When talking to your Minnesota roofing company about roof warranties, you may be quite surprised to find that these warranties can be generous sometimes. Depending on the type of roofing you invest in, your warranty could be 10, 20, 30, or even 50 years. It is common sense to have a warranty that covers a significant amount of time. You certainly do not want a warranty that simply covers a year or two of your roofing. Many new roofs don’t see any type of defect or covered damage during that time period.

In many cases you may be offered an extended warranty. It is up to you whether or not you take this warranty for the fact that it may not necessarily mean it is better. You have to look at the facts surrounding the warranty. Take a look at the conditions of what is covered and what the process is to take advantage of the warranty. If you are to take certain actions in order to keep it in place, you must know these details or when you need it you will find that you are not covered. Warranties can sound fantastic, but you have to evaluate the small print.

Why a Warranty?

Although warranties can seem rather complicated at times, you do need them. Once the roof is installed, the manufacturer may require a roofing inspection and may require these inspections by a qualified Minnesota roof inspector on a regular basis. The inspector then has to submit reports showing that the roof passed the inspections. If you decide you want warranty coverage beyond the current period, then you will have to pay more for it.

But there are certain guarantees that may be put in place by the manufacturer. For instance, the manufacturer may guarantee that hail no larger than a pea or pebble should cause damage to the roofing. If damage is caused by pea or pebble-sized hail, then the manufacturer will absorb the cost of repair or replacement.

Even if you have a warranty that just covers the cost of the materials and not the labor, you are saving money on the repair or replacement costs. Sometimes your insurance may kick in and take care of the difference as long as your insurance does not have a clause regarding your roofing warranty covering part of the damage. You will need to review this with your insurance agent to ensure that you can have the labor costs covered. Then again, you may opt to not bother with your insurance in case your premiums will raise.

Consequences

Talk to your Minnesota roofer about the warranties that come with the roofing you’re interested in and the details surrounding the warranty. If you do not have the appropriate warranty, a defect that occurs later could cost you a lot of money when it doesn’t have to.

Furthermore, you need to make sure you comply with every detail in the warranty so that you can ensure the manufacturer doesn’t say, “We can’t cover this because you did not comply with our terms.” Unfortunately, Minnesota contractors have dealt with individuals who have been in that situation and had to spend money that they wouldn’t have to spend otherwise.

Minnesota metal roofing has become quite the trend. Individuals have the choice of different colors and even different styles. For instance, you can have a blue roof if you want a blue roof. You can also have a metal roof that mimics the look of shingles if you want. There are more and more options being made available to homeowners as metal roof innovations are being made.

However, there are some myths about metal roofing in Minnesota that need to be addressed so that individuals such as yourself can make the right decisions regarding metal roofing.

Those myths include:

Metal roofs are too hot and don’t have insulating properties – It has been shown that metal roofs are saving homeowners money on their heating and cooling costs when they are installed properly. Metal roofs actually reflect a lot of the solar energy that tends to heat up the attics of homes. This results in the home remaining a more consistent temperature, which means you do not have to deal with the extreme temperature fluctuations you would have to deal with otherwise.

Lightning loves metal roofs – The truth here is that lighting hates metal roofs. The Metal Roof Alliance states that the instance of lightning hitting your home with a metal roof is not increased. If lightning does hit your home, the metal roof disperses the energy from the lightning evenly and safely. The instance of fire is also greatly reduced with a metal roof because metal is not flammable.

Metal roofs don’t last long – Quality metal roofs come with a 20 year guarantee from the manufacturer. Metal roofs do require special skills from Minnesota roofing contractors. Not everyone can install a metal roof, which says a lot about the quality of the roof. The more complex, the better it is. When installed properly, the expected lifespan of a metal roof is 50 years. This is much longer than most other roof types, which includes asphalt shingles that have a maximum life of 30 years.

Metal roofs aren’t very beneficial – Right now, you can receive a tax credit on your income tax return when you put metal roofing on your home. As you’ve read so far, metal roofing is not flammable, they are not too hot, and they do keep cool air in and hot air out. When you use an Energy Star rated metal roofing, your energy costs can be cut by 10% to 15%.

Metal roofs aren’t worth the cost – Metal roofs may cost more than asphalt shingles, but the overall savings exceeds that of asphalt shingles and the roof more or less pays for itself over time in the form of energy savings. Asphalt shingles do need to be replaced 2 to 4 times more often than metal roofing. Considering roof replacement costs thousands, the overall savings is astronomical.

When you decide to take the metal roofing route, you do need a Minnesota roofing company that specializes in installing metal roofs. It takes 4 to 5 years for a roofer to gain the experience needed to install these roofs, but once they are installed, they are an amazing asset to your home.

One of the most important parts of your roofing system is your ventilation system. Your ventilation system ensures that hot air is not trapped in your attic. When the sun shines down upon your roof, your roof absorbs the heat that is generated from the UV rays. This is unless you have a “cool roof” that is light colored and reflects the sunlight so that head does not become trapped to the extent that dark roofs do.

Proper ventilation adds to the durability of a roof. Without ventilation, you not only have heat build up, but you also have moisture build up in the attic. When the heat and the moisture combine, the condensation that is produced can cause the sheathing and the rafters to rot. The shingles can also buckle and your insulation will become ineffective. So you need to make sure that your ventilation is not blocked off in any way. This means ridge vents, louvers, or soffit vents are to not be blocked in any way, even in the winter.

Proper attic ventilation protects against structural damage. The life of the material is increased, energy consumption is reduced, and the rooms below the attic are much more comfortable.

