Roofing FAQs
What should I do to prepare before the roof build?
- Please move or protect any patio furniture, grills, or potted plants, or lawn ornaments close to the house. If you have a pool and can cover it, please do. If you have skylights it would be a good idea to place blankets or tarps below the skylights to protect from any debris that may enter the home, our roofers will not come into your house. If we are cutting ridge vent in your garage there could be some small wood pieces or dust that fall into the garage below.
- Our crews will usually lean plywood against the home to protect windows, they will cover most plants near debris drop zones and most debris will go straight from the roof into the dump trailer. Once the job is done they will clean the yard of debris and use magnetic rollers and sweeps to pick up nails.
How long does it take to build most roofs?
- Most asphalt roofs are built in 1 day. This includes tear-off, application, and cleanup. This of course depends on roof size, steepness, and technical difficulty.
- Larger roofs may take 2-3 days, or projects later in the season can take longer when there is higher wind, cooler temps, or less daylight.
- Specialty roofs can take longer depending on the size, some may take 1-2 weeks to build.
What time do the roofers start and end?
- Roofers will usually show up around 6:30 to start setting up and prep, they like to come early when it is hot so they can beat the heat. They prep and protect the worksite, and tear off using pitchforks. Stapling underlayment and nailing shingles doesn’t usually start until a few hours after this. They will work until dark if needed.
Will the dumpster damage my driveway?
- We typically use dump trailers that are brought by the roofing crews rather than dumpsters, this allows us to remove the debris more quickly, and prevents a dumpster from sitting at your house an extra few days taking up driveway space. The dump trailers sit on tires and do not damage driveways. If a dumpster is used it is typically placed on boards and they usually do not damage driveways either.
My decking was rotten after a shingle tear-off, what now?
- It is very difficult for us to know if your decking is rotten or delaminating before tear-off. Sometimes soft spots can be felt when walking the roof, but not always. Bad decking is considered an unforeseen and pre-existing condition. If it is on an insurance claim this is a repair that would typically be outside the insurance scope of work and not related to storm damage as it usually takes place over a long period. Rot and delamination are considered a maintenance issue rather than a storm damage issue. The homeowner typically has to cover the cost of these repairs out of pocket and on a time and material basis. This is not something you or we hope to find, and we don’t charge to make money on this. Replacing bad decking is done more as a courtesy service, to maintain the integrity of the home, keep our roofers safe and provide a suitable nailing surface. We usually charge $125 per sheet, but this pricing can change depending on current lumber market pricing.
Does the existing Ice & Water shield get removed during tear-off?
- The existing ice and water shield will typically not come off during tear-off as it adheres to your roof decking. MN code and manufacturer guidelines allow for multiple layers of ice & water shielding on your roof, this does not pose an issue, and having multiple layers will just provide a stronger leak barrier.
Ice & Water Application
- Ice and water shield, or leak barrier, will be applied at all eaves up the roof deck until extended 2’ past any interior heated wall. Ice and water shield will also be applied in valleys, and 1.5’ wide strips will be used in roof to wall areas that are step flashed.
Will there be any nails left in my yard?
- We do try to clean the best we can, we cannot guarantee that no nails will be left behind, sometimes nails like to hide in the grass, or woodchips or landscaping rocks. You might find nails popping up occasionally for a short period of time after the build. We advise clients to double-check themselves, but if the cleanup for whatever reason does not seem adequate please let us know right away.
I have leftover material in my yard, when will it be picked up or can I keep the materials?
- We usually order extra material so we don’t run out. You can keep a maximum of 1-2 bundles of extra shingles if you would like. The leftover materials are typically picked up and returned to our supplier within 7 days or less. Please leave them on the driveway or in the grass and do not put them in your garage, thank you.
I see small waves or lifting on my new shingles, is this a problem?
- It is very common when a roof is freshly installed to see some edges lifting or sticking up a small amount, the shingles will lay flat soon (usually within a few weeks) As the shingles heat up and cool down over the course of 1-2 years they will form an extremely strong adhesive bond, sticking together very tightly.
