After any major weather occurrence there will be an influx of “Professional Roofing Contractors” who will do anything they can to get your business. Here are a few signs that the contractor you are dealing with may not be what you’re looking for!

You should contact a roofing contractor before they contact you. Salesmen going door to door are typically storm chasers that have not had enough time to develop a local standing in the community. It’s best to ask your friends or insurance agent for recommendations rather than allowing the contractor to find you. If they do knock on your door, read all of their policies and their proposal completely before signing anything! Some roofers will ask for you permission in writing to get on your roof, this actually is a contract with them allowing them to conduct business with your insurance company.

Reputable companies in your area will have a local address, phone number and listings in your local directories. Having a local roofing company ensures that they will be available for any roofing issue that may arise. Storm chasers rarely stand behind their work and are difficult to locate once they have been paid.

Also, be wary of any company that asks for money up front. This is a red flag that the company does not have good enough credit to purchase the materials needed to reroof your home. Here at GBS Roofing we don’t expect payment until the job is done!

When repairing a dead valley, typically all the shingles around the dead valley will have to be removed and depending on the location of the dead valley some siding and mortar will also have to be removed to ensure the valley is properly protected.

GBS Roofing prefers to use modified roofing when encountering a dead valley. When a dead valley is roofed properly the flashings, modified or metal will be installed 18” under the siding and/or the shingles, some extreme cases may also involve the use of ice and water shield. Since modified is a heat welded material, there are no nails in the top layer to help keep the water tight seal.

Dead valleys can become a nuisance if they are not properly roofed and can cause damage to your home. If you suspect a leak in a dead valley it is best to contact a qualified contractor that can repair the valley and roof it correctly.  In this photo we are showing the dead valley from the previous post after the necessary repairs have been preformed.

A dead valley is a valley on a pitched roof that terminates into a flat or low slope area. This low slope allows water to pool and can lead to leaks if it is not roofed properly.

This home has been roofed with architectural shingles in the dead valley, after a winter of ice and snow building up the shingles cracked; the flashings no longer held a water tight seal and a leak had made its way into the home. Each time it snows, the snow will collect on the roof until the sun comes out and it begins to melt. The water will travel slowly down the valley and sometimes a lip of ice will form along the dead valley over night or in the shade. As water continues to melt it will collect behind the ice and make its way back up the roof and behind the shingles and the flashings.

If damage has occurred you will see a leak through your ceiling or staining on the wall, from there you will want to contact a roofing contractor, like GBS Roofing, to assess and determine the best way to repair the valley.

There is no way to prevent wind damage from happening to a roof, but there are precautions that a homeowner can take to mitigate the possible damage.

First you’ll want to understand the climate of the area your home is located in. Is your area prone to high gusts of wind or is it considered a high wind area? If so you’ll want to install a heavier shingle that has a high wind rating, possibly ATSM D 3161 or better. ASTM D 3161 states that the shingle can withstand wind gusts of up to 110 mph. Manufacturers also offer a high wind nailing pattern that can be followed when installing the roof; this usually involves the use of six nails in each shingle. The use of a starter shingle can add more resistance along the eaves and can stop the row of shingles from pulling off the roof deck.

Over the past week GBS Roofing has discussed how to identify wind damage and the possible damages it can create; how to repair those damages and how to help protect your home from future wind damage. GBS Roofing is located in the Denver Metro area and would be happy to give a free estimate on any possible damage.

If the event of wind damage occurs on your roof there are a few steps each homeowner can make to repair the damage either themselves or simply by contacting a local accredited roofing contractor.

If you choose to repair the damage yourself you will first need to identify the area and the extent of the damage; this should not be difficult with wind damage. If the damage is just moderate you will see the shingles lifted slightly and they will be easily lifted by hand. To repair this on your own you’ll want to check the whole roof for unsealed shingles. GBS Roofing recommends hiring a roofing contractor because they will be able to inform you if there is significant enough damage to file a claim with your insurance. If the damage is isolated to a small area you will want to purchase plastic roofing cement to hand seal each lifted shingle. Begin by placing 2-4 quarter size applications of the roofing cement on the underside of the shingle, approximately 1-2” from the bottom corners of the shingle. Heavier laminated shingles will require 4 applications while 3-Tab shingles only require 2.

If the shingle has blown off you will need to replace the entire shingle. First you’ll want to determine the Manufacturer and color used on your roof. Newer roofs are easily repaired with a close matching color and design. With older roofs it’s possible that the shingle is no longer manufactured and you will have to pick which color and style is the closest match to your current roof. From there you will need to ensure the entire shingle has been blown off, if it hasn’t then you will need to loosen the nails, remove the nails and the entire shingle. You will also want to remove the nails that hold down the shingle above the damaged area. Now you will want to slide the new shingle into place and nail it down according to the manufacturer’s specifications, ensuring that the shingles overlap.

