Guardian Roofing Look at Flat Roofs – Part 2

How to hire a quality contractor for your Flat Roof and what questions are important?

Hiring the right contractor for your flat roof is a very important choice; but, how do you know which company is right.  There is several questions that you can ask contractors to help single out the right contractor for you. The list below are questions that any qualified contractor, that works on flat roofs, should have answer.

1. Does your roof ever have a problem with standing water?
   Standing water on your roof, is very important as not all materials are created equally. Only one product gives you guarantees for standing water; while others have a clause that standing water will void the warranty. A contractor who cannot address this question can leave the homeowner vulnerable or unprotected.

2. How will the contractor address condensation with your flat roof?
   A standard answer people hear about condensation is “they will install ventilation”.  While this is a okay answer it is very vague. Condensation on a flat roof has a lot of components and factors to look at (insulation, type of flat roof being installed, type of ventilation being installed, underlayment, etc.) and a quality contractor will do an assessment and plan for all aspects.

3. How are they checking for multiple layers and are disposal fees included?
   A lot of companies will either add disposal fees on after the contract or will only quote for one layer. If you have an older home the chances you have multiple layers are pretty good. This will leave you with unexpected, and very expensive charges.

4. What kind of gutters do you have?
   It is common to find internal gutters and “Built In” Gutters on flat roofs. Both gutters can are very prone to leaking. If your contractor has not assessed what condition your gutters are in, they may be leaving you at risk for continued problems. These problems can be very expensive to fix so make sure they can identify what kind of gutter you have and has a plan to address them.

5. Does your contractor do repairs, maintenance in addition to replacement?
   Having a contractor that only does replacement on flat roofs, or any roof for that matter, can show their inexperience with underlying problems and how to address them.  Completing repair work a contractor must become very knowledgeable with all components that can impact a flat roof. This is a great piece of mind that your contractor will be able to become a “partner” with you regarding your roof’s health for years to come!