Do you know the blatant and hidden roofing job signs most likely leading to expensive repairs and/or roof failure? Most roofers won’t tell you about these common mistakes, but we will.

For the investment that a new roof requires, you would like to be able to expect a complete and mistake free installation. Avoid the expensive surprises and premature roof failure by knowing what to look for and can go wrong.

atlantacommercialroofingcontractors.com gathered a list of the 15 more common mistakes roofers make during the installation process.

Mismatched Roofing Shingles

One of the more visible mistakes a roofer can make is to use mismatched shingles. This obvious mistake occurs when a roofing contractor uses multiple dealers and purchases supplies from more than one supplier.

This can be avoided by selecting a roofing contractor that consistently uses the same roofing supplies distributor.

Layers of Shingles

Depending on the municipality your property is located in, it may or may not be unlawful to install a new roofing system without first tearing off the old one.

By tearing off the old roofing system, your contractor can fully inspect your roof deck for any weaknesses, gaps, and other potential issues. An added benefit is that your roof deck will not have to support the weight of two systems.

On the contrary, some commercial roofing systems are engineered to overlay an existing roofing system. Before this happens, the number of layers is checked and decking is tested for it soundness.

This cost-savings method prevents a complete tear-off and related debris hauling process, but should only be used on a commercial roofing system and in accordance with all local and state laws.

Incorrect Use of Roofing Nails

Roofing systems that utilize nails to secure it to the roof deck have specific guidelines for the size and use of nails. The following are common mistakes that could lead to your insurance company refusing to pay a claim in the event of roof failure.

• Nails without barbed shanks.
• Nails are too short.
• Nail Heads are too small.
• Not enough nails used. (the average is four per shingle and six for higher slopes or premium installations)
• Nails driven above the self-sealing strip.
• Nails driven into knotholes or gaps in the roof deck.

All of the above can result in the acceleration of a roof’s deterioration.

Incorrect Shingle Overhang at the Eves

Shingle overhang at the eaves should be between 6 and 10mm. More than this can result in the shingles being blown off during high winds or severe storms. Less than 6mm can result in water infiltration of the roof deck and leaks within the structure.

This mistake can be avoided by proper shingle installation and with the addition of a drip edge flashing to protect the edges of the deck from water infiltration. This flashing can be secured with a shingle adhesive.

Neglecting the Installation or Reusing the Drip Edge Flashing

Drip edge flashings help ensure a roof’s success at keeping the outside elements outside. Here are some of the benefits:

• Stops wind-driven rain from gaining access at the edge of the roof.
• Provides a surface for water to drip from which prevents saturation and decay of the deck or fascia board
• Drip edge flashings stop insects from entering the attic.
• Since they extend slightly past the edge of the roof, they support and keep shingles from sagging or breaking.

When replacing your roofing system, ensure that all drip edge flashings are replaced. This expense is minimal considering the cost of a new roof, and serves to protect your investment.

Improper or Missing Starter Shingles (Starter Strips)

Both rookie contractors and do-it-yourselfers frequently make this mistake. A starter section of shingles should be laid along the eves.

Without starter shingles, water will make its way to the roof deck through the cutouts of the bottom shingles.

Improper Installation of Underlayment

Roofing underlayment is a layer of water-resistant or waterproofed material that is installed directly onto your roof deck. The underlayment is applied under all other roofing materials as an added layer of protection from severe weather and the elements.

There are three principal types of roofing underlayment:

• Asphalt-saturated felt
• Non-bitumen synthetic underlayment, or synthetic underlayment.
• Rubberized asphalt underlayment

Asphalt-saturated felt, and synthetic underlayment are both water-resistant, while rubberized asphalt underlayment is waterproof.

Neglecting the Attic

Your roof is a system made up of various parts, including the attic space. Without proper attic ventilation, moisture can build up over time causing your roofing system to prematurely wear out, and ruining your insulation, resulting in sharp increases in your energy bill.

Improper Roof Slope

The use of materials that don’t suit the slope of your roof will leave your structure susceptible to water penetration.

As an example: For an installation of asphalt, wood, or tile shingle roofing systems, it is recommended to have 4 units rise per 12 units of run.

Roof Gutter Sag

Roof gutters are vital to guiding water away from your roof. When they sag, come loose, are installed too low, or do not sufficiently slope, they can back up or overflow, allowing water to enter the structure.

