Three Things New Homeowners Need to Know About Their Roof

As a new homeowner, you have a made a huge financial investment and a huge investment in your future. While there are other aspects of your home you should keep in mind, your roof is one of the most important parts of your new home. Still, not every new homeowner is keen to what they should be aware of with their roof. Here are three things every new homeowner should know about their roof.

1. Find out the age of the roof. Most asphalt shingle roofs will only last 15 years. If you have purchased an older home, there is a chance you will need to replace your roof soon in order to avoid damage to your home. If you are still negotiating a price for a home, knowing the age of your roof could save you money on the home.

2. When a leak or other problems spring up with your roof, take the initiative and have these problems fixed immediately. Neglected roof problems can lead to severe damage in your home and will cost you more money down the road.

3. Sometimes roof warranties are transferable to new owners. Find out if your roof is under warranty just in case any problems arise in the future.

How Weather Impacts Vinyl Siding

Most homeowners know just how significantly weather can impact your home and your belongings. Wind, rain, snow, and ice can all cause significant damage, especially to your roof. While roof damage is serious and can be costly, weather can also cause damage to your siding.

Hail damage can easily be spotted on siding. Most commonly, this damage is done to vinyl siding since vinyl is a very common choice for siding. While it is durable, it can be left with holes caused by large hail and strong winds. This can also occur when wind picks up debris and blows it into the side of your home. Not only can it cause holes, but it can crack your siding, chip it, and damage the paint.

Siding damage is more serious than one may think. If your siding is left with holes or cracks, water can easily seep through the siding and into your walls. This can cause mold growth (which is a health hazard) and can even lead to dry rot. This damage is ultimately very expensive to repair, so you should have siding damage repaired as soon as possible.

Make sure to contact a professional and have them perform an inspection. This will allow you to have a good idea of the scope of the problem and will allow you to make the proper repairs.

Hail Damage Insurance Claims

As most Oklahomans know, hail brought in by severe storms can cause significant damage, especially to cars. Not only can hail cause damage to cars, but it can damage your roofing system as well. If your roof has been damaged, that means it’s time to file an insurance claim. Here are a few quick facts about filing a hail damage insurance claim.

Call your insurance company as soon as you spot damage. Make sure to document the damage by taking photos or video.

Next, call a roofing contractor to come take a look at the damage. You may have missed some damage or underestimated the extent of the damage when you inspected your roof, so it is wise to have a professional take a look as well.

Get estimates from both the contractor and the insurance company. Usually, the numbers provided are close, but if they are not then the contractor may be able to negotiate with the insurance company.

Once you have gone through these steps, you can start working to hire the roofing company to fix your roof. Make sure you hire a reputable roofer who is willing to work with you and does not demand all of the money up front.

At this point, you may have received the initial check from the insurance company. Once you have received this check, your roofer can order the materials and begin work. The final check will probably be sent to your roofer.

The Proper Way to Have Your Chimney Cleaned and Inspected

It is extremely important for a homeowner with a wood-burning fireplace to regularly have their chimney inspected and cleaned. Not only can a dirty chimney cause negative health effects, but it can also cause chimney fires, which can severely damage and ultimately burn down your home. You should always have inspections and cleanings done the right way, though.

Your chimney should be inspected every year to check for damage and to see if it needs to be cleaned. Furthermore, new fireplaces and chimneys should be inspected roughly halfway through their first winter to make sure they are functioning properly.

Cleaning is a little bit different. Cleaning depends on what is found in your inspection, which normally requires at least 1/8” of a buildup to justify a cleaning.

Theoretically, chimney cleanings and inspection can be done by the homeowner, but it is not recommended or wise. A professional will be able to spot every potential problem in your chimney, making it a more thorough inspection. This also means cleanings and repairs will be more thorough. Sometimes doing projects on your own is a good idea and can save money. However, when it comes to something that can potentially result in your home burning down, it is best to leave it up to the professionals.

Tipping Your Roofer

A new roof or roof repair can cost a homeowner a large amount of money, but they also require large amounts of labor by the roofer. Since there is so much time and energy involved, you may be wondering if you need to tip your roofer. Is it normal to tip a roofer? Here are a couple of things to keep in mind before deciding on whether or not to tip your roofer.

On most roofing jobs, tips are not customary. This does not mean tipping is frowned upon and should be avoided, but it is not customary. If you decide to tip a roofer, a small tip of $10 to $20 per worker is sufficient. The best way to do this is to give the money to the foreman where he or she can distribute the money to each worker.

Another way to tip roofers is with coffee and food. For example, you can have coffee and donuts waiting for the roofing crew when they arrive at your home in the morning. Another nice touch would be to offer the crew iced tea or other cold beverages on a hot day.

If you have any further questions regarding our quick facts information, you can contact us at 918-404-5996.

Outdoor Creations Roofing is located at 1924 W Albany Street in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.