Roofing

Roofing a house can be a complicated decision.  Do you want to install the roof yourself or pay a contractor to do it?  What type of material are you going to use for your roof?  Since my roof was a 10 / 12 pitch  I decided to pay a contractor.  This pitch of roof is a little extreme and made my decision to hire a contractor easy.  You may not have such a steep roof and decide to do it yourself.  Either way you will still need to pick out your material for the roof.  Metal roofs are very durable at outlast asphalt shingles.  The only problem is the cost.  I wanted to have a metal roof installed on my house until I found the cost to be triple the amount of asphalt shingles.  Now I picked a 26 gauge 16 inch standing seam panel metal roof to get a bid on.  This was very expensive and I made my decision to go with asphalt shingles.  You always have to option to switch materials so get a few bids on what you think you want.  The cost may make the decision for you.  Along with asphalt shingles and metal roofs you have the choice of tile, cement, and slate.  All of which are expensive and heavy.  Another option is wood.  I have torn off wood cedar shake roofs before and stayed clear of this material.  Replacing a cedar shake roof is much more labor intense in my opinion.  They also seem to not look as good when weather for a few years.  Another factor to how long your roof will last is how your framer installed venting.  Ridge vents are are a better method for ventilation and do not create the eyesore that regular roof louvers do.  Ventilation is key for asphalt shingles life so I would recommend framing for ridge vents.  Now that you have picked your material you will have to pick color and brand.  I went with certain-teed brand.  They have a great warranty.  Whoever you go with do your research.  Read reviews and really take into consideration the people that have had there roof on for 15 years or more.  The next step is to pick your color.  Get sample boards from your roofing contractor.  Most darker roofs blend in better then a lighter color.  But if you live in a hot climate you may want a lighter color to not absorb as much heat.  Keep in mind the color you want to paint your house and what will look best with that.  Along with color is design.  I wanted to get a presidential shake that looks like wood shake.  The price of this design changed my mind.  It is easy to get overwhelmed with all the decision.  I went back and forth for a couple weeks before I made my final decision.  Also pay the extra money for 30 lb roofing felt.  Its not that much more and makes the underlay stronger and safer to roof.  Now picking a contractor is more important then any of this.  If the product is not installed correctly it doesn't matter what type of roof you chose.  Make sure they have insurance and warranty work.  Also do your homework and read reviews on company.  Hire a local company and ask of some houses that have been recently roofed in area.  Talk with owners of houses and ask how they were to work with.  Always get references and don't just base bids on price.  Some of the best company's can surprise you with a low bid.  The more references you talk with the better you will feel about your choice.  Also ask about the procedure, materials, and company.  You should feel comfortable that the contractor is an expert in this field.