How come we only think of our roofs in bad weather?

BSU vs. Air Force

At Levco, we find ourselves, as remodelers, replacing and repairing roofs on a regular basis. The toughest decision used to be, which one is the best option for my project. This is how we always come up with the best way to go.

Let’s face it, roofs have a life expectancy! Every situation is different, so making the right decision is crucial.

One would think that if you put a 25 year roof on, you don’t have to think about it for 26 years. Au contraire mon frère.

We don’t care which way it goes, we understand your life is busy and that procrastination is human nature. We just want to give you the right data to make a sound decision. Good advice is hard to come by, a repair today with a recommendation to replace in 5 years is good news.

Extending the life of an existing roof is a great investment. Adding some ventilation, trimming a tree that is abrading, replacing pipe flashings, and cleaning gutters is often just what the doctor ordered. We want to be your trusted adviser when it comes to your roof.

INSPECTION

Missing Ridge

In a recent evaluation of a large residential housing project the HOA wanted to look at protecting their investment. They asked Levco to explore repair and replacement costs so that they would be prepared for the inevitable.

Inspection is the key! We offer a complimentary (in most cases) “Boots on the roof” inspection of existing conditions and a professional recommendation based upon what we find. Obviously, you the owner get to decide.  Having credible information and images are what makes it a safe and easy one to make.

REPAIR

failed gasket

Some simple roof repairs may be the trick to extend the life of your roof a few more years.

Pipe flashings are notorious for cracking, leaking, and requiring replacement. The plastic ones look exactly like the metal ones, the only difference is that they fail long before the roofing. Low bid roofers often use the plastic ones to save a few bucks.  The truth is that even the metal ones have rubber bushings that rarely live past 10-12 years. In most cases the rubber is not available, so we replace the entire thing.

Other areas of concern is faulty nailing of ridge shingles.  This is usually not known until a big wind comes up and sends the shingles a block away in a storm. Flashing issues frequently account for leaks and can be fixed without roof replacement. If you have a shake roof, stuffing a few broken shingle back in place is no big deal for us.

REPLACEMENT

Shake Roof Replacement

Replacing a roof is usually undertaken as a last resort. Signs of a worn out roof are obvious to a professional. We have a 2 roof maximum in our region so an overlay without a tear off may be a good choice for a second roof.

During replacement a tear-off is often associated with Sheeting installation or repair which is all part of the project. We can also recommend the best value shingle for the application.

As a general contractor Levco subcontracts roofing to a top of the line roofing company. We warranty our work and do everything to building code using best practices. The manufacturer’s warranty along with ours will cover you for the life expectancy of your roof.

Cautionary note: A company is coming through town offering to replace your roof as a result of hail damage. (An extremely rare occurrence in our region). You pay the deductible and that’s it. Sound too good to be true? They are doing door-to-door sales, scamming the system, often presenting false images of hail damage to your insurance company.  In one case the shingles in the image were different color than the existing roof! No one needs this kind of trouble.

To be sure you are getting the top of the line products and service contact Levco today for all your roofing needs.

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, click here to email me directly, or call 208-947-7261