Insufficient Securing of Roof Valley Flashing

Since roof valleys typically handle large volumes of water runoff, they are more prone to leaks. When roof valley flashings are improperly installed, the roofing system can buckle, leading to water leaks and costly repairs.

In addition to the proper installation of roof valley flashing, using the appropriate amount of sealant and adhesive material will work to prevent water penetration.

Not Planning for Ice Dams

In colder climates, ice dams form at the roofline which forces water under the shingles. Thawing and refreezing can wreak havoc on a roofing system without proper insulation.

Damage can be significantly reduced or prevented by applying an additional underlayment from the roofline to about three to four feet up the roof. This provides an extra layer of protection from melting ice water.

Ignoring the Manufacturer’s Guidelines

Roofing manufacturers have detailed regulations on how their roofing systems must be installed. Deviations from these regulations may determine whether a manufacturer will honor their warranty in the event of the roof’s failure before the guaranteed lifespan.

Skipping the Roofing Permit

Most municipalities require a permit for new roof installation. The building owner or property owner is ultimately the one held liable for failing to obtain a permit.

Having a roof installed without a permit may result in fines, refusal of insurance coverage, or even the forced complete removal of the new roof.

Insufficient Roofing Contractor Insurance

If your contractor does not carry enough insurance to pay for damages or injuries, you may be held responsible for covering these costs.

All reputable roofing contractors will willingly provide proof of their insurance policy. Likewise, their insurance company may be contacted to confirm their coverages.

Avoid a Bad Roofing Job

Knowing the signs of a lousy roofing job and contractor will help you avoid expensive surprises and premature roof failure.

In this article, you discovered 15 of the most common roofing mistakes that can lead to leaks, weather damages, and roof failure.

If you don’t know what to watch for during the installation of your new roof, you are leaving too many windows for mistakes that can cause serious damages to your property and potentially result in the failure or loss of your new roof.

Sources:
https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1706-25045-9347/chapter8.pdf
https://dopl.utah.gov/licensing/contracting_avoid_costly_mistakes.html
http://www.ashireporter.org/homeinspection/articles/don-t-miss-the-shingle-stagger-/1973
https://www.handymantips.org/major-roofing-mistakes/

See 15 Common Mistakes Most Roofers Won’t Tell You About for the first version of this content.

Over 9 billion dollars worth of damage was done in the California wildfires in 2018 alone. In the previous year’s fires, 8,000 homes, more than 200 commercial buildings, and 40 irreplaceable souls were lost.

Wildfires are becoming more commonplace and destructive, and all measures you can take to protect your property should be known.

As environmental conditions deteriorate, atlantacommercialroofingcontractors.com advocates learning the causes, facts, and ways to protect your property against wildfire.

Wildfire Information

When a fire ignites in a forest or in the fields, little time is needed for it to gain momentum and grow to monstrous proportions. Weather, winds, and combustible vegetation all contribute to the movement and ferocity of a wildfire.

The following information will shed some light on wildfires:

Wildfire Definition – An uncontrolled fire occurring and spreading in wildland areas, which can reach and destroy residential, community, and commercial property.

These fires may also be referred to as forest fires, brush fires, wildland fires, grass fires, or vegetation fires.

What Causes Wildfires? – Of all the potential causes of wildfires, human carelessness is the most frequent cause.

While lightning strikes, heat from the sun, and power line arcs are potential causes, the following activities are the most frequent reasons for wildfires:

• Arson (the intentional ignition of a fire)
• Discarded Lit Cigarettes
• Camp Fires Improperly Extinguished
• Improper Burning of Debris
• Controlled Fires that Escape Control
• Playing with Matches
• Lighting Fireworks

Wildfire Facts – The following information highlights essential facts about how wildfires benefit nature, how they spread and the damage they are capable of causing:

• Fuel for wildfires include all vegetation (grass, shrubs, plants, and trees).
• Wind plays a crucial role in the growth, direction, and speed of a wildfire.
• Embers can travel and ignite new fires up to a mile from the fire they originated from.
• Wildfires (under optimal conditions) are able to achieve speeds of up to 20mph.
• Wildfires can consume homes, commercial buildings, and any structure with combustible material.
• In 2018 alone, more than eight and a half million acres were burned by wildfires in the United States.

