Good day class and welcome to Roofing 101. Now before we get started I would like to mention that although this subject may be as fun as chewing on a piece of chalk, the information provided can, and will save you a bunch of cash-o-la!

Let start with what may seem obvious to most people but many don’t realize. The “roof” is the surface on top of your house that you can see from the outside looking up. Please don’t take this as sarcasm because it’s not. A great many people think that the roof and the ceiling are one and the same. Please let me explain. I often come across customers that say to me after we finish their roof, “why didn’t you finish the inside of the roof”? I would then explain to them that the area they are referring to is called the ceiling, I would then politely refer a good painter/ drywaller to help them out.

There are only a few general types of roof which include shingle (a majority of roofs), tile, metal, wood shakes, or slate. There are a bunch of websites to look at what I’m writing about. For the sake of time I will discuss the main components of the shingle roof system. The shingle roof consists of the field shingle which is the majority of shingles you see on your roof when you look at it. The next part would be the cap, or ridge shingles. These shingles are the ones you see on the…uh…how do you say… oh yeah the ridge, or hip portion of the roof. One thing I would like to make you aware of is the fact that shingles are not the mechanism that keeps you dry when it rains. The underlayment, or “felt paper” under the shingles is what keeps you dry. The shingles are there to protect the underlayment, and add architectural appeal to the home (in most cases). The reason this is important is because the area of underlayment is where roofers tend to cut the corners. Insist on a minimum of 30 lb felt. Peel and stick is even better. Even if it costs a little more now it is well worth the longevity in your roof system life that you’ll appreciate years from now.

There are two major shingle types. First is the 3-Tab shingle. These are less costly but only last 20 years or so. The other type is the architectural or dimensional shingle. These come with a 30 year warranty and look a lot better. They do cost a bit more, but the thing you need to understand is that the cost difference for this type of shingle is only about five to six hundred dollars for an average size home as opposed to the 3-Tab. The actual value of the home, if not the perceived value for resale, is usually more than the upgrade cost now. In short, ask for a little better stuff, and get a much better roof system to protect your home and family. Until next time stay dry so you spend your time thinking more about things you enjoy, and less about things like this.