How to Properly Prep Your Roof for a Replacement

When the time comes to replace your roof, you have a lot of decisions to make. You must consider the brand and type of material as well as choosing a reputable roofing company to complete the installation. Additionally, certain steps should be taken to prepare your roof and your home for the work that is going to take place. Here are a few strategies that you should implement to ensure that your possessions are properly protected.

Protect Your Landscaping

Accidents happen at the most inopportune moments, so you might want to protect the landscaping around your home with protection plywood and/or tarps. If shingles or tools fall from the roof during the installation, your plants, trees, and bushes will be protected.

Clear the Yard

Even though your outdoor items are probably safe from harm, it’s a good idea to move them out of the way. You’ll minimize the risk of having one of the roofers getting hurt as well as eliminate the likelihood that your grill, lawn furniture, or garden statues will become damaged. As another safety measure, move all parked vehicles from the driveway.

Clear the Roof

If you are having a roof installed, move the TV antenna or satellite dish so that it is out of harm’s way.

Protect Your Home’s Interior

Whenever you have someone working on your roof, the possibility of dust and debris falling from the ceiling exists. Consider using a few tarps or blankets to protect your furnishings. If possible, remove any chandeliers or hanging lights from the ceilings to avoid any of them swinging back and forth.

Protect Your Decor Items

It is more than possible that the roofing work will disturb the inside of your home. With the workers walking on the roof and the hammering that is going on, it is likely that certain items inside your home might get knocked loose. Take the time to secure collectibles, statues, and decorative accents from shelves and china cabinets. You should also temporarily take down any paintings and photographs from your walls until after all of the construction has been completed.

Prepare the Yard

You should expect some debris from the roofing job to fall onto the lawn. If you mow the lawn prior to the work, the job of cleaning up should be accomplished more easily.

How to Properly Prep Your Roof for a Replacement first appeared on:

Mountain State Roofing
12 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 816-3693
https://goo.gl/UpFF0l

How to Protect Yourself When Choosing a Roofing Contractor

There is no such thing as being over protective when it comes to your home and your finances. There are plenty of roofing contractors out there that are willing to bend the rules to simplify things for themselves, resulting in problems for you and your roof. Even honest contractors make mistakes every once in a while. That’s why it’s important to know these 4 simple ways to protect yourself when choosing a roofing contractor.

Workers Compensation

Problem: You hire a roofing contractor to fix a leak on your roof. One of their employees decides not to use proper safety procedures and falls, breaking his leg. The employee holds you responsible to pay his medical expenses, because he was hurt on your property.

Solution: Roofers Compensation is a type of insurance covering roofing injuries. If a roofing contractor has workers compensation, any injured employees are entitled to recover expenses for hospital bills and being out of work. Be sure that your roofing contractor has workers compensation so that you are saved the trouble and expenses of paying those bills yourself.

Liability Insurance

Problem: Your roofing contractor leaves your roof uncovered after removing your shingles. That night there is an unexpected storm. Water seeps into your home and damages your sheet rock, carpet and some nice furniture. Your roofing contractor has liability insurance, but there are exclusions preventing coverage of the interior of your building. You end up paying to fix the damages yourself.

Solution: If damage occurs to your home or building that is the fault of a roofing contractor, you want to be sure they have good liability insurance. This will cover anything from broken windows to damaged interiors as mentioned in the situation above. Some contractors have liability insurance, but their insurance company offers so many exclusions that it is almost like there is no coverage at all. Look for coverage that doesn’t exclude water damage resulting from leaving a roof open.

Business License

Problem: You hire a new roofing company to work on your roof. A few months later you notice a leak. You try to contact the company, but can’t find their information. You try to look them up by their business license and you find that there was never a business license issued for that company. You are forced to pay for the repairs yourself.

Solution: Check ahead of time that your roofing contractor has a business license. If they don’t have a license, it could be a sign that they don’t know what they are doing. The company could easily disappear or go out of business.

A general contractor is legally able to install a roof without a roofing license if they have a general contractor license. However, there have been a lot of cases of general contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves when they lack the proper training. This causes problems for building owners as well as home owners. It is ideal for a general contractor to have a roofing license in addition to their general contractors license.

If your roofing contractor is in the middle of working on your roof and you find that they have given fraudulent business license information, you have the option to terminate their service right away. You are not required to pay anything to the contractor because they were operating illegally. You can then find a qualified contractor to fix your roof and finish the job.

Lien Waiver

Problem: Your roof has been completed and you pay the contractor. However, a few weeks later, the contractor’s supplier contacts you requesting a payment for the materials installed on your roof. You discover that your contractor did not pay his supplier and that you are now responsible for that payment. This has happened and can happen to you.

Solution: Be sure to request a lien waiver when the job is completed and before you pay. A lien waiver simply states that if the contractor fails to make his payments to a supplier or employees, you are not responsible to cover them. It is ultimately in place to protect the home or building owner from paying twice. If you receive the lien waiver before you pay, it is conditional upon your payment. However, once your payment has cleared, the lien waver becomes unconditional without any additional paperwork.

Protect Yourself

Though it may be uncomfortable, it is important to protect yourself from issues like these. Ask to see proof of your roofing contractor’s workers compensation, liability insurance and business license. Also, be sure they are willing to sign a lien waiver once your roof is completed.

If you choose a trusted, experienced contractor, most of these issues will not be a problem in the first place. Find reviews and testimonials for your contractor to see what some of their other customer’s experiences have been.

How to Protect Yourself When Choosing a Roofing Contractor first appeared on:

Mountain State Roofing
12 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 816-3693
https://goo.gl/UpFF0l

How to Find Help for Your Roof

When someone climbs up onto the roof of your home, such an individual needs to have a good idea of what they are looking for up there and what they will be doing. When you are hiring someone to take care of your roof, you want to know that they will have a clear understanding of what needs to be done and that they will handle things well. As you are seeking out residential roofing contractors, pay attention to those that are out there and what each one has to offer. Make sure that you find the one most prepared to help out with your roof. When you have a home that is in need of roofing repairs, be sure to find the best help for that home and its needs. Make sure that you understand all that should go into a roofing contractor.

What to Look for When Picking Out Help for Your Roof: When you are considering the residential roofing contractors that are out there on a search to find the one right for your roof, look into those who have proven that they know what they are doing. If you are going to be bringing someone to your home and trusting them on the roof of the place, you want to find help in someone who has proven to be good at what they do. Look for help in someone who can show you work that they have done for others and who can prove that they are ready to help you. As you are seeking out help for roofing repairs, look to those who will be ambitious as they work on your roof. Some would choose to be lazy when they are off the ground and out of your sight, but you do not want such individuals on your side. When you are paying someone to help with your roof repairs or installation you want to know that they will put a lot of effort into the work that they are doing and handle things well. When you are looking for someone to help out with your roof needs, look for someone who will make sure that the cost of the whole project is affordable to you. When someone understands that you are on a budget, then they will work hard to keep the cost of the work that they do affordable for you. Look for help in someone who knows what it is like to live on a budget and who will make sure that you can afford the help that they have to offer.

A roof is a very important part of a home, and the roof that covers the home that you are living in is something that is deserving of good care. Know what to look for when you need help with your roof, and then find the right kind of help. Never settle for anything less than the best when your roof is in need of a repair and you are in need of help with that.

How to Find Help for Your Roof first appeared on:

Mountain State Roofing
12 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 816-3693
https://goo.gl/UpFF0l