Some will do it out of pure greed, others will simply lack the expertise. In both cases, you will end up with the same result: a poorly done roof that costed you a good amount of money.
Some will do it out of greed. Others will simply lack the expertise. In both cases you will end up with the same result: a poorly done roof that cost you a good amount of money.
The roofers came, did the roof, and went back. The leak in the room of your child stopped. Everything seems good. In the end, the job was done and you saved almost 4 grand compared to what the other roofers charged. What a deal! Or is it really…?
Time passes. Two years later, with your roof worries far gone the leak comes back. This time, it’s even bigger. A good part of the ceiling is destroyed, the hardwood floor, the wall, and your kid’s wardrobe too. Hastily, you grab the phone and dial the number on your roofer’s bill. No answer. The company that made your roof has disappeared, and so did your warranty. This kind of situation is not rare. Many Montrealers have no other choice but to hire a new company to redo their roof as it should have been done in the first place. In sum, they had to pay for 2 roof redoes instead of one, including the costs related to the interior damages caused by the leak. What seemed like a deal at first ended up a financial nightmare.
Here are some examples of necessary elements that a good roofer will always do:
It is necessary to remove all existing roofs down to the wood deck before reconstructing the new roof. Installing a roof on top of an old one will only postpone your problems.
It is necessary to adapt the slope of the roof to the drain so that the water may flow out of the roof. Failure to do so will result in excessive accumulation of water on the roof, which will cause your roof to age prematurely as well as to increase the risks of leak inside the building.
When necessary, it is primordial to redo the wood deck and the walls before installing a new roof membrane. Problems to the structure of the roof will necessarily result in problems related to the sealing of the roof. A moldy wood deck will not allow the membrane to adhere properly which will result in sealing problems, and could also result in more severe problems such as a roof droop.
A safe roof is the first step to a safe house. A cheap deal might result in disappointing results.
Photo credit: Michael Blann/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Émile Lelièvre Roofer 