by Anthony Ocasio

Created on: May 27, 2008   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

A roof is one of those things that no one thinks about until it leaks. Or there's been a bad storm and pieces of it are all over the neighborhood.

Oftentimes the roof on your house has gone unnoticed for years, so when there is a problem it's not out of the realm of possibilities that you, or your friends, have not a clue as to how to fix it.

Unless the pitch, or steepness, is mild, you really don't want to try fixing it yourself. And even if you do want to try, be aware that roofing is not for the faint of heart. It's a lot more work then most people think, and I highly recommend a professional. Nothing like starting a project and not even getting to the halfway point and realizing that you're in over your head.

Most residential roofing materials can be lumped into two categories, wood and composition. Composition materials are, of course, made up of a number of materials that are processed together to form the shingle. Wood is, naturally, made of wood. But there are still a couple different types, namely shakes, which are split down one side with a rough, natural looking texture on the exposed side and a sawn flat bottom. And what's refereed to as number one shingles, which are sawn on both sides. Both are more expensive then composition shingles and when applied correctly, will last longer, in most cases.

When consulting with your roofing contractor, be sure to ask about any kinds of insulation that would be applicable for your project, along with ice dams, if you live in an area that this would be an issue. Now is also the time to discuss new gutters, and your contractor will no doubt have some one that he goes to for that kind of thing, if he doesn't handle it himself.

Be sure to get multiple estimates, so you can get a good idea of what the market is like at the moment. Many times, after a storm, prices will raise up a bit, due to demand, so if you can, wait a while, and they will go down.
One more thing, beware the low bid! Often times you get what you pay for, and remember what I said at the beginning about not thinking about your roof? You will if it leaks the next time it rains, after some guy roofs it improperly.

Good Luck!

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