Let’s consider the 7 must have ingredients for a good solid shingle roof. Please keep in mind that this assumes that you have already done your due diligence and you’ve chosen a good, qualified roofing contractor who has been trained and is skilled in the craft of installing a roof. The following must haves in their totality make up a Roofing System. Remember the system is only as good as the sum of its parts.
The first component is a leak barrier aka ICE and Water shield in the roofing world. Once the old roof has been removed, damaged or rotted decking replaced then your leak barrier will be the first application to the roof deck. This product in applied in your most vulnerable areas such as your valleys, along sidewalls, end-walls, along dormers, elevation transitions, in low slope areas, around your chimney, around penetrations, and in general in other areas as needed. This is probably the most important step of the re-roof process to prevent leaks. Don’t skip it.
Next is your underlayment. In years past folks would use a 15lb black felt or even a 30lb felt. Now a days the most popular is a synthetic felt. It is very light and super durable. This will be applied to the rest of the roofing deck not otherwise covered by a leak barrier.
Now that we have the roof with a good solid cover of protection it’s time to start laying shingles. The first type of shingles is called the “Starter Strip.” The starter strip is applied along the entire perimeter of your roof. It is applied along the gutters and up the eaves/rakes. The purpose of your starter strip is to prevent wind from lifting the shingles. The strip has a sticky back that when after the shingles are installed over top will then seal over time and prevent wind from blowing up under the shingles causing them to unseal and even blow off.
Let’s talk about the shingles. Hopefully you have decided on a style/color that you like. Once they’re on there’s no turning back, but seriously a couple of considerations about the shingles are that you’re using quality shingles whose manufacturer believes in and backs the shingles 100%. The GAF Timberline HDZ shingle is a great choice. They have the best wind warranty, a 25 year no algae warranty, and look great to beat. Two quick things to know about installation of architectural shingles is that they should be installed in a stair step pattern. The seams should never overlap. Also don’t let your installer skip on nails. Each shingle should have at least 5 nails per nail strip. Six is better!
Getting closer now. Let’s talk about those areas where our shingles intersect with a penetration, a chimney, a wall, or a dormer. All these areas must be properly flashed. It’s best practice to replace all flashings when replacing a roof. The main reason for flashing is prevent water intrusion but also it is a director of water. When water does intrude into one of these areas a roof that is properly flashed will help move water down and away from walls and ultimately down and off the roof.
The sixth must of a good shingle roof system is that of ventilation. It is so important to allow the roof to breath. This can be a little complicated when discussing the many possibilities of ventilation. The most important thing is to not overlook it. Proper ventilation will not only help with the internal cooling of a hot roof but will allow you to get the most life out of the shingles. Talk to your contractor to discuss the best possible solution for your specific roof type.
Finally, we’ve come to the end. The roof is installed and looking good. Let’s make sure you are protected. Out of the box all the manufacturers have a defect warranty with their product. This is a good thing. Although defects on materials almost never happen, at least if there is a problem that arises then they will back it. Most roofing contractors will offer a workmanship warranty of 2-5 years. This basically covers any issues that may occur within that time frame that stemmed from installation. The trick to that is to understand that if they go out of business, retire, or generally forget how to answer their phone then you are pretty much stuck. As a Master Elite Contractor with GAF, we at Providence Roofing can offer warranties that the typical contractor can’t. Our warranties have up to a 25-year workmanship guarantee along with product defects backed 100% by GAF. The warranties are also transferable if you ever sell your home. After installation is complete then we register your warranties and no matter what happens to us you are protected by GAF.
