FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• How do I know if I need a new roof?

  Figuring out whether or not you need to replace your roof can be a daunting task. If you suspect that your roof may be a candidate for repair, its important to have it taken care of right away. Here are some helpful hints to help you determine whether or not your home needs a new roof. However, it is always in a homeowner’s best interest to call in a quality roofing professional to be sure of the kind of attention that your roof needs, so you can be instructed what the next necessary step will be.

  Here are some warning signs:

  Inside your home

  Most often, the first signs of roof failure are found inside the home. You’ll want to look for:

  • Ceiling Stains- caused by condensation in the attic, or water seeping through shingle coverings
  • Flaking Paint and Plaster
  • Peeling Wall Paper
  • Discoloration near wall/ceiling joints

  In The Attic

  Attic space must have proper ventilation and insulation to prevent condensation moisture on the interior from occurring. The best time to check attic space is after heavy rain. Check the space for wet, darkened, or stained decking and rafters.

  On The roof

  If your roof is over ten years old, its time to begin routine visual inspections, done twice a year in the spring and fall. Many roof problems can be seen from the ground, however if you decide to get on the roof, be sure the surface is dry, and wear rubber-soled shoes for good traction and for prevention from damaging shingles. If you suspect a problem with your roof, you can always call in a professional. Look for any of the following signs of weathering to prove that your roof needs attention:

  • Bare Spots- the protective granular surface of shingles wears off. Often accompanied by fine fissures on the shingle surface, and by the accumulation of granules in the gutters.
  • Broken Shingles- Can is caused by extreme wind conditions and snow removal. Since Shingles are supposed to shed water, broken, torn, or missing tabs can become entry points for water. This is especially true for roofs with low slopes where run off is slow, and roof peaks where shingles are vulnerable to high wind.
  • Buckling- A visual distortion or waviness in the horizontal lines of shingles. With this, shingle tabs become exposed to wind and can be torn off. Often, the problem is warping in the roof deck, caused by poor attic ventilation. An additional cause of this is the use of thinner than recommended plywood and non-plywood materials.
  • Curling- the upward curling of shingle tabs makes them highly susceptible to wind and ice damage. This is commonly seen on older roofs, where moisture build up from the attic affects the underside of the shingle.
  • Clawing- the curling under of a shingle tab’s bottom edges. The bulges created, are susceptible to substantial damage by wind hail and ice. Clawing in a natural occurrence in the aging process of shingles.

• Glossary of Roofing Terms

  • Counter Flashing: the flashing that is imbedded at the top of a wall or other vertical structure and is lapped over shingle flashing.
  • Eave: the lower edge of a roof, usually overhanging beyond the edge of the house.
  • Fascia: trim board behind the gutter and the eaves.
  • Flashing: copper and aluminum metal or other material, used at the junctions of different planes on a roof to prevent leakage.
  • Felt: the “tar paper” used by roofers, made of a combination of asphalt and either paper or rags.
  • Frieze Board: a board at the top of a house’s siding, which forms a corner with the soffit.
  • Gable: the triangular upper portion of a wall, closing the end of a ridged roof.
  • Hip: the external angle at the junctions of two sides of a roof, whose supporting walls are adjoining.
  • Joist: a horizontal structural member, over which sheathing in nailed on a flat roof.
  • Rafter: a structural member that is normally slanted, that sheathing is nailed to.
  • Rake: the slanting edge of a gabled roof that extends beyond the end wall of a house
  • Ridge: the horizontal line at the top edge of two sloping roof planes.
  • Sheathing: rigid material that is nailed to the rafters, where shingles or other outside roofing materials are secured.
  • Shingle Flashing: copper and aluminum flashing that is laid in strips under each shingle, and bent up the edge of a chimney or wall.
  • Slope: the number of inches or vertical rise in a roof per 12 inches of horizontal distance. Slope is sometimes referred to as pitch.
  • Soffit: boards that enclose the underside of a portion of the roof extending out beyond the sidewalls of the house.
  • Square: One hundred square feet of roof, or the amount of roofing material needed to cover one hundred square feet when applied properly.
  • Underlayment: the material (usually roofing felt) laid on top of sheathing before shingles are applied.
  • Valley: occurs where two opposing rooflines meet, or are adjacent to each other. The less than 180-degree angle where two sloping rooflines come together.
  • Valley Flashing: shingles woven or over lapped at the valley of a roof.

• What is Ice Damming?

  Ice Damming occurs when the accumulation of snow and ice stays on a roof for too long, and the temperature stays very cold. This causes the snow to melt from underneath, allows the snow to then refreeze, and proceed to the lower areas of the roof at or near the soffit. When enough ice forms at the soffit, it begins to dam the water, forbidding it to leave the roof. The water then backs up under your roof shingles, causing it to enter your home.

