Blog by Betsy Carstairs

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Roofing 101

I feel like I've just taken a 1st year course in roofing!

It all started last year when my friend had drips of water dropping on her arm as she was sitting comfortably on my living room couch. The roof was only 11 years NEW, so could not understand how this could be happening. Well, this was not to my dismay a "1 off". The roof was not leaking per se, more like weeping on the winter days where snow built up and melted.

I did call in several roofers. Some thought it just needed the valley, where the roof tied into one another, to be replaced (a $500.00 job) to a full on roof replacement at a cost of $15,000 for duroid or $23,000 for the Kasselwood "ultra cool perfect roof" guaranteed for 50 years. I finally chose Olympic Roofing.

Dean with Olympic Roofing sent out his "main man" to do the valley repair only to find out that it was more than the valley that needed repair. As we investigated further (ripping off the old roof to see where the water was coming from), the vaulted ceiling roof was completely shot. Rotting from the inside out. As it turned out the contractors I hired to oversee the roof replacement 11 years ago had not installed proper ventilation, so when the warm air from the attic was hitting the cool air in the vaulted ceiling it condensed. All the plywood needed to be replaced and baffling for air flow installed. This took an extra day.

Fortunately my son is a carpenter and he was able to come to the rescue and quickly get this job done. A 10 hour job! I now have a new torch on half roof at a cost of under $10,000.

If my original contractor had but installed 1 or 2 air vents and some baffling for air flow the roof would not have failed. A simple installation of vents at a cost of under $400.00 would have saved me much time, aggravation and a $10,000 bill.

Be very careful who you hire for a general contractor. A GOOD one can save you a bundle!!