Category: Roofing

When it comes to roofing materials, you have to pick what is right for you, your home, and your budget. What follows is a quick look at the benefits of metal and asphalt roofing in Houston.

Metal Roofing
This product is becoming more popular among homeowners. It offers a lot of advantages:

• Easy Installation: When you work with professionals, this option is easy to install. In certain circumstances, it can even be installed over your existing roof.
• Low Maintenance: Metal roofing is chip-, fade-, crack- and curl-resistant. It requires less roof repair yet retains its good looks.
• Aesthetically Pleasing: This product can come in a variety of colors and textures, so you can pick something that will go well with the rest of your home.
• Durable: This material is tough, which is perfect for Texas weather. It can stand up to high winds, precipitation, and sun. It’s practically invulnerable to penetration and very resistant to insects, rot, and rust. This durability makes it a little heavier than other choices.
• Energy Efficient: Metal roofs reflect the sun making them an energy-efficient choice.

Asphalt Roofing
This shingle is very popular. Asphalt roofing in Houston is advantageous for a lot of reasons as well:

• Easy Installation: Asphalt shingles are flexible, which means they can be adapted to fit any roof. However, it will require your old roof materials to be taken off.
• Low Maintenance: This option requires more maintenance than a metal roof, but it can still be kept looking nice fairly easily.
• Aesthetically Pleasing: Asphalt shingles also come in a variety of colors and textures, so you can make sure they complement your exterior design.
• Durable: Compared to other roofing materials, asphalt shingles are relatively durable. They are also fairly lightweight, which means your home won’t be put under any added stress.
• Affordable: Finally, this option is often the lowest cost roofing choice for your home.

Talk to Experts
Make sure to talk to a roofing company in Houston, TX, today about your roof-related needs.

If you are a homeowner in Texas, you know that there are a lot of different things that Mother Nature can bring that might threaten your home. Your roofing in Cypress, TX is especially vulnerable because it is the first line of defense between the weather outside and your home underneath. Here are four potential severe weather threats you might face, some common signs of roofing damage, and options for repair or replacement.

1: Hail & Lightning

What was once common only in the spring and summer months has suddenly become a year-round threat, as hailstorms and other severe weather like lightning have threatened home in the South during the winter months. When hail (frozen ice pellets) lands it can do serious damage to homes, roofing in Cypress, TX, cars, and more. Look for signs of bruising, missing granules, cracked or buckling shingles, and dents in the metal flashing on your roof after a hailstorm.

2: Wind

Winds are another major threat to your roofing, either on their own or as part of a larger storm system that includes hail, snow, ice, heavy rains, or even tornadoes. Wind damage (either caused by the wind itself or by blowing objects, such as tree limbs and lawn furniture) can lead to large sections of missing shingles, or damage to the shingles and other areas of the roofing in Cypress, TX. If you notice wind damage it’s important to get it repaired as quickly as possible.

3: Sun

The hot sun of Texas is another potential roof threat. Your roof can act as a kind of “oven”, trapping heat from the sun and radiating it back into the atmosphere. The ultraviolet rays can wear down asphalt shingles, while other indirect problems, such as excessive heat in the attic, can lead to mold, mildew, leaks, and more.

4: Tornadoes

Perhaps the best-known “severe weather” events in the Cypress area are tornadoes. These cyclonic storms include high winds and heavy rains that could lead to severe damage for your Cypress, TX Roofing. Protecting against damage means having a quality roof installed by a professional, making sure there are no existing damages on the roof, and repairing any issues you find before the storm.

Severe weather can be hard on your Cypress, TX roofing, so make sure you take preventive action to protect against it and be aware of how to spot damage after a storm.

The roof on your home is one of those things that you probably don’t think too much about until there is something wrong and you need to get repairs. The wrong time to start research whom to hire for your roofing contractor is when you have a roof emergency. Since it’s likely one of the biggest expenses that you will ever have, you need to make sure you take the time to hire only the best roofer in Houston, TX. Here are some key questions to ask when you’re ready to hire.

Do You Have a License and Proper Insurance?

In most states, a roofing contractor is required to have a license, although the laws vary by state and can even vary by municipal area within one state. Check with local and state government to find out what licensing is required in your area and make sure your roofer in Houston has that license. All roofers should also carry general liability and worker’s compensation insurance policies—these protect your home and property and protect the workers in case of an accident so you won’t be liable to pay for damages or medical bills.

What Experience Do You Have?

You wouldn’t hire a car mechanic to fix your fancy sports car if he only worked on heavy farm equipment, and the same principle applies to roofing. If you hire someone whose only experience is with asphalt shingles but you want to have slate roofing installed, you might not get very good quality. Find out if your roofer has experience installing and maintaining the type of roofing you want.

What’s Your Phone Number and Address?

In places like Houston, where severe weather can hit and cause roofing damage, contractors sometimes come from other counties, and even other states, trying to drum up business. Not all these contractors are shady, but in some cases, one might take your money and never completes the work, or do such a poor job that you have to pay to get it fixed later. If the company’s not local you probably will have a hard time tracking them down if and when you do need something. Work with local companies to protect against scammers.

These questions can help you narrow the field of qualified contractors, and remember that once you have interviewed several roofers and selected the right one you need to get a contract in writing before they begin any work.

Winter months are not usually a busy time for severe weather in the Houston area, but after recent storms tore through the Dallas community, you might be thinking about ways that you can improve the storm-readiness of your home. Metal roofing is one of the best materials available for durability and storm resistance and offers other benefits like improved energy efficiency and aesthetic appeal as well.

Wind Resistance

Most severe weather storms do not result in something as bad as a direct tornado hit to your home or building, but even when the tornado path doesn’t come your way, many storms can pack a significant punch with high winds, which can be devastating for your roofing. Rather than worry about asphalt shingles blowing off in high winds, consider a metal roof in Houston, which is designed to withstanding high winds with uplift resistance and seams that can hold up even in winds as high as 120 mph or more.

Hail Damage

Asphalt shingles are also prone to hail damage, and when hail reaches the size of a golf ball or larger, it can bruise the asphalt and remove granules that protect against UV rays. Houston metal roofing is built to withstand significant hail damage with extremely high impact resistance ratings, and hail will not be able to penetrate the metal roofing surface.

Fire Resistance

Metal roofing is also beneficial to reduce the risk of fire, especially wildfires, which can ignite a home when just one small spark drifts from the fire and lands on your home’s roofing. If you’re concerned about this type of risk, talk to a roofing contractor to discuss metal roofing fire ratings and get one that is suited for your area.

Metal roofing is a valuable investment for your home and is designed to last for a long time with some of the highest resistance to severe weather. If you’re tired of repairing your other roofing material, or you are planning to build a new home, find out why so many homeowners today are choosing Metal Roofing in Houston, TX.

GAF is a roofing shingle supplier that was founded in 1866, and today is the largest manufacturer of both commercial and residential roofing supplies. They have over $3 billion in sales annually and have become one of the premier brands for roofing contractors throughout the Houston, TX area. Here are just some of the reasons you might want to consider getting GAF shingles for your home.

1: Color Choices

GAF shingles include a broad color palette to choose from so you can get the exact shingle that matches your home design.

2: Aesthetic Appeal

Whether you prefer a roofing style that is the more traditional look of asphalt shingles, or you like the look of other materials such as a wood shake or tile, you can get that with GAF shingles. In fact, these asphalt shingles are designed today to mimic the appearance of other roofing materials but still offer you the same simple installation and maintenance as asphalt so you get the best of both worlds.

3: Quality Installation

GAF provides roofing contractors in Houston with the opportunity to get certified through their company with designations like GAF Factory-Certified Roofing Contractor, so you know that the people you hire to install your roof will understand the products and be able to install it correctly. Since most roofing failures occur as a result of improper installation, it’s important to know you’re getting the work done by a quality roofer in Houston.

4: Warranty

The company has been manufacturing roofing materials for a long time, and over the years they have created a product that is unparalleled in its quality and durability. For that reason, GAF is able to offer its customers one of the best warranties available so you know they stand behind the work that they do.

To find out more about GAF roofing shingles, or select shingles for your home, call a roofing contractor in Houston today.

Next time you are ready to hire a Katy, TX roofing contractor, it’s critical that you spend enough time researching the prospective companies in your area before you hire. There are a few qualifications that every homeowner should look for before signing a contract for one of the most important parts of your home. A bad contractor could install a poor quality roof, which could leave you with significant damage and other issues later down the road.

Certifications & Licenses

Many states have laws that require contractors to have specific licensing in order to work on residential property doing things like installing roofing, and in some places there are separate municipal codes and regulations that roofers must satisfy. Even in the absence of these laws, though, there are ways you can find out whether a roofer in Katy is qualified. Certifications from roofing manufacturers or industry organizations are a great place to start, as well as checking things like Better Business Bureau ratings.

Reviews & References

Asking friends and family for recommendations is a great way to find a roofer that provides quality work and great customer service, but if you don’t know anyone personally who has worked with a Katy roofing contractor you can always check online reviews, or ask the company for some references from previous customers. If a company is unable to produce a list of satisfied customers you call, that’s probably a sign you should steer clear of them.

Go Local

Perhaps one of the best things you can do is find a roofer in your local area to do the work. Sometimes roofers come in from outside the area, or even outside the state, and try to drum up business in the wake of storms, but these contractors might offer low quality work, they may be out to scam you by taking money without doing any work, and even if you do get the roofing repairs you expected, they might be difficult or impossible to reach in the future if something goes wrong. Instead, stick with local companies that have been in business doing Roofing in your area for a long time.

Hail damage can happen to any home, and when it does it’s important that you hire a Houston roofing contractor right away to inspect and repair the damage. Left unrepaired, hail damage could cause problems later, leading to roof leaks or damage that requires a full roof replacement instead of some simple repairs. Sometimes it can be difficult to know if the damage on your roof came from hail, so here are a few ways you can identify this type of damage.

Inspect Right Away
Any time you experience a hailstorm with large enough hail that could potentially damage your roof, the first thing you need to do is get the roof inspected. Unless you are a professional roofing contractor, you probably won’t know exactly what to look for, so it’s advisable to hire a roofer in Houston to do the inspection.

If you are worried that you might hire a contractor without reason (and it would be a waste of time and money), you can start by looking for the most common signs of hail damage, which are “bruises” on your shingles. These are small dark spots on the shingles, and if you look closely you might also notice that most or all of the granules around the spot are missing or the shingle is cracked or broken. You can often do this inspection from the ground with a pair of quality binoculars.

Another telltale sign of hail damage is dented metal—the metals around vents and exhaust caps often get damaged before shingles, so you can check these areas too.

Working With Insurance
Homeowners insurance covers hail damage, but working with insurance companies to get this type of repair covered can be tricky. You must be able to show that the damage was caused by hail and that it’s not older damage.

Hiring a professional Roofer In Houston can ensure that all the damage is properly documented and help you navigate the tricky world of insurance claims for roof repair.

Having quality roofing materials that are resistant to hail damage, and a strong underlayment foundation for these shingles can prevent future problems. If you live in an area with a lot of hail, consider getting new roofing as an alternative to constantly paying for repairs from hail damage.

Nobody wants to find out there is a problem on their roofing in The Woodlands, TX, but when you do discover that you are in need of repairs on short notice it can be difficult to know who to call, and how to make sure you get someone who is qualified to make emergency repairs and will do it at a fair price. Here are some tips to help you find the best emergency roof repair contractor in The Woodlands on short notice.

Understand What Requires Emergency Repairs

Every roof will wear out eventually, and the little repairs that you should be making throughout the useful life of your roof are something you can prepare for by having regular inspections annually or semi-annually. Emergency roof repairs are those that come up unexpectedly, following a severe weather event, a fire, animal intrusion, or something similar. If it’s still in the middle of the storm, don’t expect a roofing contractor to come out immediately, since safety is the first priority.

Beware of “Storm Chasers”

When severe weather hits the area around The Woodlands you will often see opportunistic roof repair contractors who come into the area and try to drum up business by going door to door. They might try to scare you into committing to repairs immediately and providing a deposit. If they don’t have a local address and a presence in your area, be wary, they may never return to do the work promised.

Get More Than One Bid

It can be tempting to sign a contract with the first contractor that you speak with, but often it’s best to get at least two or three bids. Since you need an emergency repair, this requires you to plan ahead and get all the bids in quickly so you won’t have to worry about delaying the repairs while you wait on additional bids. Having multiple bids means you can get the best price, or if a bid is suspiciously low you will be able to identify that red flag.

Check Customers’ Reviews

Past customers are often your best resource to find a roofing contractor in The Woodlands, TX who provides quality work and a fair price. Read online reviews, check with friends or family who has worked with a contractor in the past, or ask for the names and numbers of past customers and call them.

When you need Emergency Roof Repairs In The Woodlands, TX, finding the right contractor is essential to get the repairs made quickly without getting ripped off or getting poor quality work.