Hiring a team of residential roofers to help you with a project is an essential part of preserving the investment tied up in your house. Whether you're preparing for an installation, renovation, or repair effort, it's a good idea to know a bit about these three issues.
Skills
The very first thing you need to inquire about is what kinds of jobs a company will handle. Most firms break their services up along three lines.
First, there are services based on the materials involved. Except for a few specialized businesses, most contractors handle work on asphalt shingles. If you're planning to use almost any other products, such as metal roofing or cedar shakes, never assume the company does that work. Contact them and ask what materials they're comfortable working with.
Second, the type of roof often matters. Roofs largely come in two varieties: flat and sloped. Some businesses specialize in dealing with one or the other so always tell them what sort of roof your house has.
Finally, there is the type of project. Installation and re-roofing work are usually offered by most companies. Repair work may be more specialized, especially if you're dealing with something like a steel or rubber roof that might require particular equipment to fix.
Units
You're likely going to hear two units used to describe most aspects of a job. First, squares are used in reference to how much footage a roof has. A single square is measured as 100 square feet, and you can expect three bundles of shingles to cover one square.
Secondly, slope is commonly used. It is expressed as the number of inches the roof rises for every foot of horizontal distance. If a roof rises two inches for every foot, it would be described as having a 2/12 slope. There is no math-style reduction done for the fraction.
Slope matters a lot because it determines how dangerous the roof is. Likewise, specialized equipment may have to be brought in to support the residential roofers while they handle a project.
Structures
Homeowners should also know how to roughly describe a roof's structures. The ridge is at the very top, and it usually has to be capped. Dormers are like mini structures that stick out from the roof, and they usually provide space for second-floor windows. Valleys are the V-shaped areas formed by sections of the roof that come together at angles.
For more information, contact a residential roofer in your area.
