"Experts in the science of quality roofing." Why do we need a new roof?
Topics

  1. It looks like the shingles are curling or lifting at the corners.
  2. They have been there for at least 15 years.
  3. We had moisture at wall/ceiling connections inside the house, in the winter.
  4.  We have water penetration during a heavy, wind-driven rain.
  5. Parts of shingles are blowing off in high wind conditions; we find them on the ground.

While some or all of these items may result in the need or decision to purchase a new roof, there may be other things contributing to the conditions described above:

  1. Shingles curl or lift at the corners for two reasons. The organic asphalt shingles have deteriorated to the point when moisture is absorbed into the paper base mat and then the
    sun dries them out [or bakes them]. Inferior insulation, ventilation and air-sealing will also allow moisture from underneath, to get into the paper base mat [of organic shingles].
  2. Shingles installed between 1977 and 1991, in Ontario were probably only 10 or 15 year (warranty] weights.
  3. Moisture at wall/ceiling connections, really has nothing to do with exterior moisture, except as the result of Ice Dams. Ice Dams are only caused by inferior air-sealing, insulation, and ventilation along this weak connection, not by a poor roof. This moisture is a direct result of condensation forming at the wall/ceiling/soffit junction. The "Building Envelope" needs to be inspected and remedial repairs carried out. Otherwise, a new roof system, with the best specification will not stop attic moisture.
  4.  If water penetrates during a heavy, wind-driven rain, you probably require Flashing Repairs - at Chimneys, Roof to Wall connections, Skylights, Valleys, etc.
  5. When shingles begin to blow-off, a few tabs at a time, the shingles have deteriorated with age, to the point of requiring replacement. In hurricane conditions, whole sections of the roof may be blown off. These problems will be common to a whole community at the same time and insurance looks after that.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO INSTALL ASPHALT SHINGLES?
The 4 best months in the year, for installing asphalt shingles, are May, June, September and October. However, most roofing contractors consider the season, from mid-March to mid-December. During very hot and humid weather [July & August], we sometimes have to pull the crews away from sites, by noon hour. Otherwise, the conditions are not healthy and the new shingles may be damaged, as they get very soft.  Today's shingles can be installed in cold weather, without the risk of blow-off, before the sealing strips activate. Each spring, we tend to sell a lot of jobs, which backs-up the scheduling, quite quickly. Even with 4 shingle crews, we will be 3 weeks behind, most of the time. We normally get caught up, by mid summer, while people think more about holidays. Right after school starts each September, things go crazy again and the fall sales keep us going strong until Christmas, or after. This is the pattern of all professional roofing contractors in our area. Through the months of May, June, September and October, if you find a roofer, offering to do your job within days or a week, you should be very concerned. They can't be a full-time or professional roofer.

IS IT OKAY TO INSTALL A 2nd LAYER OF SHINGLES?
A 2nd layer of shingles can be installed, if certain criteria are followed. The removal of the existing hip and ridge shingles, cutting-flush the eave and gable shingles, and installing an Eave Drip Edge are all required, to have a warranty from the manufacturer. By the time you do these things, and pay for the resulting labour - you might just as well do the project in a professional way. Remove the existing shingles, inspect the wood deck, make any repairs and then install a new roof system to give years of trouble-free service, with all warranties in place. Let It Rain Inc. therefore; seldom does a "roof-over" project. There is only a 1-Year Workmanship Warranty for this kind of job. 

WILL THE PROPERTY BE PROTECTED & CLEANED-UP?
Let It Rain Inc. endeavours to have our crews work with the protection of your property, in mind. We use tarps and plywood to protect windows, doors, shrubs, plants, etc. [In the middle of summer, it is impossible to save every petal of every flower.] You must keep in mind; part of the process is considered demolition - the removal of old, dirty roofing materials. It can get very messy and noisy, during various steps of the project. Unless, the structure is very large, we will endeavour to use our own Trailers for disposal of the old roofing materials. These trailers have tandem axles with 4 tires, which reduces the risk of damage to driveways, caused by heavy steel pads [on the bottom of Disposal Bins], being dragged along your driveway, by a careless driver [not employed by us].  By the end of the day, despite how messy things may have looked through the day, our crews will clean up the property, surrounding the house and our trailer [before we leave]. When our driver comes to pickup the trailer, he will also do a final clean up, We use magnets to pickup nails, especially from driveways. Having stated all of this, our customers have to realize that is impossible to pickup every little spec of debris, especially in gardens, long grass or shrubs.

