The roof on your Bronx, NY home is the most important part of it. It protects you and your family from all sorts of weather–hot sun during summer, driving rain in spring, and snow in winter. A roof that is poorly installed could lead to leaks and other roof repair problems on your existing shingles that can cost a lot of money to fix or may even damage the integrity of your property. That’s why roof installation is so important!
What is an Improperly Installed Roof?
A roof is installed correctly when all of the roofing materials, accessories, and equipment are properly installed using the proper roofing techniques. It can be about the asphalt shingle roof, ridge cap shingles, roof deck, roof underlayment the proper roofing nails, and other roofing components. If even one part of the roof is installed incorrectly, the process of premature roof failure will begin. An improperly installed roof is installed using incorrect roofing principles and without following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Unfortunately, if one part of the roof is installed incorrectly, you can bet that other factors are as well. It doesn’t just happen to old roofs that need to be replaced; it occurs even more frequently in new home construction or new roof installation.
What Causes an Improperly Installed Roof?
When a roofing project is installed incorrectly, problems may arise the first time it rains. However, poor workmanship, insufficient attic ventilation, improper nailing, and poor weather conditions during roof installation will always result in a roof failing and valley flashing well before its time.
Poor Workmanship
When a contractor is sloppy, has the wrong mindset, does not drug or alcohol test their employees, or supervises their work, your roof is at risk. Every time a roof is installed incorrectly, you can bet it was done by a roofing contractor who was either lazy, took shortcuts to save time and money, didn’t care about doing a good job, or didn’t know what they were doing. All of these factors contribute to sloppy work. Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced world, these examples of poor craftsmanship are all too common.
Your roof system and the materials you choose for it will only be as good as the quality of the installer. If material is expected to last 25 years, it should last at least that long. It’s only a matter of time before you notice problems if your contractor installs your roof incorrectly.
Poor Attic Ventilation
Your ventilation system is an essential component of your roof. When a roof is installed, the first thing a contractor does is make sure the attic is adequately ventilated.
If your installer fails to ensure that your attic is adequately ventilated, your roof will fail prematurely. The damage caused by trapped cold and hot air will significantly reduce the life of your roof and may even void the manufacturer’s warranty. A roof can fail in as little as two years with insufficient ventilation for inclement weather.
Improper Nailing
Your roof’s shingle nailing is more important than you might think. If the shingles are lifted, and the nail heads are laying sideways, your roof was installed incorrectly. The nails will hold firm as long as they are driven straight and with sufficient pressure.
The placement of nails is also critical for proper installation. The manufacturer’s warranty will be void if a staple is not placed on the nail line of the shingle. In addition, leaks will appear all over your roof if the pins are not driven incorrectly and are not ideally placed.
Poor Weather Conditions During Installation
Weather conditions must be favorable on the day your new roof is installed. It is necessary to install a roof in dry weather to be installed appropriately. If a contractor arrives on a rainy day to begin work on your top, you can bet your new roof will have problems soon. A roof should never be put up in the rain or snow.
The same can be said about the outside temperature. It’ll be like walking through hot tar if it’s too hot. Likewise, when the nail is driven in, the shingles split and crack if it’s too cold because of the wind-driven rain. It is best to have your roof installed on a relatively warm and dry day.
Why is Proper Roof Installation Important?
Now that we’ve discussed what an improperly installed roof is and what causes it, we’re ready to discuss why proper installation is essential to you. Factors such as costing more in the long run, roof life, and giving you peace of mind will demonstrate why having your roof correctly installed is critical.
Manufacturer’s Warranties
The life of your roof is simply the number of years you can expect to get out of the roof system you choose. Because a roof system is an expensive investment, you should expect it to last a lifetime. Roofs with a life expectancy of 50 years or more are available in today’s market. When it comes to manufacturer warranties, you can bet they’ll do everything they can to avoid paying for repairs or a new roof. The first thing they’ll look for is whether or not the roof system was installed correctly. A manufacturer may refuse to honor a warranty due to something as simple as incorrectly placed nails.
Peace of Mind
When a roof is improperly placed, it is not a matter of whether it will leak, but when it will reveal. You now have a massive headache that you were not expecting. The last thing you want to think about is a leaky roof and the damage it causes every time it rains.
