Replacing The Roof On Your Waukesha WI Home

After years of dependable service you’ve come to decide that your roof on your Waukesha home needs to be replaced?  Did you have a roofer replace the roof already but after only a few short years you’re experiencing problems with roof leaks?  Under the best conditions (and a high quality installation) your asphalt shingle roof should last at least 15-25 years depending on the type of shingle you’ve decided to go with.  Under the worst circumstances (and a very poor quality installation) your asphalt shingle roof could be ready for replacement in as little as 5 years.

If your home, your family, and all of your possessions are important to you, it’s usually a good idea to buy the best roof you can afford when it comes time for a replacement.

Choosing Your Roofing Contractor

You probably already know there are plenty of choices when it comes to roofing companies in the Waukesha and Milwaukee area.  There are a few things to look for in a roofing contractor if you want to be sure you’re getting the best possible roof for your home.

#1.  Make sure they are licensed and insured:  This should go without saying but you should always verify the roofing contractors license and insurance.  Replacing a roof on a home can be dangerous work, with ladders involved, and the tear-off of old roofing materials (which are very heavy) the possibility for personal injury and property damage is real.  You want to be sure you’re dealing with a reputable contractor should something go wrong.  If you’ve received an extremely low bid from another contractor, it’s likely because they don’t have insurance, which is a significant expense for a professional roofer.

#2.  Are They A Certified Installer?  Anyone can go to a building supply yard and buy roofing shingles without any type of certification or license required.  There are benefits to choosing a roofing contractor that is certified to install specific brands of shingles.

• They are more knowledgeable on the particular shingle products (each manufacturer has many shingle types)
• They are able to provide you with a longer warranty for your peace of mind.
• They understand the specific manufacturers recommendations for installation.

If receiving the maximum warranty available on your new roof is important to you then choosing a certified installer will ensure your investment in a new roof is protected against any manufacturers defects.

Choosing Your Roofing Shingles

There are so many different brands of shingles on the market and under those brands dozens and dozens of different shingle types.  Choosing the right roofing shingle for your home is going to come down to your budget and your decorative taste.  There are economical choices that are very durable, good quality shingles, and then there are much higher quality dimensional shingles that have a more luxury appearance, are usually more durable, and they can offer much longer warranties.

Choose a contractor that is knowledgeable about the roofing shingles they install and they’ll be able to help you choose the perfect shingle for your home and your budget.

What About The Roof Flashing?

When hiring a contractor to replace your roof it’s important you ask about roof flashing.  Many contractors will simply re-use the existing roof flashing, which in some cases might be ok if the flashing is in good shape and was built and installed properly to begin with.  If you really want the best installation then new flashing should be included in your roofing estimate.  Flashing can wear out over time and if a roof is improperly flashed it’s an open invitation for water intrusion.

Dormers, roof transitions, and chimneys, should be properly flashed to prevent any possibility of water entering your structure and undermining your new roof.  A roof that has been improperly flashed or has missing or damaged flashing likely won’t be covered under a manufacturers warranty should a problem ever arise.

What About Ventilation?

Roof ventilation is an often ignored aspect of a roof replacement.  If you have inadequate ventilation in your attic it can lead to problems like the build-up of ice dams in the winter and excess condensation and mold during the wet and rainy months.  Roofing ventilation is very easy to install during a roof replacement so it shouldn’t be overlooked.  Many older homes do not have adequate roof ventilation based on today’s construction standards so ask your roofing contractor to take a look at your existing venting to see if it should be improved.

Most roofing vents are made out of plastic so they can become brittle and brake over time, these should be replaced.  Ridge vents (which run along the top ridge of your roof), soffit vents (which run underneath the overhangs on your roof) and gable vents (which are located on the ends of your home) all play a role in helping air flow through your attic.

What About Site Cleanup After Your New Roof Is Installed?

