Getting a new roof is a part of homeownership that everyone will have to experience at some point. To the average homeowners with minimal roofing experience, the world of roofing can seem very confusing. Sadly, there are lots of poor-quality roofing companies and even scammers out there that give the roofing industry a bad reputation. Companies like these are often extremely money motivated and will not hesitate to take advantage of people with less roofing knowledge.
It is for these reasons we often stress the importance of educating yourself on roofing a bit prior to meeting with companies so that you will have a better idea of what to expect and can spot red flags early on. Our Learning Hub, where we post new roofing content weekly, is a great resource to reference. In today’s article, we will be discussing the signs of a bad roofing job as well as giving you some tips on how to pick a roofing company to work with.
Visible Issues
While there are a lot of interior or underlying issues that can be wrong with a botched roof job, there are plenty of visible ones as well. Visible issues to the naked eye can be the easiest way to identify a bad roof job early on.
One thing to look for is an uneven roof. An uneven roof can be spotted oftentimes by looking at the shingles. If the shingles are curled or lifted then it was a bad roofing job. The same thing goes for any warped-looking food where the shingles appear wavy in parts. A proper roof job should appear even without any deformities. These types of issues are normally a result of poor workmanship when companies just want to get the work done quickly and do not care about the quality. Most of the time a professional and reputable roofer can fix these types of issues, but not always. That is why it is super important to choose the company you hire wisely.
While issues such as lifted shingles or a wavy appearance may not seem like a big deal to some people, they should be treated as such. If you notice any of these signs or if any part of your roof looks questionable it is strongly recommended that you have a reputable roofing contractor come and inspect your roof. Problems such as these may start off as an aesthetic inconvenience, but they can turn into much more and cause damage down the line. The more damage that develops, the more money you will have to spend to have it fixed. We strongly suggest having any and all roofing damages or imperfections dealt with right away to prevent further damage from occurring.
A Leaky Roof
Aside from visible issues, a leaky roof is one of the easiest ways to know that there is an issue with your roof. A leaky roof is not always a sign of a poor roof job because sometimes mistakes do happen and something needs to be fixed while the rest of the roof is in perfect condition.
If you notice a leaky spot in your roof, especially after the first major rainfall since your installation, you should call the company that installed your roof right away. If the company is legit and a reputable roofing business then they will understand the importance of getting it fixed and will send someone out right away. If you try to get in contact and either hear nothing back or get any type of backlash or refusal to fix it, then the company is likely a scam. Any reputable roofing company will own up to mistakes, because they do happen, and will take care of them. Again, if your roof leaks at any point in time, always have it fixed as soon as possible to prevent further damage from occurring.
Cutting Major Corners
Another way to tell that a roofing job was done poorly is if entire steps were skipped or parts are missing. Roofing is a process and cutting corners is not really an option here as all parts are vital for a roof to serve its purpose. Sadly, it’s not uncommon for these rush-job roofing companies to skip steps entirely. One example of this is not changing out old or damaged roof decking. Roof decking is essentially the base layer of any roof and is what the shingles or roofing materials are attached to. Prior to any roof replacement, the roofers should evaluate the current state of your decking and change it out if any damage is present. Companies that skip this step entirely are a red flag and you will end up having to get a whole new roof replaced much sooner than you should have.
Another major step that may be skipped includes failure to correctly ventilate your house’s attic which can impact your roof decking and damage the roofing materials installed. There are lots of parts of a roof that must be installed such as the decking, flashing, drip edge, vents, and more. If any of these steps are left out then you have a bad roof job and issues will pop up as time goes on. If a company tries to convince you that skipping these steps are okay, we suggest talking to another company and getting a second opinion. Roofing companies like these can be excellent manipulators, don’t let them sway your mind.
How to Find a Proper Roofing Company
We won’t go too in-depth on this today since we have covered this in a few other articles over on our Learning Hub, but here are a couple of useful tips to keep in mind. We strongly suggest always doing your own research on a roofing company prior to hiring them, even if everything checks out at the initial inspection. A new roof is an investment, and you want it to be done right the first time.
- Reviews – We always recommend looking on Google for company reviews prior to working with a roofing company, or any company for that matter. Reviews will tell you a lot about the company’s work ethic and the success, or failure, or their work. If the reviews seem evenly good and bad, then it is best to work with a different company. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Licensed and Experienced– No matter what, always be sure that the company you work with is licensed and insured which can often be found on the company’s website. You also want to hire a roofer who is experienced in roofing and knows what they are doing. This is especially true if you are having a more unique roof installation done such as slate or metal roofs as some companies specialize more in those than others. The same goes for insurance claims.
- Get Multiple Quotes – Our final tip for today is to always get multiple quotes before deciding which company to work with. We say this because oftentimes if a company gives you a really good deal, and we mean really good, then it’s a red flag. We’ve said it before, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is and that couldn’t be more true in roofing. Companies that give really cheap quotes are often the same companies that cut some of the corners that we discussed earlier. They do this to save money which allows them to charge cheaper to entice homeowners to hire them. Trust us, it’s not worth it.
Wrapping it Up
We hope that this article helped you better understand how to identify a bad roof job as well as what to look for when hiring a roofing company. There’s one last thing that we wanted to say which is to always ask questions. If you are unsure about something, ask the company about it. If a company is standoffish or unwelcoming of questions then turn the other way. It’s important that you understand exactly what is being done and how much it will cost you.
Trust your gut, if you are unsure about a company it is best to move on to the next one. For every bad roofing company out there, there are many great ones that would love your business and leave you with the results you want.
We are here to help!
At Liberty Roofworks we have over two decades of professional roofing experience. We understand the importance of keeping the client informed throughout the entire roofing process and will not hesitate to answer any questions they may have along the way. Whether it’s fixing a bad roof job from a prior company, or installing a new roof ourselves, we do it all.
Are you in need of any roof work? Contact us today and we would be happy to send out one of our licensed and experienced roofers to perform a thorough inspection and go through your options with you. With us, getting a new roof doesn’t have to be stressful, and we get it right the first time!