Design:

The 10+ year system discussed many design issues that need to be considered when re-roofing and should be addressed by anyone who wants to propose a new roof on your property. There are four different categories of people that can design your re-roofing solution: architects, roofing consultants, roofing contractors and roofing material manufacturers. All of these people will have different opinions on what should happen. One could reasonably expect architects, roof consultants and roof manufacturers to overdesign the roof in order to protect themselves or potentially make more money. One could expect a roofing company to overdesign (to make more money) or underdesign (to get the work from a competitor). Make sure the design issues in the 10+ year section are addressed with satisfactory answers. If you can’t get satisfactory answers find someone else to work with. Make sure to ask for options. Make sure more than one roofing manufacturer is specified or the prices will be higher. How do you start? It’s almost as tough as picking a mattress.

  • Option 1 – look for a consultant. In our experience architects are not as experienced with roofs as consultants. Consultants are solely focused on roofs while architects focus on many different aspects of building. The consultant can help select the roofing contractors and manufacturers. In theory the consultant will be the most objective. Use the yellow pages, internet, roofing systems manufacturers, roofing materials distributers, building associations and roofing contractors for recommendations.
  • Option 2 – pick a handful of contractors and solicit bids. Narrow the designs bid to one or two and get them priced apples to apples by other contractors. In many cases this will encourage the other contractors to highlight any weaknesses in the design. Use the yellow pages, internet, roofing systems manufacturers (check their web sites for award winners), roofing materials distributers, building associations and roofing consultants for recommendations.
  • Option 3 – contact a few manufacturers and ask them to specify something and recommend contractors. Using the manufacturer to specify a design usually results in a good solution however that solution will lock you into that manufacturer’s products. If one manufacturer’s products are specified there is no incentive for that manufacturer to provide the best prices on their materials – so you may want to ask two manufacturers. Also be careful of over design – it’s your money they are putting into their pocket. The major manufacturer’s we see in New England are Firestone, Carlisle, Versico, Mansville, Sika-Sarnafil, Duro-last, Dow/Stevens, Genflex and GAF.