the ground may mean that there are many more broken pieces that evidence roof damage repair that are still on the roof.
Would you know what to do if a tree fell on your roof in the middle of one of our violent monsoon storms? You depend on your roof to protect everything inside your home, but what if high winds ripped it apart in the middle of the night? Who would you call and what would you do?
Once the roof has been damaged, its going to probably allow some water to get through to the underlayment and possibly into your home. The first thing you need is some sort of protective cover or tarp to keep the damaged area from continuing to be exposed to the elements, and hopefully, to keep any more water damage from happening. Most of the time, unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until the the weather subsides to get a company out to cover the damaged area until repairs can be completed.
Mother Nature can definitely wreak havoc on roofing systems. Winds over 50 mph, which can be quite common during our monsoon storms, can tear shingles off the roof and move loose tiles, which exposes the underlayment and substrate of your roof. This is where the real damage occurs. The limbs of trees close to your home can whip in the wind with branches raking tiles or shingles off your roof. Limbs can literally be knocked off trees and poke holes in your roof when falling on it. It’s also possible for lightning to strike your home, blowing a hole right through your roof.
Roofing contractors have to protect their employees, first and foremost. Don’t expect an emergency roofing company to run out in the middle of a violent storm to immediately solve your problem. They will usually wait until the storm subsides, then handle as many of their emergency calls as their schedule will allow. There’s not much any roofing company can do in the middle of a storm with high winds and lightning. If the emergency repair is caused by a fire, the roofing company has to assess the structural integrity of the property before placing their crews on the roof, to make sure it can support the crew and equipment needed to do the job.
The first rule is – don’t panic. The damage to the roof has already happened and there’s nothing you can do about it except try to protect your valuables inside until the damaged area can be covered somehow. Contact a professional roofing contractor and your insurance provider as quickly as possible. Once the damaged area has been secured, take your time to choose the right roofing company for the job and to consider your repair options.
First, be careful of storm chasers. These are fly-by-night companies that swoop in after storms to pressure homeowners into getting their roofs fixed ASAP. They’re probably not licensed or insured and won’t be around if you have problems with their repairs down the road. Second, never try to go up and try to fix or assess damage yourself, especially during a storm. There’s no sense in making the problem a hundred times worse by adding a trip to the emergency room.
Hiring the right roofing company can make a world of difference for your home or business. Knowing the worst enemies of your roof will help when you need to hire the right professional roofing company.
Trees are beautiful and must-have additions to your homes landscaping for their aesthetics and shading possibilities. They will give your home fantastic curb appeal and possibly help you lower your cooling bills, but, they can also be a major problem for your roof if they’re in the wrong location. If they’re too close to your home, a branch being knocked down or even being scraped across your roofing material in a storm can inflict serious, expensive damage. In severe storms, the entire tree could fall on top of your roof.
They also drop a lot of organic material, like leaves, pods and small branches, that can cause problems by clogging gutters and causing standing water after rains. If you don’t clear the material on a regular basis, the materials can decompose and break down the roofing materials, leading to leaks.
A leak itself is, of course, one of, if not the biggest problem. There’s a lot of reasons leaks can happen including poor installation, standing water, busted tiles and cracked shingles, failing underlayment, flashing problems and more. There’s no limit to the areas of your roof that these issues can occur.
Water can flow from one location to another, making it difficult to pinpoint where a roof leak is originating. The best thing you can do is hire a professional roofing contractor Like Mikku and Sons Roofing and Repair to discover the source. They can find the leak’s source and make the necessary repairs to stop it and prevent it from happening again.
Air needs to flow through your roof freely to prevent heat, pressure and humidity from building up. A lack of air flow can cause stress to the materials. You should never completely block the air flow into your home through your roof. During installation, sofits, vents and other means need to be installed in the proper locations to ensure that your roof will always have proper air flow through your attic.
During installation, a certain pitch or slope needs to be used to make sure water flows off and away from your roof to avoid any pooling or standing water issues. Standing water, whether caused by poor installation or some sort of obstruction, like tree debris, can be a major issue for your roof. Water is heavy. If there’s a lot of it pooling on your roof, it can put a lot of stress on the support structure, along with, if its not removed, helping to decompose the construction materials and making its way into existing cracks, creating leaks.
Your roof needs to get off to its best start by being installed correctly. If not, you’ll soon see loose shingles, broken tiles, decaying underlayment and other items that will start causing leaks. Choosing the right roofing installation company is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your home or business.
Make sure you do your homework before hiring someone. Check the company’s reputation online and check their standing with the Better Business Bureau and Registrar of Contractors. you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that a quality, professional contractor has installed your roof.
Is your roof ready for the heat? Phoenix has a lot of wonderful attributes, but the searing Summer heat isn’t one of them. Not only do we have intense heat but the monsoon storms can be extremely intense with strong winds. Combine these two and there’s definitely a yearly threat to the condition of your roof. It’s extremely important that you prepare your roof so that it might survive the weather with minimal damage.
Tall trees near your house can cause damage to your roof when swaying or falling during summer winds. At the least, they could cause leaks in your roof, but if the branches are big enough, one could literally crash down right through it.
When planting new trees, don’t plant too close to your home and with existing trees, hire a professional tree trimming service to clear away any branches that might have the potential to cause damage to your roof before the storm season starts. Trees that look unhealthy or might be dead should be removed. They could snap off at the trunk in a strong wind and threaten to crash down on the house.
If you have gutters and/or downspouts, make sure they are clear of debris before the monsoon season begins. If they’re clogged, they wont be able to divert water from heavy rains away from your roof and foundation, which could lead to water pooling on your roof, or near your home, potentially causing damage to shingles, tiles flat roof systems and your foundation.
Before the monsoon season starts is the perfect time to get your roof inspected by a professional roofing company like Mikku and Sons Roofing. Your roof may have cracked shingles, damaged or misplaced tiles, and possible underlayment damage caused by last year's storms that you don’t know about. If these exist, you could have more damage and roof leaking from the new season’s storms.
It will give you an opportunity to make any necessary minor repairs before the storms turn them in to major ones. You don’t want to learn the hard way that you have some previous damage in the middle of a major storm that causes water to start pouring through your ceiling.
Not only can our extreme heat be tough on your roof, it dramatically increases your cooling costs. If you have an older roof, you might want to think about a phoenix roof replacement and go to a cool roof system. These types of roofs are designed with materials that do a better job of reflecting, absorbing and redirecting heat to help keep your home cooler and your air conditioning bills lower. They can also be coated or painted with insulating materials that help with this task. Give a professional roofing company a call to discuss your options here.