Replacing the roof on a home can be messy work.  The old layer or multiple layers of shingles must be removed, with this comes a lot of material for disposal.  Many roofers resort to throwing all of this debris onto a tarp laid out on your lawn or in your garden beds.  This practice is the old way of doing things and can lead to property damage with the careless tossing of shingles.  Small ornamental trees, bushes, shrubs, and flowers are commonly damaged from roofing shingles being tossed down.

Paragon Exteriors uses a piece of equipment called the “Equipter” that helps mitigate any of this damage from occuring on our customers properties.  The Equipter is a dump trailer that can be maneuvered around your property with ease.  It can then be raised up to “roof level” so our crews don’t have to throw shingles down onto your property.  Instead the shingles can be carefully loaded into the raised up dump trailer for a nice clean job.

We also use magnets to sweep your gutters and your lawn/garden areas to make sure there are no roofing nails that have accidentally fallen onto your property.

What About Warranty And After Sale Service?

As mentioned earlier warranty is extremely important when you’re spending the money to have your roof replaced.  If you go with an uncertified installer you’re taking a big risk with your new roof should there be a problem.  Most roofing problems are related to a poor installation in which case you might be left high and dry with very little help from the manufacturer.

Choosing a certified installer of a quality roofing shingle will ensure your new roof qualifies for the maximum available warranty.

After sale service is another important thing to consider.  Does the roofing company you are choosing offer any after sale support?  Do they offer a warranty on their workmanship?  How about roofing inspections do they offer annual or bi-annual inspections to ensure the roof performing as it should?  These are value added services that not every roofing contractor is going to offer.

At Paragon Exteriors we offer our roof replacement clients a 10 year workmanship warranty for as long as they own the home.  This warranty is separate from the manufacturers warranty which covers the roofing shingles themselves.  Our 10 year workmanship warranty covers our installation practices.  We also offer our roofing clients FREE annual roofing inspections so we can check up on the performance of your replacement roof for as long as you own the home.

What About Their Online Reviews?

The Internet has made it easier than ever before to find trust-worthy roofing companies because you can quickly choose between contractors based on their online reviews.  Look for a roofing company that has a track-record of happy and satisfied customers and you can be confident in your decision knowing that many of your peers have also trusted the company with their roof replacements.

What About The Final Price?

While it’s true that most roofing companies are using similar roofing products they don’t all adhere to the same quality standards when it comes to installation.  Choosing a contractor based purely on their low-price can be a recipe for disappointment.  Everyone loves to get a good deal but when it comes to your roof what you’re really looking for is “good value”.  You ant to pay a fair price but you also want to make sure that you’re getting a good quality name-brand roofing shingle, you want to be sure the contractor is licensed and insured, and you want to make sure they are certified installers.

Paragon Exteriors LLC offers our roof replacement clients a price match guarantee.  If you can find another certified roofing contractor installing the same roofing shingles as us for a lower price we’ll happily match that price.  They must be certified installers though as we cannot match the pricing of uninsured, unlicensed, and non-certified roofing companies.

Paragon Exteriors One Of Waukesha Counties Top Roofing Contractors

If you need to install a new roof on your home and you want the absolute best value for your dollar look no further than Paragon Exteriors LLC.  We have been providing Waukesha residents with high quality roof replacements since 2010 and we’ve replaced thousands of roofs in the Waukesha County area during that time.

As certified installers for CertainTeed, Owens Corning, and GAF roofing products you can be sure we’ll have the right roofing shingle for your home and budget.  Your new roof will be covered by our 10 year workmanship warranty as well as the full manufacturers warranty on the specific shingle you choose.  We also offer FREE annual roofing inspections for our roof replacement clients so you can have the peace of mind knowing that you’ve got an expert taking a look at your roof performance every single year.

With our price match guarantee you simply can’t go wrong choosing Paragon Exteriors LLC to replace the roof on your Waukesha Wisconsin home.

If you’d like to schedule an estimate for your roof replacement please give us a call at (262) 565-8282 or fill out our online contact form and we’ll get right back to you.