Roof replacements may look easy, just pull off the old materials and nail on the new ones, but that is a very simplistic view of what is really involved.
In reality, roof replacement contractors go to great lengths to properly install many different materials, not just the ones that lay on top.
To fully understand the complexity of roofing, this list of all the different materials that roof replacement companies use in their installations should help homeowners understand why the job takes so long, and costs so much!
- Wooden Decking - Decking is the main support for all the other roof replacement materials installed by contractors. It lays over the spaces between the rafters and trusses, covering the roof area and providing a flat surface on which the other materials can be securely installed.
- Felt Underlayment - Underlayment is a water-resistant, yet breathable covering that protects the decking by preventing moisture from seeping through the external materials and down to the wood.
- Ice Shields - Ice shields are waterproof barriers that get installed in valleys where water flows and ice can form, providing an additional layer of protection in these vulnerable areas on the roof.
- Metal Drip Edges - To prevent water from rolling down a roof and then clinging to the roofing material and soaking into the decking underneath, roof replacement contractors install drip edges at the ends of the decking to prevent those droplets from hanging on so they instead release and fall off the roof.
- Shingles or Panels - Available in countless types and styles, the external shingles or metal panels are the main protective roofing materials that cover up everything previously mentioned.
- Ridge Caps - Ridge caps are shingles or metal pieces that protect the ridge vents and the upper edges of the roofing material by covering those areas while still leaving space for the vents.
- Roof Vents - Installed in various places by roof replacement companies to ensure good attic ventilation and prevent heat damage to the external materials, vents are critical roofing components. Contractors will install gable vents, standard roof vents, and soffit vents as needed to regulate the roof and attic.
- Flashing - Flashing is the pieces of metal that cover the seams in roof valleys to protect them from moisture and seal off those vulnerable areas.
- Pipe Boots - When exhaust vents and other pipes extend through the decking and other materials, roof replacement companies protect those areas with rubber boots which are like flashing for exhaust and vent pipes.
Based on this long list of essential materials, it is easy to see how roof replacement involves much more than just putting on a new set of shingles.
Experienced roof replacement contractors use all these items to ensure a perfect, leak-free roofing system!