Watch this video to learn more about what fuels a wildfire.

Protect Your Property from Wildfires

While you cannot control the direction, speed, and size of a wildfire, there are measures you can take to harden your property and minimize potential damages.

The Roof – The most vulnerable element of any structure is the roof and regardless of anything else you do, a flammable roof will mean the difference between your property or building not surviving and surviving a wildfire.

As embers can travel vast distances, they may land on your roof and ignite a blaze that quickly engulfs and destroys the structure. If your roof is made from flammable material or is in need of repairs, consider re-roofing the property

A roof constructed from non-flammable material with a high UL fire-resistance and smoke protection rating such as composition, asphalt shingles, metal, tile, or slate offer the best possible protection from embers igniting a fire on your roof.

Have your roof inspected by a professional to verify that there are no gaps, damaged material, or spaces between the decking and covering. The goal is to eliminate anything that could catch embers or burning objects.

Exterior Vents – Embers can get in through vent openings. Use a non-flammable eighth-inch metal mesh to cover them. For vents in eaves and cornices, baffles should be used as mesh covering will not provide enough protection.

The Gutters – leaves, pine needles, and debris that collect in gutters can cause severe damages to your property in a few ways:

During heavy rainfall, water can accumulate in your gutters and potentially cause structural damage and leaks in your roof.

During an approaching wildfire, embers may find their way to the gutters and ignite the debris creating a dangerous scenario.

This problem can be curbed by installing aluminum gutters with leaf guards or gutter guards. Even with these precautions, your gutters should be inspected and cleaned on a frequent basis.

The Walls – Combustible siding materials will defeat the purpose of installing a non-flammable roof. Fireproof your home or building by using non-flammable materials such as stucco, aluminum wall siding, fiber cement, or other material with a UL fire-resistance rating in accordance with building codes for your municipality.

For siding material such as these to achieve maximum efficiency, they must extend from the foundation to the roof and make a seamless connection to doors and windows.

The Windows – As the radiant heat from a wildfire approaches, cracking glass windows and melting plastic skylights can become a significant liability by allowing entry to embers and igniting anything flammable.

Installing dual-pane windows (with one or both panes of tempered glass) will provide better resistance to increasing temperatures.

Make sure that window and door frame assemblies are fire-resistant as well.

Fireproofing The Perimeter – Anything organic can be considered fuel for a wildfire. Ideally, there should be a perimeter extending at least 5 feet from the structure in which combustibles have been reduced or eliminated.

The following will help you identify potential hazards:

• Wooden gates or fences should be attached to a metal or masonry barrier. If attached to the structure, they could carry the fire to it.
• Firewood stacks and propane tanks should be kept a minimum of 30 feet from the structure.
• Replace organic mulch with gravel or stone mulch within the perimeter.
• Trees and shrubs should be well-watered, seasonally pruned, and inspected annually for signs of drought, disease, or infestation.
• Grass must be kept healthy, well-watered, and cut. In areas prone to wildfires, alternative non-organic landscaping is recommended.

Resources for Immediate Wildfire Assistance

• If you are trapped in your home or business during a wildfire, call 9-1-1 for assistance and rescue
• Call the American Red Cross at (800) 733-2767 or to find a location near you, visit redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter.html
• For federal disaster financial assistance, visit usa.gov/disaster-financial-help
• Disaster assistance may also be applied for at disasterassistance.gov/get-assistance/find-assistance

Reduce the Effects of a Fire Disaster

The massive amount of damage that wildfires have caused out west and throughout the United States is staggering. Countless businesses, homes, forests, and lives have been lost.

In this article, you discovered the definition, potential causes, and facts about wildfires, as well as measures to take to protect your home or business from becoming a wildfire statistic.

Wildfires are becoming more frequent, larger, and more deadly. If your property is situated in an area that is prone or has the potential for wildfires, your inaction to protect your assets could very well cost you everything.

Sources:
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF10244.pdf
https://www.ready.gov/wildfires
https://disastersafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/WF_California_IBHS.pdf

See Information to Protect Your Property from Wildfire for the first version of this content.

After a severe weather event, leaks in a commercial roof can become problematic very quickly. Besides disrupting business and making a mess, they can cause electrical problems, structural damage, and lead to roof failure if not promptly addressed.