Most homeowners located in the Denver Metro area are subjected to high winds; this can potentially cause damage to the roof. Throughout this week GBS Roofing will explain the possible damages that high winds can cause to your roof, how to identify trouble areas and repair them, and finally how to prevent or be well prepared for high winds.

First, when high winds tear across your roof it is possible for some of the shingles to lift and actually blow off the roof. This leaves the underlayment and possibly flashings or valleys uncovered. When these sensitive areas are left uncovered and exposed to the elements, water can leak through and cause damage to insulation, support beams or the decking.

Wind damage is easily viewed from the ground, most homeowners will see areas the shingles are lifting or in bad cases the shingles can be seen blown across the lawn. If any of those symptoms are noticed it is best to call a roofing contractor and determine the extent of the wind damage.

In out last blog, we discussed how to make sure your home has enough ventilation. Now, I’d like to discuss one of the hazards that can happen if you don’t have proper ventilation; ice dams.

Ice dams are typically created when the heat from your attic melts the snow on your roof, the water travels down your roof and freezes again along the gutter line and eaves. That ridge of frozen water that forms along the edge of the roof is called an ice dam. As the snow continues to melt the water begins to collect behind the dam. The pool of water behind the ice dam can begin to leak into the home and cause damage. Even if the water doesn’t leak into the home the shingles can be significantly damaged.

While it is impossible to stop ice dams from forming there are several things a homeowner can do to be prepared. It’s a good idea to have ice and water shield installed along the eaves to prevent water from getting in the home. Check and see if your attic is properly insulated and ventilated. Also, placing a piece of heat tape inside the gutters will help the water keep moving instead of freezing over.

Its Thanksgiving time again and we are reminded to give thanks for all that we have. Here at GBS Roofing we believe one of the best ways to give thanks is by helping out others. This year we were able to donate some necessities the Denver Rescue Mission to help ensure others will have a nice meal for Thanksgiving.

Upon our first call to the Denver Rescue Mission we determined that the Rescue Mission also needs basic food staples to help them feed and care for the less fortunate. In this area were able to donate several hundred pounds of flour, sugar and cooking oil for the cooks to use on a daily basis. We were also able to donate a hundred pounds of coffee thanks to Daz Bog Coffee. Finally, Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without turkey so we also brought over 1,800 pounds of turkey.

This is our second year donating to the Denver Rescue Mission and we intend to make this a yearly effort! We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

GBS Roofing was recently called out to repair a roof not only just for hail damage but for a leaking chimney. Upon arrival we noticed that the roof sloped into a massive 7’ long chimney with no dormer behind it. In Colorado, it is required by code for any chimney over 30” to have a dormer, sometimes called a cricket, behind it.

Adding a dormer behind this chimney is a fairly straight forward process. Once the roof is torn off and the deck is bare our workers will build a frame for the dormer. First they will identify the center point on the length of the chimney and several inches up from the roof deck; from there they will secure 2×4’s from that center point all the way out to the lower left and right edges of the chimney. This creates a triangle shape on the chimney. Another 2×4 is then attached perpendicularly from the top of the triangle out to the roof deck.

Now that the frame for the dormer has been created we can begin securing decking to the frame. Depending on the size of the chimney a few pieces of decking may be required. Once the decking has been secured roofing materials such as ice and water barrier, 90 # roll roofing, felt and/or asphalt shingles can be applied depending on the codes in your local area.

Once this roof addition has been completed any precipitation will be diverted away from the back side of the chimney and can prevent future leaks from occurring there.

Here at GBS Roofing we always strive for excellence and it’s great to hear from our customers when we hit our goal! We received this email from Paul regarding his experience with GBS!

Recently (7/28/11), I called your office to inquire about possible hail damage to my residence roof from the storm recently. I was given 3 names of companies that would come out to give me an estimate etc. I called all 3.

The first one I called was GBS Roofing/Leighton Fowler. He answered the call and said he could be there within 20 minutes. He came over, conducted his inspection (physically walking on my roof to get a complete viewing) and gave me an on the spot verbal report with a promise of a written one if needed. He was professional, knowledgeable, courteous and is just the kind of employee every employer would like working for them.

I had called the other 2 companies, one said they could not come out until the middle or end of next week (I still have not heard back from them) and the other has not returned my call.

I am happy to report my roof did not have hail damage but in the future if it does or I need roof replacing or information I will call GBS Roofing/Leighton Fowler and no one else.

May I recommend you continue to recommend GBS Roofing for your estimates, and perhaps exclusively. It is very seldom that I have experienced the professionalism and service demonstrated by Leighton Fowler and GBS Roofing. He is the ‘ Real McCoy ‘ 100% personally and professionally.

Thank you for your good State Farm / John Bussey service.

Paul