If you call a roofing company for an estimate, you probably expect them to tell you that you need a new roof.
That’s not always what we’re going to tell you.
We’ve gone out to homes where another contractor told the homeowner that their roof absolutely needed to be replaced, only for us to inspect it and tell them they probably had another five years left.
Of course, we’ll still tell you to start planning for the expense. Roofing prices don’t normally get cheaper over time. But if we don’t think you need to replace your roof right now, we’re going to tell you that.
At Midland Roofers, we’d rather give you an accurate assessment than try to pressure you into buying a roof you don’t need.
We look at more than the shingles
The condition of the shingles is important, but it’s only part of what we’re looking at when we inspect a roof. One of the first things we’ll do is actually walk the roof.
As we’re walking it, we’re paying attention to how the roof deck feels underneath us. If we notice soft areas or significant differences from one section to another, that can be an indication that some of the plywood underneath the shingles has deteriorated.
We’ll also look at things like:
- The age and overall condition of the shingles
- Missing, damaged or loose shingles
- Nail pops
- Flashing
- The number of existing roofing layers
- The condition of the roof decking
- Roof pitch
- Underlayment requirements
- Signs of previous repairs
- Intake and exhaust ventilation
- Soffit ventilation
- Ridge vents, box vents and other existing exhaust vents Sometimes the problem isn’t really the shingles at all.
That’s why simply standing on the ground and looking at a roof doesn’t always tell the whole story.
Low-slope roofs get extra attention
One area we’re particularly careful about is lower-slope roofing.
When we’re inspecting a shingle roof around a 3/12 pitch or lower, we want to know what’s underneath those shingles.
We’ve been called out to leaking low-slope roofs where the shingles themselves weren’t necessarily the real problem. The roofing system underneath them wasn’t appropriate for the slope.
Those situations can be frustrating because the homeowner may have purchased a relatively new roof and assumed it was installed correctly.
Then it starts leaking.
That’s also why the cheapest roofing estimate isn’t necessarily the least expensive roof in the long run. Details that aren’t visible once the shingles are installed can make a huge difference.
Ventilation is part of our roof inspection
This is something homeowners rarely ask us about.
Is my attic actually ventilated correctly?
We think that’s a question more homeowners should be asking.
When we’re evaluating a roof, we look at the existing intake and exhaust ventilation and determine whether it makes sense for the attic and roofing system.
That can mean looking at the size and pitch of the roof, whether it’s a hip or gable roof, the length of the eaves, available ridge length, soffit configuration and the net free area, or NFA, provided by the ventilation products.
When applicable, we design ventilation around the 1/300 rule.
One problem we regularly encounter is a house that has plenty of exhaust ventilation at the ridge but nowhere near enough intake at the eaves.
Just having a ridge vent doesn’t automatically mean an attic is properly ventilated.
Sometimes the leak isn’t coming from the roof
We’ve also inspected roofs where water was getting into the house, but the roofing system wasn’t actually the source.
Brick chimneys are a good example.
We’ve had customers call us after we’ve installed their roof because they’re getting water around a chimney. When we inspect it, we’ll sometimes find cracks and deterioration in the masonry itself. If that’s what we find, we’ll show the homeowner pictures and explain what’s happening.
We can sometimes caulk those cracks as a temporary measure, but we’re also going to be upfront that caulk isn’t a permanent masonry repair. Eventually, a mason needs to address the chimney.
The same principle applies throughout our inspections.
We want to find where the water is actually coming from, not automatically assume that replacing shingles will solve the problem.
Sometimes a repair is all you need
We repair roofs, too.
If a tree limb goes through an otherwise healthy roof, that’s a pretty straightforward repair. We can replace the damaged decking and shingles without replacing the entire roof.
The same can be true for something like an isolated nail pop.
But if a roof is leaking in one area and the entire roofing system is already in poor condition, replacing a few shingles may not accomplish much.
There are repairs we will turn down because we don’t believe they’re going to solve the customer’s problem.
We’d rather lose a repair job than charge somebody for something we don’t expect to work.
We don’t do high-pressure roofing sales
Midland Roofers is the exterior division of Chad Moody Building & Remodeling. Chad has worked in construction for more than 40 years, and the Midland Roofers division was started in 2019.
Today, we’re completing well over 150 roofs per year throughout Mid-Michigan, with the majority of our roofing work in Midland, Bay City and Saginaw.
Our sales process is pretty simple. We inspect the roof. We explain what we find. We give you your options. Then you decide what you want to do.
We’re not going to tell you that a $10,000 discount disappears if you don’t sign a contract before we leave your driveway.
In fact, out of over 500 roofs we’ve completed over the last couple of years, only a handful of customers signed their proposal while we were still at their house.
That’s completely fine with us.
A roof is a major purchase. You should understand what you’re buying and have time to make the decision.
Need someone to take a look at your roof?
If you’re unsure whether you need a repair, a complete roof replacement or simply want another opinion, Midland Roofers can inspect the roof and walk you through what we find.
We install Owens Corning, Malarkey and Atlas shingles, along with metal roofing, EPDM, TPO and vinyl roofing systems. We also install soffit, fascia and gutters and evaluate attic ventilation as part of the overall roofing system.
Our primary service area includes Midland, Bay City, Saginaw and the surrounding Mid-Michigan communities, and we travel farther for projects when needed.
Contact Midland Roofers to schedule a roofing estimate or inspection.