With winter just around the corner, it would be an understatement to say that making sure your roof is in prime condition is just important. The fact of the matter is that your roof is your home’s first line of defense against the harsh outside climate. So having a roof that is up to the task isn’t just important, it’s crucial. This article is designed to help walk you through the residential roof replacement process. We will show you exactly why you should come to Champion Exteriors if you need your roof replaced.
What To Expect From Our Residential Roof Replacement
When our contractors first arrive at your home, we will begin to prep your home for construction. We will tarp off all of your plants and bushes, scope out the surrounding area. Moreover, we will make sure there are no high-risk zones, such as an exposed glass window or breakable decorations.
We do all of this the day of the deconstruction of your roof, so expect for us to get right to work! We may also ask you to move any cars you have into your garage or on the street. This is because we do not want to damage them. In addition, we may have to move our dumpster into the driveway.
Next, we will do a complete tear-off of your old roof. This is crucial, as we do not layer roofs, as it can lead to problems down the road and/or void your manufacturer warranty on the shingles and materials you choose.
We will then do a full re-inspection of your roof. Just as we did prior to the start of construction, we will carefully and meticulously examine your roof’s plywood.
Our Re-Roof Inspection
We are looking for a few things when we do this. The most important thing we search for is water damage to your plywood. When the wood is water damaged, it becomes soft and very weak. It will start to rot away over time and this will lead to residential roof replacement!
The plywood on your roof serves as the entire foundation for your shingles, and without a strong foundation, you could suffer from a partial or complete roof collapse! Any plywood that we deem to be structurally compromised we will tear off and replace with a brand new sheet. It is crucial after we are done to inspect each piece and ensure that it is properly nailed down. This is a step that most contractors miss, as they only look for water damage. Nails can become compromised when ripping off the shingles. If we do not take care of it, can leave bumps and vulnerable spots on your new roof.
We will then prepare your roof for the fire and ice. And we do this by doing a thorough cleaning of your roof. We ensure your roof is completely free of any nails or debris that may affect the hold of your new roof. Once we are sure your base is spotless, we will begin to install the drip edge. Drip edge is metal flashing installed at the edges of the roof to keep water away from your fascia and from getting underneath your roofing components. If you don’t have a drip edge, water can get under the edge of your roof and your gutters will be compromised.
Ice – Water Underlayment
After we have installed your drip edge, we will begin to lay your sub-roof. This is called ice and water. Ice and water is a long sheet of adhesive waterproof material. This sub-roof is crucial as it prevents any water that may get in along the seams of your roof from causing damage to your plywood. This sub-roof must be laid in every spot of your roof with a seam. This includes near the edges of your roof, by the drip edge, along with any dormers you may have, along the peak of your roof, and around your chimney.
Once we are finished laying all of your ice and water, we will move on to laying the underlayment. This is typically a felt layer between your roof and plywood that prevents the tar on your roof from sticking to the roof, however, many people have been opting into using a new composite underlayment. This new composite material is much lighter, reducing the weight load on your roof, and can take a lot more abuse than typical felt underlayment.
Laying Asphalt Shingles On Your Roof
When all of the prep work is finally finished, we can begin to lay your brand new asphalt shingle roof! This is the most satisfying part of the entire process, as you can see the roof coming together before your very eyes. We will start from the bottom edges of your roof, and work our way up towards the peak. As we progress, we will make sure to install and counter-flashing or vent as needed. When we finally reach the peak, we will install ridge vents and ridge caps. Ridge vents are long piece of either plastic or metal that leaves a small gap between the peak of your roof and your ridge caps. This helps to properly ventilate your attic and upper floors of your home, which saves you money on energy bills.
We will then start our final cleanup of your roof replacement. We take all of our tools off of the roof and sweep any debris we may have made into a pile, carefully bagging it up and taking it to the dumpster. Moreover, we will check all of the gutters for any trash that may have fallen into them and clean up as needed. When we are satisfied that your roof is clean, we will begin our final inspection. We will go around to every possible area we think may be of concern and carefully check our work to make sure there will be no problems for you down the road.
Why Champion Exteriors?
As a company, we take the utmost pride in our work and hold ourselves to the highest standard possible. We will strive to do things not just quickly, but with a level of quality that can’t be contested by any other roofer. We love to create relationships with our clients. Moreover, we encourage them to come to us with any questions they may have along the way. So please, if you need a residential roof replacement, do not hesitate to give us a call immediately. So we can get things moving for you ASAP!