Insulation and Ventilation

If you are concerned about your ventilation and even the insulation in your home, a Minnesota roofer can help you address the problems. First of all, a Minnesota roofing contractor can take a look to make sure you have proper insulation in your attic. You should have a clear ventilation system, as well as a layer of insulation on the attic floor to keep the rooms below cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Another thing that you will need in your home if you don’t have it is a vapor retarder. This keeps any moisture inside the house from rising into the attic. Basically, you need enough vented spaces so that air will pass in and out easily. A Minnesota roofing professional will also make sure you have about one inch of space between your roof sheathing and your insulation. They are able to check everything and ensure proper measurements based on the length and the width of your attic. It is recommended that you have at least one square foot of vent area for every 300 square feet of attic floor. The vents should be placed near the ridge or at the eaves.

Energy Saving

When you have your roof inspected by a Minneapolis roofer, you do need to have them tell you whether or not you have proper ventilation. If you don’t, then you want to find out what needs to be done to make sure you do. If you do not have proper ventilation, then you are running the risk of your roof meeting its demise before its time.

Furthermore, the ventilation and insulation combination keeps the air in the living quarters of your home like it is supposed to. You do not want too much heat coming down from the attic during the summer and your cooling costs literally go through the roof. By keeping your air where it belongs, you are cutting down the amount of energy you are using in your home. Not only does this save you money, but you are also doing a favor for the environment.

If you are not aware of what an ice dam is, it is the build up of ice at the edge of your roof. Sometimes these ice dams become so large that they back up water behind them and the water cannot properly drain from the roof and into the gutters. This water backup then causes the water to make its way under shingles, which then makes its way to the underlayment, and then to the roof deck. Once the water makes it to the roof deck, it becomes saturated and this can lead to rotting. This also leads to major leaks that result in further and more expensive damage to the home.

Because Minnesota sees a lot of snow in the winter, ice dams are a frequent occurrence. And not only is roof damage caused by ice dams, but overall structural damage can be caused.

Here are some ways in which you can prevent ice dams:

• Insulate– You want to keep your roof cold in the winter so that the snow will not melt on your roof. And when it does melt, it will not freeze again to create an ice dam. You need a roof that stays a constant temperature from top to bottom and from the peak to the eaves. Adding insulation to your attic floor will help regulate temperature
• Ventilate – An attic that is well ventilated in the winter is an attic that stays cold in the winter. When the attic stays cold, the roof stays cold. You will get lesser melt and when the snow does melt, it will most likely not refreeze because the temperature will be warmer by that point.
• An ice belt – If you have good insulation and ventilation and you are still getting ice dams, you can tell your Minnesota roofer and they will install an ice belt around the eaves. It provides an area where the ice and snow can just slide off rather than an ice dam form snow and. In this case, it may be necessary to remove the gutters so that they don’t hold the snow and ice.
• Heat tracing – Heat tracing is also a technique that is used in order to keep the eaves warm and prevent refreezing. This method is not a huge energy user, but does require electricity.
• Rake it – You can purchase a roof rake and rake away the snow as soon as it forms. You do this around the edges of your roof so that there are no obstacles in the way when the snow melts off of the roof.

A Minnesota roofing contractor can also add a waterproofing membrane along the eaves, the valleys, and behind your gutters. This provides extra protection against water that may penetrate the roofing. This can be a great way to prevent leaks. Nevertheless, damage from ice dams do require immediate attention in order to avoid bad leaks and rotting of the roof deck and other structural areas.

Some homes in Minnesota have attic fans and some don’t. If you don’t have one, you may have a very hot attic in the summer. If you do have one, then you may notice that there is some air circulating in your attic. Even if you don’t spend time in your attic, you may want to consider an attic fan. Some individuals think that because they don’t spend time in their attic, it doesn’t need to be cooled. They are aware that it is very hot in that area, but do not realize the significance of that heat.

Believe it or not, the heat from the attic has a tendency to seep down into your home. This makes your home hotter and this heat results in increased cooling costs. In other words, the heat from the attic that isn’t really a second thought is costing homeowners in Minnesota more money than they need to pay.

What does an Attic Fan do?

If you’re not sure what an attic fan does, it is time to find out. An attic fan in Minnesota will blow out all of the heat that enters the attic. This means the heat doesn’t have to be trapped inside. Even when it is not that hot outside, the heat inside the attic can be quite hot. If you use your attic for storage, this cooling can be quite beneficial for when you have to go into the attic and also protects the items that you are storing. If you have family heirlooms and other precious items, you definitely don’t want them exposed to intense heat.

Furthermore, cooling your attic also cools your home and saves you money on your cooling costs. Some individuals are also talking to Minnesota roofing companies about installing solar powered attic fans because they do not require anything but the sun to work. This also conserves electricity. They are just as effective as the attic fans that you plug into an outlet and work incredibly well during the summer.

The Price

It is true that the price of an attic fan is not cheap. However, you can’t exactly look at the initial cost of the fan, but the overall savings. These fans last for many years and will make an incredible difference in the temperature of your home, in your electric bill, and gives added protection to the belongings in your attic. In the end, all of these factors save you so much money that the savings far exceeds the initial cost of the attic fan.

And yes, when you hire a Minnesota roofer to install your attic fan for you, you do have to pay installation costs. This is not a job that you want to take on by yourself since it is rather dangerous and handling of the fan and all of the components to install it does take experience. Safety is of utmost important and a Minnesota roofing contractor has the insurance and the credentials to perform the job.