Why Hire a Roofing Contractor?

Homes and commercial buildings require work. Even when things are going well, regular maintenance, inspections, and upkeep are necessary to keep things running smoothly. This is particularly true when it comes to your roof. Especially if you live in an area like Chicago where your roof is exposed to extreme cold, ice, and snow, you’ll want to take extremely good care of the roof of your home or building. Chicago roof repair contractors are highly skilled experts in knowing what to look for during regular inspections. They’re also very knowledgeable about the correct way to repair any damage or issues that may arise.

Why is it important to hire a expert? If you’re pretty good at fixing things, you should be able to do many necessary roof repairs yourself, right? Unfortunately, this kind of thinking can cost you time, stress, and money in the long run. The problem with roof installation and repairs is that if they aren’t done properly the first time around, water leaks (and other damage) that can occur as a result can be slow and silent, causing a huge amount of destruction before anyone notices that anything is wrong. People often think of a roof leak as water that simply drips down through the ceiling, possibly doing damage to floors, electronics or appliances with which it comes into contact. The problem is much more widespread and insidious, however: the water you see leaking inside may only be a small amount of what has leaked beneath the surface of your roofing material. Once the roof surface has been penetrated, water can begin to rot, rust, and destroy roof decking (whether it’s made of wood or metal) and compromise the structural integrity of the materials beneath.

A roofing contractor knows how to properly to repair issues once they have arisen. Beyond this, they are skilled at noticing and catching issues before they become problems. They’ll look for water that is pooled on the surface of your roof or roofing material that is cracked or missing. They’ll check for any bubbles or aberrations in the roof and any damaged or missing flashing. Your Chicago roof repair contractor will also check for areas where debris or loose items have collected and may be blocking down pipes, gutters, or drains that need to be clear in order to keep water from pooling up and causing decay and damage. This is why having a roofing contractor scheduled to do regular maintenance inspections is very important to the life and well-being of your roof, whether it covers a home or a commercial building.

If you don’t already have a relationship with a roofing contractor, you’ll want to do a bit of research to make sure you hire one that’s properly licensed and experienced. Pick a company that’s been in business in your area for many years to be sure you don’t end up with a fly-by-night roofing contractor. Be especially careful about this after bad storms, as many shifty contractors will set up shop in areas that have been hit by a disaster. They’ll either secure funds from homeowners (saying they need the money to purchase materials) and disappear, or they’ll vanish after doing shoddy work.

Just because a contractor has been in business for a long time doesn’t mean that they do good work, though. Do an internet search and check online reviews to see if other customers have had positive or negative experiences with them. Give them a call and ask them to provide references. Past behavior will give you a good idea of what you can expect from a company in the future. Did they do the work properly the first time? If problems arose, did they warranty their work and repair it in a timely manner?

Once you have narrowed your list down to a few reputable companies, you’ll want to go about getting bids. Get all of your bids in writing and be sure that each contractor specifies the kind of materials they will be using. This way, you’ll not only be comparing labor costs; you’ll be able to tell if a quote is low because the contractor is planning to use cheap materials. This might save you money up front, but it could spell trouble in the long run. By keeping these things in mind, you’ll be well on the way to ensuring that your roof is as long-lasting and trouble-free as possible.

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Commercial Roof Inspection: What Your Contractor Will Check For

Commercial roofs are tough and made to last a long time. Owners of commercial buildings might not think a lot about the need to do regular maintenance on their roofs, but it's a necessary part of keeping them problem-free for as long as possible. Highly-skilled Chicago roofing contractors know exactly what to look for when they come to do regular maintenance checks on your commercial roof. Not only that, if they do find a problem, they know how to repair the problem correctly the first time around.

It can be tempting (especially for someone who is handy) to want to do roofing repairs themselves in an attempt to save time and money. This can cost even more down the road, however. A small leak that is improperly repaired can continue on a smaller-but constant-scale. By the time you discover that the leak wasn't properly stopped the first time around, the damage to the wood or metal roof decking, as well as any materials that lie beneath, can be huge. It's much better to work with Chicago roofing contractors who specialize in locating and repairing roof problems. Because they deal with these issues every single day, they'll not only be able to locate the source of the leak more quickly than someone who is a jack-of-all-trades; they'll be skilled and experienced in knowing the best way to repair the leak in order to achieve optimum and long-lasting results.

The best way to avoid problems, though, is to have Chicago roofing contractors on a regular maintenance schedule to inspect your roof and repair small issues before they turn into large problems. What sort of items will a roofing contractor look for? As they walk the exterior of your building and check out the edges of your roof (and climb up and inspect the roof surface, itself), one of the first things they'll look for is any pools of standing water on your roof. While roofs are made to be waterproof, standing water can cause your roof cover to age prematurely, creating the potential for leaks. Another item that will be of concern to a roofing contractor is areas where the roof cover has started to bubble up away from the decking beneath. When your roof cover is functioning properly, it should sit flat against the layers underneath so that it properly protects them. A roof cover with bubbled areas is also less effective at protecting against wind damage and water intrusion.

Your roofing contractors Chicago will also carefully inspect the roof cover for any areas where it is peeling or cracking. All of the seams where the roof is caulked will be checked to make sure that the integrity of the caulk and seals hasn't been violated; any cracks can cause water leaks. The flashing will also be checked-both the flashing that runs around the edge of the roof and areas of flashing around objects that protrude from the roof's surface (such as vents, pipes, rooftop equipment, etc.). Because the flashing is supposed to keep water from seeping into rooftop seams, it's important that it is in good shape and is free of any gaps.

A proper roof inspection will include checking for the accumulation of rooftop debris and loose items that may have been blown up there (or that may have been left by workers performing work on equipment). Just as with standing water, prolonged exposure to moisture can damage your roof. Items and debris that are left on your roof for long periods of time can collect moisture in and underneath them, aging your roof cover prematurely and creating the potential for leaks. Along these same lines, your roofing contractor will also clean out all of your gutters and drainage downspouts to ensure that water can properly drain away from your roof.

Regular maintenance on your roof is extremely important in prolonging its life and protecting your investment. Talk with your roofing contractor to find out how often you should have professional inspections done. In the meantime, always call a contractor out right away if you notice anything out of the ordinary. You should also have an inspection done right away immediately after any intense wind or hailstorms.Would you like to know more about commercial roofing chicago visit us.

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