When the roof of your commercial building, hotel, office, warehouse, or retail location is damaged or develops a leak, it should be treated as an emergency and handled immediately.

In this article, atlantacommercialroofingcontractors.com discusses weather-related roof damage, insurance company assessments, and how to hire a roofing contractor.

Causes of Commercial Roof Damage and Leaks

During or after a severe weather event, damages to your roofing system may become very obvious in the form of saturated walls, drips, or even streams of water cascading to the floor.

Hailstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes in particular can beat up your roofing system, causing severe structural damages, such that extensive repairs or even roof replacement may be necessary.

However, sometimes a severe weather event isn’t necessary to expose an emergency situation. Over time, your roof must frequently endure extreme temperature fluctuations, and eventually, all it takes is a rain shower on a mid-summer afternoon to rapidly cool a nearly 200-degree roof and presto! You’ve got leaks and an emergency on your hands.

Roof Assessments and Insurance Inspections

If your roof damage emergency is the result of an act of God, before any major work begins, you must file the insurance claim. To do so, gather your policy number(s), facts about the situation, and call your insurance carrier to request an assessment.

During an evaluation inspection, the adjuster must determine the following when assessing the total of your loss:

• What is the extent of the damage?
• How much material is needed for repairs?
or
• Was the roof damaged sufficiently to declare it a total loss?
• How much material is required for replacement?

To ensure that you will receive the maximum benefit from your insurance policy, call a professional roofing contractor to have your own independent assessment done.

Request a Reinspection – If you find discrepancies between the insurance adjuster’s findings and those of the roofing contractor, you have the right to request a reinspection or contract an insurance public adjuster.

Reinspections are common practice, in which the insurance adjuster will meet with the roofing contractor to review the damages done to your roof.

Upon approval of the claim to repair or replace your roof, your insurance provider may select the roofing contractor to complete the work. They may also leave that determination up to you.

Note: In areas where a disaster has occurred, insurance companies may set up and follow special temporary procedures to expedite repairs and rebuilding. In these scenarios, it is important to keep receipts and records for temporary repairs, as the insurance company will likely reimburse you.

Hiring A Roofing Contractor – What to Look For

Natural disasters and severe weather events tend to attract some of the worst characters in the roofing business that prey on unsuspecting property owners who are under pressure to get things back to normal.

Replacing the roof of a building is a significant investment that needs to be done right, by a contractor that can be fully vetted and held accountable for the quality of their work. When fielding bids from contractors to repair or replace your roof, consider the following factors into the decision-making process.

Does the contractor have:

• A written proposal?
• A valid business license?
• Proof of insurance
• A permanent business location?
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of your roofing system?
• Up-to-date industry education?
• Financial stability?
• Material and installation warranties?
• A maintenance proposal?
• An effective safety training program?
• In-state references?

Also look for:

• Manufacturer certifications.
• Proof of continuous training.
• Roofing association memberships.
• Industry awards and recognition.
• Good and bad press or reviews.

Be wary of contractors which:

• Provide a seemingly unrealistic high or low bid.
• Only provides out-of-state references.
• Request money before any on-site material delivery.
• Only deal in cash.
• Cannot verify their company information and statements.

A fast way to address all of the above is to request a “Roofing Contractor Qualification Statement.” This document collects in-depth company information, references, history, and financial stability neatly organized to facilitate your evaluation of that company.

Managing Your Commercial Roof Seamlessly

The weather and harsh conditions a commercial roofing system must endure dramatically influences its lifespan and necessity for repairs. When the need arises, and it eventually may, you should be prepared to quickly file a claim and call in a professional roofing contractor.

With the above information, you can now identify an emergency roofing situation, effectively work with your insurance company, and thoroughly vet the contractors bidding for your job.

Without your prompt action, your commercial building will suffer significant losses or temporary closure when severe weather leaves your roofing system vulnerable, damaged, destroyed, and leaking.

Sources:
https://www.fema.gov/
http://www.nrca.net/
https://disastersafety.org/ibhs/hiring-a-professional-commercial-contractor/
http://www.everybodyneedsaroof.com/Roofing-Information-For-Building-Owners

See Commercial Roof Repair, Insurance Claims, and Hiring Contractors for the first version of this content.