One of the highest costs when building a house is the roofing. You will have to get the suitable materials, the right design, and qualified expertise to ensure you have a long-lasting roof for your house. Despite its huge costs, it is also one of the areas you will likely experience a shoddy job. You might notice materials withering away, your house leaking, and many other inconveniences.
You can know if a contractor did a better job by checking on the finished product. In this case, you have to check on how the roofing looks. A poorly made roof not only looks awful, but it is costly as it leads to damages to your house and its components. How do you verify if your roofing contractor did a good job? Here are some signs.
Using a Quality Underlayment
If you are on the building site when the contractor installs your roof, you have to check if the contractor is putting an underlayment. It would also be best to assign someone to check it for you if you are not around. If there is no underlayment, it is crucial to step in before they complete the roofing. As stated by roofing contractors in Riverside, underlayment should be between the sheathing and the shingles for a reason. It acts as a barrier that protects water and moisture from getting into your house.
Underlayment is also an essential roofing component, which helps to increase your roof’s lifespan. Most qualified roofers will use a quality synthetic underlayment, which is 40-times more robust than the felt-paper one. It enables the top to stay in its place while protecting your house’s interior.
The Roof Looks Even and Uniform
If you don’t thoroughly check your roof after placement or repairs, you must do so keenly. One of the first signs that your roofing contractor has done a tremendous job is to see an even and uniform-looking roof. The roof should look well-done at all corners and sides. In case of any uneven appearance, that will be bad roofing, and it’s essential to recall the contractor before leaving the site. Another defect you should note is when the shingles are sagging or not in uniform color, size, or appearance. Everything should look consistent from end to end.
Shingles should be your primary focal point. They do the main job of protecting your house, and any deformity means they haven’t settled well. A good roofing contractor will start from the roof bottom; go up to the starter shingle before completing the rest to ensure uniformity.
Your Roof Includes Drip Edge Flashing
One way you will know your contractor has done a shoddy job over your roofing is the missing drip edge flashing. Drip edge flashing is a roofing material installed at the edge of the roof. Its primary purpose is to protect your house against dripping water and also guards your attic against pests. While it is one of the requirements when installing shingles, most homeowners do not know about it, thus get duped by the shoddy contractors. Some will see this situation when their house starts leaking or when pests invade their attic.
Drip edge flashing is a metallic flash that fits between the shingles and the underlayment. If you have just installed a shingle roof, look at the gable and eaves. If there is a missing drip edge finishing, call your contractor back. Any roofing expert will try to protect your house by installing the drip edge flashing. They can also come up with custom-made drip edges to make your roofing border more secure and appealing.
Implement Effective Flashing Practices
If there is one thing people fear after installing a new roof is leaking. A reliable contractor will put metal flashings around the leaking prone areas to ensure that your house doesn’t leak even with the heaviest downpour. Such places include chimneys and water pipes. The metal flashing material should be placed under the shingles and not over, while the vents and other prone areas might require both step-flashing and counter-flashing.
Most roofing companies that do shoddy jobs will put roofing cement or other materials other than metal flashings. While these might work for your roof, they will not last long, and soon you will experience leakages. This will lead to damages to your house. Ensure your contractor has used new metal flashings to seal your roof from leaking adequately. It will also be a plus if they use rodent covers to keep off pests.
After building your house, you will want to live peacefully without disturbances or damages. A quality roof will ensure you enjoy peace when inside your home. You won’t get bothered by insects, leakages, or other inconveniences. Therefore, it is essential to get a reliable contractor who will do a good roofing job for your house.