  Here are some preventative measures you can take against Ice Damming:

  • Clear your roof during major snow storms- keeping your roof as clear of snow as possible leaves less opportunity for ice to form.
  • Check for air leaks leading into your attic- the most common area for leaks is the attic stairway that has warped and is allowing hot air to enter the attic area. To prevent this make sure the area is airtight.
  • Check the vent of your attic fan- this vent not closing properly will also allow air to pass through to the attic. Cover the vent with a layer of insulation that can be removed in the summer months. These fans usually come with an exhaust vent on the gable of the house, and if this vent gets set to the closed position, you will lose all ventilation to the attic area. Screen this vent, and make sure its louvers stay in a semi-open position.
  • Check for proper attic ventilation- with the passing of time, the screens on the gable vents will eventually clog with dust. This will cause a heat build up in your attic, simply clear the vent with a whiskbroom.
  • Attic Insulation- one of the best ways to notice if your attic area becomes to warm, is to notice whether or not your house gets an abundance of ice cycles in the winter. In the case of very bad storms, the newer homes that have been built with updated building codes will have fewer ice cycles than that of the older homes built with poor insulation and inadequate ventilation.

• What kind of work do you do?

  For over 39 years, Model A Roofing’s sole purpose has been to provide quality roofing, siding, replacement windows, seamless aluminum gutters, and chimney flashings on both residential and commercial properties throughout the Rockland county area.

• What else do you do?

  Model A Roofing is a full service professional roofing company. We are not a “jack of all trades” type of company, however, with our many years of experience, we would be more than pleased to make referrals to other reputable contractors in the area such as Masons, Electricians, and Contractors.

  • It is crucial to make sure that the contractor has appropriate insurance coverage, as well as a current liability policy. It is also important that all employees of the company are covered by Workman’s Compensation.

• Can I put the roofing job off for a few years?

  The only way to be sure how long you can go without a roofing job is to ask a reputable roofing contractor to evaluate your roof.

• What color roof should I get?

  Roof colors are at the homeowner’s digression. A professional roofing contractor will provide you with color samples from the manufacturer. You can use the samples as a guide, but have the contractor send you to look at a house with the color roof you have chosen because small samples can be hard to visualize. By choosing Model A Roofing, we can provide you with countless examples of homes with our work.

• Which color will last the longest?

  Lighter colored roofs usually last longer, but a lighter color may not look right on your home. I usually go for a roofs appearance and not its lifespan, but that’s easy for a roofer to say!

• Who does the work?

  The Model A Roofing employees, who must adhere to strict standards of quality work, are always the ones on the job. The goal of Model A Roofing, after over 39 years, is still to supply a service with the highest possible standards at a reasonable cost.

• How long does the job take?

  Once work has begun on your home, it will continue uninterrupted until the job is completed, weather permitting. When the job on your house is scheduled, it is the only job for that work crew until completed.

• What is the best way to check references?

  Be sure that your contractor is licensed in your town or county. Consumer protection is a good way to check for the following:

  • How long has the company been in business under the same name?
  • How many complaints do they have against them, and what kind?
  • Are they always the same complaints?
  • Did the contractor fail to come back after the job was completed to do repair work?
  • How long did it take for the contractor to satisfy the complaint?

• How do I know you are a good contractor?

  Due to the fact that its time consuming, the most frequent mistake homeowners make is not checking the contractor’s references. Model A Roofing has been the same company for over 27 years, and we strongly recommend that homeowners check our references.
  
  County of Rockland
  Department of Weight and Measures
  Office of Consumer Protection
  18 New Hempstead Rd
  New City, NY 10956
  Tel: 845-708-7600

  A Contractors references are a great way to obtain information about a contractor’s history with complaints.

• Why should I hire a Professional Roofer and not a Handy Man?

  Experience and an understanding of the ever-changing technology of roofing systems are absolutely essential to a job well done. It is equally important to be sure that you have someone reliable in the event of a reoccurring problem. Model A Roofing’s sole focus is, and has been for over 39 years years, roofing, siding, gutters, and related systems.

• What does your price include?

  Our incredibly reasonable prices include:

  • Labor
  • Materials
  • Dump fees
  • Clean up

  And don’t forget our over 39 years of experience and pride in our work!

• What is a Seamless Gutter?

  Seamless Gutters are one piece end to end with no seams in the body of the gutter. With no seams, the gutter system is less likely to start leaking.

• Can you make a Seamless Gutter any length?

  Yes, we have a gutter machine in our van, which we can bring to your house to make the gutter any size needed.

• Can Copper Gutters be Seamless?

  Yes, they are made out of 16 oz. copper roles using copper accessories.