Need a New Roof? How to Tell

Most people don't pay any attention to their roof until there is a major problem. If you are like my family, you rush in & out of your home, barely looking at the exterior.

If you take the time to regularly inspect your roof, it can help to prevent costly repairs. You want to avoid water ever having the opportunity to enter your home. The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) offers this roof checkup guide for homeowners, and suggests checking your home twice a year, in the spring and the fall.

While it is recommended that you hire a professional to inspect your home, here are a few suggestions if you'd like to try yourself. Start in your attic, with a flashlight and look for:

• Signs of water damage or leaking.
• Places where the roof deck is sagging.
• Dark spots and trails.
• Outside light showing through the roof.

When inspecting the exterior of your roof, look for:

• Any cracked, torn, bald or missing shingles.
• Loose material or wear around chimneys, vents, pipes or other penetrations.
• Large amounts of shingle granules (they look like large grains of sand) in your gutters--this means the shingles are wearing out.
• Any sign of moisture, rot or mold.
• Make sure gutters and downspouts are securely attached, allow water to exit, and are free of debris.

If you see signs of wear & tear on your roof, have a Marietta Roofing professional out to inspect the problem. Hopefully, it is an easy fix, and is caught before any real damage is done.

Questions to Ask Your Roofer

When searching for the right Marietta roofing company for your home, it is hard to even know where to start. Once you've contacted a few roofing companies, here are a list of good questions to

ask them.

1. What is the full name and address of the roofing company?

A local company with a street address office nearby is a good way of making sure you are taken care of promptly. Beware of roofers unable to provide more than a PO Box address.

2. Does the company carry insurance?

In particular, workers compensation and liability insurance. If a worker is hurt and the roofing contractor does not have insurance the home owner can be liable. A reputable roofer will not be offended if you ask to have current certificates sent to you.

3. Is the company a licensed roofing contractor?

Georgia does not require a roofer to be licensed, but it is a sign of a good roofing company.

4. Can you provide a list of former customers as references?

Having happy customers is important for any service company. And, if customers are happy, they are willing to share their stories. We provide a list of references on our website, but it is worth asking any roofing company, if you are seriously considering them.

5. Is payment upon completion? Is there a deposit before the project begins, how much is the deposit?

This question is pretty self explanatory, but you want no surprises!

6. Will you furnish me with a written contract including payment instructions and total price?

Do not rely on a verbal contract. Make sure you get a total price, in writing.

7. Will you furnish me with a guarantee and manufacturer's warranty?

A Marietta Roofing Company will provide both a labor & parts warranty. Make sure to discuss this before the installation starts. You want to make sure you are covered in case anything goes wrong.

8. In the event that your equipment damages my property, who is liable?

You don't want any unexpected costs. Make sure the roofing company is planning to be careful, but expecting them to cover any damage done to your property.

9. Who will haul away the old roofing materials and/or project waste?

Make sure the roofing company will supply a dumpster and have the waste hauled off. You do not want a mess left behind with your new roof.

As with any big purchase, make sure you are satisfied. Do not pay your Marietta roofing company in full until the job is complete and you have inspected the roof.

How Harmful is Mold?

When moisture or water collects indoors, mold growth will often occur. Especially if the moisture problem goes undiscovered or untreated. There is no easy way to remove all mold and mold spores from inside your home. The best way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture. Hiring an Atlanta Roofing company can help to control the moisture. Molds can grow on wood, paper, and carpet inside your home.

Besides smelling weird and looking gross, mold exposure can have some health effects. Some of them include, but are not limited to

• Respiratory problems including asthma and infections
• Eye irritation with burning, watery or reddened eyes
• Cough – dry and hacking
• Nose and/or throat irritation
• Immune system suppression
• Memory impairment
• Body aches and pain
• Mood swings

It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors, as some mold spores can be floating through the air and in dust around your home. The good news is that mold spores cannot grow if moisture is not present. Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors. If mold has grown inside your home, you must clean up the mold and eliminate the water leak. If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the leak, then the mold problem will continue to grow.

At Babcock Roofing Pros, we can help to tame any leak you may have. If water is getting into your home, you want to stop it before mold begins to grow, or, remove the mold ASAP and eliminate the leak. Contact us for all your Marietta Roofing needs!

Check Roofing Referrals

As I'm sure you have noticed, there are a lot of roofing companies in Marietta out there. A lot of roofers are here, just to make a buck. And, they don't do a very good job.

When shopping for a Atlanta roofer, make sure they are reputable, and not just anyone off the street. Over the past few years, we have seen many out of state roofers move in and take advantage of local people. These "storm chasers" are slowly leaving, as most of the insurance claims due to storms are ending. We have seen a lot of people end up with major problems to their roof, and the roofing company nowhere to be found.

Shop around when you purchase your roof. I know that price is a big factor when choosing the right company, but if the lowest bidder makes you uneasy, you might want to trust your gut. Ask for references. Any reputable company will have the names of past customers for you contact. Babcock Roofing Pros has a reference page on our website. If you are interested in hearing more of what our past customers have to say, check out our roofing reference page on our website.

Follow Us on Twitter!

Babcock Roofing Pros is now on Twitter! Follow us @mariettaroofer. Keep up with happenings around Marietta, and our thoughts on all your marietta roofing needs. If you haven't checked out twitter, you should. Join the conversation!

Stormy Weather in Marietta

I don't know about you, but it has rained every day in our neck of the woods for the past week. Right now, the thunder is rolling and the lightening is striking outside our Marietta Roofing office.

If you are like me, you want to protect your home from everything. We hire pest control to get rid of bugs, we pay for homeowners insurance in case of a robbery or something crazy happens. One of the best investments you can make for you home is a reliable roof. It protects your home from the harsh weathers and climates outside.

Babcock Roofing Pros, a Marietta roofing company, wants to help you protect your home. As these storms are racing down, is water getting into your home? If you even suspect that water is leaking in, call us for your FREE inspection at 770-578-6766.

Hail Damage?

Inspect your roof promptly after a storm: Any storm or wind alone can damage a roof, so the sooner you inspect the roof after a storm the better you can avoid leak damage inside the home, and if an insurance claim for roof damage is warranted, the better will be the data you can provide in support of your claim.

Inspect your roof gutters: before and after a storm. If the gutters were clean and after the storm they are loaded with mineral granules you have strong evidence of roof wear and damage due to the hail storm.

Inspect your roof regularly, annually would be ideal, so that you can find and fix damage before it becomes a more costly leak. If you inspect the roof regularly you then can have information to compare with the condition of the roof after a severe storm - you can document when damage occurred and can establish that damage was or was not present before a particular storm.

Most importantly, if you feel your roof or gutters have been impacted by a storm, call a professional Marietta roofer to evaluate the damage. Babcock Roofing Pros, Atlanta roofing, offers FREE inspections and will help you by dealing directly with your insurance company.