Hey BF ROOFERS---New roof questions.....

Monofletch

Monofletch

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Jan 14, 2010
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We are getting a new roof. Our roof is about 20 years old and needs replaced. We discovered a small leak when getting Christmas stuff out of the attic. Our roof is very shallow pitched with a gable vent on each end and 2 turbines. The contractor that bid our new roof is a well established roofer here and gave us a great price even with the tear off and small repair.

My questions are......

Do I need a ridge vent?

Our bid was with the better shingles with the 50 year warranty- does the color of the shingles really matter?

Is there anything else I should be concerned about?

Thanks in advance.
 
Yes, I would definitely install a ridge vent. That helps to ensure air flow in the attic space.

I'm not sure about the color question, but darker colors do absorb more heat than lighter colors. Not sure if that has any impact on shingles.

Good to hear you are doing a tear-off of the old shingles
 
First congrats on the new roof! Second is air flow, they say don't mix gable vents and ridge vent ; one or the other but not both. The logic is you want updraft as the air warms, in through the soffit vents out through the ridge vent. Or in one gable vent and out the other, mixing the two makes swirling air and supposedly keeps too much heat and moisture trapped, shortening the life of the shingles and possibly causing mold. If you want to switch to ridge vent and you have propper soffit venting you should block the gable vents.
Regarding color some places will give a tax credit for a qualified white/light colored because they feel that a light roof causes less trapped environmental heat(global warming thing). A white or light colored roof does get much let hot but the difference between darker colors is negligible and a matter of taste. I hope this helps if you have any questions email me and I would be happy you give you my cell #.
Sorry for how boring all this is.
 
You do not need a ridge vent, they're not common with a gabled roof.
You want the color of the shingles to be compatible with the other colors of the house.
Make sure the roofer inspects all the roof jacks for integrity. Replace them if needed.
 
Yes, he went over the entire process with my wife and I. It is one of the better companies. Probably not the lowest bid in town, but A+ at the BBB and been around for 20+ years.
 
Just to add to this discussion for what it is worth ...

My roof is in at the clean up stage of a re-shingling as of this writing.

Modest 1,104 sq ft home plus integrated 6x8 porch, asphalt shingles, gable vents and one turbine.

From the roofer, my neighbour, I have come to understand the pitfalls of shingling over shingles. The old shingles expose the new shingles to extreme wear where the old will definitely curl under with age ... and ... the manual labour cost of shovelling-off & transporting then paying for disposal of the double # of shingles on the next required & earlier re-shingling will more than wipe out any supposed savings. At the end, the old shingles under will be in better shape than those placed over top in the shingling over economy(not) choice.

Further, there are disposal container choices to be made. There is a high cost to having a container delivered, picked up and finally 'dumped', especially in a rural location.

Here, we have the choice to take the asphalt shingles to the landfill specific site at half the price. Clean fill so to speak. They grind on site and re-purpose the material.

As of this writing, having chosen to trailer materials to disposal:

First load to a transfer site with no recycling of materials: cost is 1,818 LB $104.80 CDN (to be buried)

Second load (with knowledge :thumbup: ) to a landfill site with shingle grinding facility and recycling: cost is 1,565 LB $42.60 CDN (to be re-purposed)

Cost differential is CDN: $127/tn vs $60/tn as per receipts.


Good exercise, good experience in trailering, good environmental outcome. But ... man, I'm getting exhausted. :)
 
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Another question......

Is the extra $300 worth the architectural shingles? I figured I'd ask.
 
If you getting a 50 year shingle it is likely an architectural shingle. As far as asthetics and durability an architectural is the way to go. Something to keep in mind, regardless of the shingle manufacturer; there are specific guidelines that must be met to keep the warranty. Architectural shingles require at least 4 nails per piece and also require that you use a ridge cap and not simply 3tab shingles cut down to cover the ridge as well as 30lb felt to keep the warranty. Whether they are GAF, Owenscorning, CertainTeed or any other. As far as ventilation is concerned you can not over ventilate. I always like to put in an attic fan to aid in Cooling during the hotter months. The new ones have a thermostat that will kick the fan on to blow out hot/ stagnant air (think forced induction on a car) more air, better ventilation and ensuring more than adequate insulation should make it the last roof you have to pay for.
 
He said 6 nails per is what they do. The company I will be using is a certified Certainteed installer.
 
I was told the dimensional shingles also have a higher wind rating than 3 tab, if that matters to you. It does to me up on my hill.
 
If he's certified and a preferred CertainTeed installer you are in good shape man. I'd go with is recommendations and what you think looks the best
 
I'm getting my roof today. It finally stopped raining. Went with the original company.
 
Well, it's about time. Wow, almost three weeks of rain. Hope you're out and about when they are doing the job.
 
They did a wonderful job. They showed me all the repairs before they closed it up. A+ so far. Waiting for the first downpour to see if it holds! :D Also, I expected to find a bunch of residue in my yard. So far only a few nails here and there.
 
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