What are the most common reasons for roof leaking?
- The most common reasons for roof leaking are ice dams, problems with dead valleys or flashing, and cracks in chimneys.
Can you install an asphalt roof when it is cold?
- You can install asphalt roofing year-round. New construction builders will put on roofs all Winter. GAF’s new layerlock technology ensures a strong adhesive bond in cold temps. We prefer to stop roofing once the snow falls and stays, usually, this is late November or early December. For roofing replacements asphalt is also difficult to tear off in the winter.
- Cedar and composite roofing is done year-round, and some crews prefer to build cedar roofs in the winter because it’s very easy to remove the existing cedar roofing and allows the crews to keep working after asphalt productions halts.
How many nails per shingle are required?
- Four nails per shingle are required when installing GAF HDZ shingles, this has been reduced from 5-6 in the past. Although not officially stated, GAF thinks that two nails per shingle would work well enough in combination with their new layerlock adhesive technology which is present on the HDZ shingles.
Why does ventilation matter on a roof?
- Roofing ventilation lets heat escape from your attic. Attic insulation sits above your ceiling and plays an integral role in keeping your home warm or cool, however, above that your attic needs to breathe. Intake vents in your soffit let air in which then escapes up and out through turtle vents, ridge vents, or powered fans. This circulation of air allows your attic to breathe which is crucial in preventing ice dams and roof longevity. Common symptoms of poor roof venting are nails rising out of the decking and popping through shingles, excessive blistering, ice dam issues, plywood roof decking will delaminating and starting to fall apart, and frost in the attic in winter if humid air is trapped and cannot escape.
What is Ridge Vent?
- The Ridge vent is used as a modern-day upgrade in lieu of turtle vents. Ridge vent can provide more ventilation per square foot of attic space, however, some homes may not have enough ridgeline, in which case ridge venting is not a viable option. The tip of your ridge decking is cut back approximately 1” on each side leaving a minimum gap of at least 2”. The plastic ridge vent is laid and covers the gap down the length of the ridgeline and is fastened with 3” ring shank nails driven through the sides of the ridge vent into the decking. Ridge cap shingles are then installed on top of the plastic ridge vent. Ridge vent cuts stop 2’ from the end of the roof, the plastic ridge vent and cap shingles may also stop 2’ from the roof edge or they can be extended to the edge, either method is normal and acceptable and both are commonly seen.
What is frost in the attic?
- Frost in the attic will occur when excessive warm humid air gets trapped in the attic, The humid air condenses in the underside of the roof deck and then frost and icicles start to form. In extreme cases, the frost and icicles can melt and soak causing small moisture spots all over your ceiling. This happens most commonly when bathroom vent fan pipes become disconnected or were never installed properly, leaks in the furnace exhaust pipe, the hatch to enter the attic is left open, or excessive humidity builds up in the home.
What is a “Hot Roof”?
- A hot roof is a roof that has insulation directly underneath the roof decking, usually 4-6” thick, and is sandwiched between the roof deck and ceiling, leaving little if any space for roof ventilation. You’ll typically see this in a finished attic space and homes or rooms with vaulted ceilings This is most commonly found in older one and a half story homes. There is typically thick insulation with a vapor barrier on the bottom side which is meant to trap heat and moisture inside the home. If the heat is high in these homes or the insulation is not adequate nail pops, blistering and ice dams can be an issue.
Cedar Roofing Fasteners
- Cedar roofing should be installed using corrosion-resistant nails or staples. Summit prefers the use of stainless steel staples. If an inexperienced contractor installs a roof using the wrong fasteners it will significantly decrease lifespan, shingles will stain, fasteners will rot out and the roof will need to be replaced within just a few years. Stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized fasteners (nails or staples) are required.
Cedar Roofing Underlayment
- Ice & Water shield is applied per code. 30 lb felt is used as a baselayer underlayment, and then felt liner, which is narrower strips of 30lb felt is installed in between each row of shakes. Felt liner is not used on the smaller profile cedar shingles, only on shakes.
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