roofing estimate

I have an estimate from a roofer and will be meeting with him tomorrow. Would appreciate comments on some of the optional items he listed in the estimate. The house currently has regular asphalt type shingles. Roof is 6/12 pitch, I think, and climate is hot in summer, cold in winter (Chicago area). The roofer and estimate seem reasonable in general. House is old (90+ yrs) and 2-story.

-- upgrade to architectural shingles - do these really have a longer life, or is it mainly aesthetics? The claimed life is only a little longer (30 vs. 25 years). I'm inclined to skip it as the roof is not all that prominent and we don't need it fancy.

-- ice and water shields along eave edges and base of valleys. Not sure what that is, or if it is needed. We have not had any trouble with ice dams causing leakage. The attic is well insulated. We do get some icicles sometimes. The eaves are in good shape, except for around the chimney where there has been past leakage.

-- Metal valley liners - I'm a little skeptical - the small amount of valleys we have haven't been a source of trouble so far.

-- grind out base of chimney and install custom flashings. This strikes me as worth it - flashing around the chimney always seems like a weak spot and there has been leakage there before. I have gone up there to slather tar around a couple times and don't want to have to again. It's not bad for the chimney is it? (chimney is brick)

Your opinion welcome. Thanks, -- H

Reply to
Heathcliff
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IMO, you got an estimate from someone who likes to do it right. The architectural shingles may help if you need to sell anytime during the life of the roof. Appearance, the extra 5 years and that are the only two reason to use them.

I suspect that ice and water shields may be required in your area. If I were any further North I would use them as described.

I always line the valleys even if I am lacing the shingles. It costs so little and add a level of protection at a weak point.

If you have and dormers I would be asking about step flashing along those.

And the real biggie, insist on a tear off and no just a nail over. Sounds like that is what you are getting but I just want to be sure.

Reply to
Colbyt

Smile and pay for the extra ice shielding all around. I know people who never had ice damming problems until one day, they did, usually due to some odd combination of weather conditions. When your sheetrock is turning to pudding and your floors are being ruined, you'll wish you'd spent a bit more on the roof.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

"Heathcliff" wrote

Those options do add to the cost, but they do make a difference over the years. How much more for the 30 year shingles? They not only look batter, the do raise the value of the house and make it more appealing if you sell in the next 20 years or so.

Since you do get icicles sometimes, get the job done right with the extra shielding. You may wish you did five years from now. Same with the flashings. You don't want to have to go back up there if you can avoid it.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

it.- Hide quoted text -

What everyone else has said is right on the mark. The water/ice shield is a rubberized membrane that is typically 4 feet wide and run along the lower edges of the roof. When water tends to sit on top of the shingles, and would have penetrated regular shingles over tarpaper, the membrane sort of seals around the nails and does not let water go through, even when it sits there for several days. Definitely a selling point here in the Chicago area.

Reply to
hrhofmann

What everyone else has said is right on the mark. The water/ice shield is a rubberized membrane that is typically 4 feet wide and run along the lower edges of the roof. When water tends to sit on top of the shingles, and would have penetrated regular shingles over tarpaper, the membrane sort of seals around the nails and does not let water go through, even when it sits there for several days. Definitely a selling point here in the Chicago area.

DITTO...Here in Maine doing it is SOP....

Reply to
benick

Thanks to all respondents for the advice. Sat down with the roofer this morning and basically said "gimme the works." -- H

Reply to
Heathcliff

Good move. Now, go out and buy one of those magnet-on-a-stick things and do about a thousand sweeps for nails after he's done. A good contractor will minimize the rain of nails but none are perfect. DAMHIK.

Reply to
keith

Good summary, Colbyt. I would add one more item, use the new plastic underlayments instead of roofing felt. If bad weather halts the job , it will survive many weeks of exposure without harm. Also, our roofer swears by it because it feels so safe walking around on it during the job.

Joe

Reply to
Joe

keith wrote: (snip)

3.5 years after my reroof, they still turn up when I weed the garden beds...
Reply to
aemeijers

They're not all that harmful in the garden but tires don't like them. ...even six months later. :-(

Reply to
krw

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