ROOF BUYING ADVICE – WHAT ROOF OPTION IS BEST FOR YOU?

How you spend money says something about the type of person you are. If you are a tightwad and only look for the cheap in everything you will get what you pay for. If you are always looking for the best you will usually get what you pay for as well. But what about those of us somewhere in the middle? If we go to look at a washer and dryer and there are 3 choices…a $500 set, fairly basic but will get the job done. A $1,200 set that is energy efficient and saves on water consumption and electricity use. Last there is the $2,800 set that will do everything you could ever dream a washer and dryer could do and some of what you never considered. For this price it should be able to fold the clothes for you. Most people will look at this decision and make their choice based on what works for their needs and budget. Most people will gravitate to the middle priced units because they know that when they bought things based on price alone they got what they paid for, so they wanted a washer and dryer to last.

This is no different in the roofing business. We look at roofs and we don’t want to overpay but want to get as much as we can for the money. Let me give you some pointers on making a wise decision the next time you are in the market for a roof replacement. There is always more to consider than what color to put on…

1. Do research: Always call around to see what is available. I would recommend calling a local supply house that sells roofing directly to Contractors. I am not talking about home improvement stores, this is only one of thousands of things they sell and they cannot be experts on everything. No, call a local distributor in your area. If you cannot think of one, Google them. Look for (roofing distributors Nashville) or (local roofing supply houses). These are the people who know which manufacturers are reputable if you have a warranty claim, which roofs last the longest and which color pallets are the best. They know which brands consumers are raving about and which ones have lawsuits against them. Do your research before you call a Contractor so when they come you are ready with a list of questions and materials you may be interested in. This will set you apart from other consumers who are not educated in roofing materials and make the sales process easier and more efficient.

2. Consider longevity: You may not be one of those people who will stay in a house for over 5 years but then again you may have a home that you plan on never moving out of. For the wise homeowner you can get a lot of bang for your roofing buck if you will consider the longevity of the product you will be putting on your home. Do you want to go asphalt where you have many options of color and style? You can plan on getting between 12-20 years depending on what kind of asphalt shingle you use. The thicker the asphalt in the shingle the longer it should last, there are also higher end shingles to consider if you want the more elegant look. Metal is another popular roofing choice giving customers energy efficiency as well as longer life spans. Most metal roofs will last a minimum of 3 asphalt shingle roofs and some up to 5 times as long. So if you put a metal roof on today you will pay more, but the energy savings combined with the longevity will cost around a third to a half of the total life cycle cost of your roof. Think before you buy a new roof.

3. Curb appeal: There are other materials you can use on your home if you want to make this roof your last roof. They are more decorative and costly but what you trade for this investment is an increase resale value and curb appeal. One option in Clay or Concrete Tile, I am actually putting this on my new home I am building. I believe in the product because I don’t want to roof my home every 15 years. I want it to be appealing to people because it is not what everybody else in the neighborhood has. It is an investment in my home which I want to be maintenance friendly for years to come and if I ever sell I won’t have to worry about recouping my cost in it. Other examples of great curb appeal roofing products are Slate, Wood Shake and decorative Stone Coated Steel roofs that has many different styles and designs.

So you can see if you have a roofing project coming up you have some homework to do. What is the best way to spend your hard earned money? Now that you have some ideas on how you can be an informed customer go forward with common sense for your dollars.