WHAT WARRANTY IS ON A ROOF REPLACEMENT?
There are two warranties; the manufacturers', covering the products involved, and the contractor's, covering the workmanship. Most shingle manufacturers supply Warranty Booklets, so that once a project is complete and paid in full, the Homeowner is given that. The first 5 years is usually covered, 100% for both material and labour. The balance of the time period, is on a prorated basis. The warranties are transferable, so you can use that feature to help sell your house. The days - thank goodness - of when a house was sold, the warranty became "void", are gone. That gave the Homeowner, no incentive to do the job, properly. Now, however, you can have a top quality job done and then use the transferable warranty to market the sale of the house. Both the Vendor & Purchaser win. Most contractor, Workmanship Warranties are worth no more than the piece of paper they are printed on [if they are printed], unless it is based on a level of specification. That is why, Let It Rain Inc. offers 3 levels of roof specification. 90% of what we sell, is the Silver - 10-Year Package. Let It Rain Inc. plans to be here for the long-term. We are building a professional contracting business, not a quick cash-grab at low prices, only to disappear when the problems arise.

WHAT IS ROOF PITCH?
This is the term used to describe the angle or steepness of a sloped roof. It is stated as a factor of rise over run. The rise is the height [vertically] and varies from 4/12 [18.5�], to 8/12 [33.5�], to 12/12 [45�], to 16/12 [53.5�], to Mansard Roofs. The run is the horizontal span with a constant of 12. Pitches under 4/12 are considered Low-Slope Roofs and they have very strict specifications [to keep warranties intact]. Pitches greater than 6/12 are tougher to work on and more safety regulations apply. Therefore, costs increase as the roof gets steeper.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A PROBLEM? 
Let It Rain Inc. works hard at maintaining a top-notch reputation. However, we realize that we are not perfect [all the time]. We install over 420 roofs each year and sometimes our crews have bad days - as anyone does. Our crews are trained and certified, but mistakes do occur from time to time. We are only a phone call away if you do experience a problem with our installation. Our management will respond. We will visit you, investigate the complaint, get the supplier and/or manufacturer, involved if necessary and then solve the problem. We have chosen all of our suppliers very carefully - we need the best products and service in the industry - if we are to pass that service on to you - our customer. If it does in fact, turn out to be our negligence, we will take care of things - we are covered by Insurance for your protection, if there is property damage.

WHY SHOULD A CUSTOMER GIVE A DEPOSIT TO A CONTRACTOR? 
A Deposit is required with Let It Rain Inc. This secures a Contract between the customer and the contractor. By the time the customer decides to proceed with the Project, the company has already invested a minimum of 4-6 hours of time; processing the lead, turning the lead over to a highly trained roof consultant, travel to the site, measuring and inspecting the structure, and then preparing a detailed, custom Quote. Once the Proposal is signed and the Deposit given, the consultant still has to prepare the Work Order for the Office to schedule the project, order materials, custom-fabricate any sheet metal and turn the project over to the Site Supervisor. By the laws of the Province of Ontario, the customer has up to 10 days to cancel a Contract and get the deposit back. This must be done in writing, stating a reason why. [A homeowner should never consider giving a "cash deposit" to a roofer. You would have no guarantee of ever seeing that person again.] 

WHAT IS THE BUILDING ENVELOPE?
The Building Envelope is made up of the components that separate heated space from unheated space, in a house. Therefore, in most houses [unless with flat roofs, cathedral ceilings or sloped portions of "1/2" Storey structures], the Roof IS NOT part of the Building Envelope. It acts only as an umbrella to deflect the elements away from the top of the structure. This is a fact that very few trade and general contractors understand, let alone the general public. If attic spaces were built, air-sealed, insulated and ventilated to easily attainable standards, meeting or exceeding the minimum requirements of the Building Code, homeowners would not end up with damaged interiors and unhealthy air - caused by mildew, fungus, moulds, etc. The majority of homes in southern Ontario, whether new or older, do not meet these minimum requirements. Why? It is easier to put the emphasis on appearance of the finished product - brick, entrance, kitchens, bathrooms, landscaping - than to prepare an attic properly, so that the house will function, mechanically. You don't see inside the attic everyday. 

THEN WHY DOES THE ROOF RELATE TO THE BUILDING ENVELOPE?
The reason both have to be considered is that as soon as a Homeowner has a problem with moisture penetration near the top of their house, they think that the roof must be leaking, whether it is or not. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ESTIMATE & AN INSPECTION?
When people want to have an inspection done - for a certain potential problem or condition - that is entirely different to an estimate for prescribed work to be done. It takes time for a trained professional consultant to come to a site, do a thorough inspection, writing notes, taking pictures, preparing a written report and a specification. Inspections must be paid for. The fees vary, depending on the nature of the problem.