Page 48 - amm1

Continued from page CS-24
With so much to consider about your roofer, you can’t forget to make sure they’re using the right materials. No matter if it’s a new roof, re-roof, leak repair, or just regular maintenance, you need to ensure your roofer is using the highest quality of materials possible.
“But how can I tell good materials from bad? I’m not a roofer!”
Step #1 is to make sure the brand of shingles, tiles, or rolled roofing is from a manufacturer with a household name like CertainTeed Corporation, Owens Corning, or GAF Materials. Largescale, experienced suppliers have been in business for decades because their products perform well, and they’re experts in quality control.
That said, not all finished materials are equal. In fact, a little known secret is that manufacturers sell their imperfect materials. Think about a chef with leftovers from a few days ago. Instead of wasting food, they may combine ingredients into a “special” soup of the day to limit waste. Manufacturers don’t want to waste either, so they sell flawed inventory at a discount. This is fine as long as your contractor isn’t buying them for your roof. Unlike the comparison above, your roofing materials must be perfect because you have to live with it for decades!
But how do you tell good materials from bad? There are four grades for roofing materials:
• 1st Quality
• 2nd Quality (known as “2nds”) • 3rd Quality (known as “3rds”)
• Reject Quality
Manufacturers have a variety of reasons for downgrading the quality rating of what they’re producing. Errors can be related to poor reinforcement, a lack of proper asphalt content, appearance, and poor granule bonding, among
other factors. Each flaw dramatically affects waterproofing and life expectancy.
Out of everything mentioned so far about getting the most value out of your roof, this is one tip you cannot afford to ignore. Literally.
How do you spot the differences? Talk to your contractor and ask them to confirm they will only use 1st quality materials for your job. If you ask and they no longer make eye contact, or even worse, try to convince you that “2nds” are ok to use, it’s time to put their quote in the shredder and move on to a highly ethical roofing contractor.
Contractors with high standards will be proud to talk to you about the excellent quality of their materials and point them out in their quote. First quality materials always come wrapped from the factory with detailed labels showing their logo and a barcode. If you see materials with blank brown or white labels – or even worse, just wrapped in plastic without a label – there’s a 99% chance your contractor is using 2nd quality materials.
One usual dead giveaway is the price. If you get a few quotes to compare and see one that is 15-50% or more below the others, they’re likely using 2nd quality materials. At the same time, a bid price in the same ballpark as others does not always mean good quality. Sadly, some roofers are bold enough to use cheap materials and charge you full price. How would you feel finding out that you paid thousands of dollars for work in good faith for inferior quality products from someone that paid 20 cents on the dollar for them? Not good...
It’s up to you to educate yourself and maximize the value of your roof investment that needs to last you 20-30 years. Take comfort in knowing that with the key tips mentioned above, you are now better prepared than most buyers to maximize the value of your next roofing project.
About the Author | Whether you’re just getting started or already have bids in hand, you should always include Royal Roofing Company in your next roofing project. Led by Owner and industry veteran Steve Pinkus, Royal Roofing Company has stayed in continuous business for nearly 40 years in Southern California under the same license. That’s because we only hire the “best of the best” roofers and use the highest quality materials. We maintain the highest level of business integrity, as proven by our 38-year CSLB license that stands without a single violation, citation, or disciplinary action.
Royal Roofing Company is so confident our roof consultation will be of value to you, we offer free estimates no matter how big or small your project is. Call today, and one of our roof specialists will inspect your roof at no cost, then walk you through their recommendations with photos, and ensure that you’re educated to make the right decision. Together, that will save you thousands of dollars over the course of your roof’s life.
CS-26 JUNE 2021 - APARTMENT MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE