Are Tile Roofs Just Cosmetic?
Q: Is it true that the tiles on my roof are just for cosmetic purposes because the waterproofing is really the layer below the tiles?
A: No. In fact, this idea has done more harm to the tile roofing industry than anything else we know. Think about it: tile roofs have been around for thousands of years, but in Greek and Roman times, they certainly didn’t have a roll of waterproofing material underneath! An additional waterproofing layer, called “underlayment” great modern improvement to tile technology, and it provides an additional safety net, but it is not the primary waterproofing mechanism of the tile roof. In a properly-installed tile roof the tiles and flashings act as the waterproofing, and the roof system will have a useful life of 40-50 years. If the tiles don’t do their job and the underlayment is actually the waterproofing, then that same roof will only have a useful life of 15-20 years.
Knowledgeable organizations like the Tile Roof Institute have been trying for years to correct mistaken ideas about tile roofing. Hire a certified contractor who understands how to install a tile roof, and you will save yourself money, time, and years of anguish.
Find out how a tile roof will protect your home better than other styles of roofing materials. Call us at 858-613-5242 or email us at better-roofing@toplineroofing.com
Read MoreSkylights – Good or Bad?
Q: I’ve heard that I shouldn’t install a skylight because they always leak. Is that true?
A: No. A skylight is like any other part of a roof – if installed correctly, it will be watertight for many years. However, many contractors do not understand how to install skylights properly, and this has given skylights a bad reputation in general.
If you’re thinking about having a skylight installed, you should keep the following tips in mind:
1) Pick the right type of skylight for your roof. One skylight does not fit all! In our experience, skylights often leak because a contractor chose the wrong kind of skylight for the particular roof. To figure out what kind of skylight is right for your roof, contact an experts. Call us today and start enjoying your own skylight without leaks!
2) Skylights are made watertight by well-installed flashing, not sealants. Make sure you hire a contractor who understands how to properly install flashings around the skylight. Hint: If the contractor uses a lot of black mastic filler around the new skylight, get a new contractor.
Read MoreRed Flags
I was recently asked to come to a gentleman’s house in San Diego to talk to him about his roofing problems. When I say problems, I don’t just mean a bad roof, but more importantly a bad contractor.
This homeowner was hesitant at first, and as I got more information, it became obvious that he had little or no confidence in me or any other contractor. In his case, the skepticism was entirely justified. He had signed a contract, and the company was scheduled to start work a few weeks later, but before they could start, the financial aspects of the deal spun completely out of control, eventually forcing the homeowner to cancel the contract.
The homeowner said that the contractor had returned shortly before the job was supposed to start and claimed that he needed a $6,000 deposit to cover material costs. This raised a red flag with the homeowner, and rightly so for a few reasons:
1. State contract law limits deposits to $1,000 or 10% of the total job cost, whichever is lower,
2. The contract that the homeowner had signed specified a deposit of $4,000, which was illegally high but still not as high as what the contractor now demanded, and
3. When I quoted the job myself I saw that the material cost was about $2,000.
Thankfully, the homeowner stood up to this contractor and told him no, but it didn’t end there —the contractor got upset and threatened to put a lien on the house, since the owner had signed the contract. Fortunately for the homeowner, the contractor doesn’t have the right to do this.
Through this experience, I was able to convince the homeowner that not all contractors are as bad as the one he first dealt with. The more I looked into the case the worse it seemed. Here are some examples that also should have raised red flags:
– The contactor did not have a license number but did proudly state that they were “Affiliated with a Licensed Contracting Company.”
– The checks were supposed to be made out to an individual, not the contracting company.
– The price was stated (good) but it was left open-ended (bad), with a vague clause stating that the cost could go up by 25%, for no specific reason.
– The overall scope and tone of the original contract seemed to indicate poor knowledge of construction terms (or at least carelessness) –for example the contractor referred to ”30-year torch-down composition shingles” and ”6×10 plywood sheathing”. I‘ve been in this business for over 18 years, and have never heard of torch-down shingles or 6×10 plywood.
– His pricing was probably 90% higher than most contractors would have quoted for that job.
After seeing all the problems this homeowner had, I can understand why he was leery of ”all” contractors now. The interesting thing is this homeowner is an intelligent man –college educated with a master’s degree– but he signed the original contract because he was so taken in with the smoothness of this questionable contractor. He mentioned how much he liked the contractor (at least until he started demanding huge deposits) and that the contractor had been very engaging, personable and apparently honest.
If there’s a lesson to be learned here it’s that even smart homeowners don’t necessarily know the ins and outs of construction or contract law. This particular homeowner would probably have gone through with an overpriced deal if the contractor hadn’t gotten too pushy. Homeowners should never be afraid to get a second opinion from an independent source, and to trust their instincts if a deal seems bad.
This homeowner was lucky he did not get burned, but unfortunately for the good contractors out there, we all just took another hit on the chin. It will take a lot of goodwill and hard work from quality contractors to offset one bad contractor like this.
Avoid Red Flags with your roofing needs. We’ll provide with a detailed, no-nonsense, hassle-free estimate and project completed to your satisfaction. Call us at 858-613-5242 or email us at no-red-flags@toplineroofing.com.
Read MoreDo Your Homework
A few weeks ago, a very distraught friend of mine was standing at my doorstep asking for some advice. Tom seemed to be in a difficult situation involving another contractor who was doing some work at his home.
He related to me a series of bad events that had happened to him and his wife in the previous few days. Let me start by mentioning, Tom and his wife are recently retired, good, honest, hard working blue-collar people. In retirement the most valuable thing they have is their house (which is paid off). Tom decided he would do something nice for his wife by remodeling their kitchen and other small upgrades in the 40-year-old house.
Tom acquired only one estimate and signed a $23,000 contract to have the work done. After a few days, all seemed to be going well on the project. However, while the contractor’s employees were busy at their craft, one worker started spraying lacquer finish to the cabinets in the kitchen. This worker was unaware that older model ovens, such as the one in Tom’s kitchen, can have a live pilot light. Lacquer fumes soon hit the pilot light, and BAM!, the kitchen exploded! Other workers were able to quickly extinguish the fire in the kitchen to keep the damage down to a minimum, however, the worker spraying the lacquer was badly burned and spent a week in the burn unit. When Tom visited the worker in the hospital he was informed that the contractor had told the hospital he does not “carry worker compensation insurance”.
So my friend Tom is now standing at my door, having paid the contractor $11,000 of the $23,000 contract (with the job about 1/4 completed) now he has a fire damaged kitchen (of course the contractor does not carry “general liability”) and a badly burned worker that will most likely sue Tom and his wife. The contractor told Tom that he is not required to carry worker comp insurance because all of his workers are independent contractors.
The first thing that came to my mind is the many times I have sat in front of homeowners and told them that they need to verify that all the contractors they are considering for hire do indeed abide by state laws. It is imperative for your protection and theirs that every contractor have workers’ comp coverage for all employees and general liability insurance for all sub-contractors. Unfortunately Tom never asked me. I don’t know how this will shake out for Tom and his wife, but it is very likely that the injured worker will name them in a lawsuit for his damages.
Had Tom verified first that the contractor he hired was legitimate and fully insured, the contractor’s insurance companies would be taking care of the liabilities in this case, rather than Tom who’s now standing at my door wondering if his wife’s new kitchen will cost them their house in future law suits.
We have at the licenses we need to handle any type of roofing for your home or investment property. We cover our crews with workers’ compensation in case of an incident.
Read MoreSpecial Offers
