Having a new roof installed or replaced is a huge venture and an even bigger investment. After spending your time researching and your hard earned money on labor and materials, the last thing you want is to be unhappy with the finished product. Unfortunately, the roofing industry sees poor work from roofers quite a bit, leaving the homeowner displeased and feeling like they’ve been taken advantage of.
At Elite Exteriors, we pride ourselves in customer satisfaction and providing quality service, craftsmanship, and materials to our clients. This is why we wanted to provide you with ways to tell what a bad roof installation looks like, so you can assess your current roof, or avoid it happening to you during your upcoming roof replacement. So, what does a bad roof installation look like? Keep reading and learn the signs of a bad roofing job, and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you.
Table of Contents
– Uneven Appearance
– Roof Leaks
– Attic Ventilation
– Missing Components
– Rotted Roof Decking
– How to Prevent a Bad Roof Installation
Uneven Appearance
What does a bad roof installation look like? Well, one of the first, and probably most obvious, signs of a bad roof installation is if your roof looks uneven upon completion. If your roof doesn’t have a uniform appearance, then you more than likely have a bad roofing job. What we mean by this is if your roof has lifted shingles, if the entirety of the roof looks wavy or lumpy, or if something about the appearance looks off.
This can be caused by a few factors including improperly driven nails, the contractor cutting corners, or simply poor workmanship. Either way, if you notice something wrong with the appearance of your new roof, there’s a high chance that your roof may leak down the road. With that being said, a reputable and vetted roofing contractor will take this seriously, and come out to fix the problem.
Roof Leaks
If you’re wondering what does a bad roof installation look like, a tell-tale sign of this will usually present itself during the first rain after the new roof has been installed. If your new roof leaks after the first rain, there’s a high probability that you’ve had a bad roofing job. This could be for a few reasons, like the roofing nails weren’t driven in properly, an area wasn’t flashed the right way, or the roofer didn’t follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
We’d like to mention here that when it comes to roofing, mistakes can happen. The important thing here, however, is what happens after you tell the installer that you have a leak. A reputable and reliable company will come out and address the problem immediately. If the contractor doesn’t take responsibility, however, there’s a pretty high chance that your roof wasn’t installed properly.
If this happens to you, then you will have to work with another company to repair the problems that the original company created. Unfortunately, this means more money and another bill for the homeowner. This is why it’s crucial for homeowners to do their due diligence when it comes to selecting a roofing contractor to work with.
Attic Ventilation
What does a bad roof installation look like? Improper attic ventilation. Your attic’s ventilation system is key to maximizing your roof’s lifespan. Without it, hot and cold air will get trapped in the attic, and directly impact how long your new roof will last.
Trapped hot air will burn your roof, causing adhesives to deteriorate and shingles to curl and crack. Trapped cold air will mix with the heat and humidity from inside of your home, causing condensation. This will cause your roof’s decking to swell, in turn, making the roof look wavy.
Either way, this is bad news for your new roof. In order to combat this and prevent it from happening in the first place, we highly recommend speaking with your contractor about it during the inspection. Seeing if they will check your attic’s existing ventilation system and provide you with information about it is a great way to be proactive when it comes to your new roof investment.
Missing Components
A major way to tell what a bad roof installation looks like is if the contractor left off certain vital roofing materials and components during installation. Your roof is comprised of many parts, and each one is necessary to complete the roofing system as a whole. The principle pieces that make up a roofing system include:
- Pipe Boots
- Ridge Capping
- Roof Vents
- Ice and Water Shield
- Underlayment
- Drip Edge
- Roof Decking
- Roof Flashing
As well as whatever roofing material you choose. During your residential roof replacement, if any of these pieces are left behind, then you can almost guarantee problems in the future. This may happen due to laziness or trying to get the job finished faster, but unfortunately, if any of these materials are left off, it’s usually because the contractor is trying to cut costs in order to gain your business.
If a contractor tries to sell you on this during the initial consultation, run. And be sure to go over your estimate in great detail to make sure all necessary materials are included. Again, this is why it’s so important to work with a reputable contractor. Even if it’s a bit more money up front, working with a contractor you can trust could save you a lot of money down the road in repairs.
Rotted Roof Decking
What does a bad roof installation look like? In some cases, it looks like rotted roof decking that was left behind. Your roof’s decking is essential to your entire roof system, and basically serves as your roof’s foundation. Every roofing contractor should check the integrity of the wood that makes up your roof’s decking, and replace it if the wood is rotten and/or can’t handle the installation of your materials.
With that being said, if a roofing contractor doesn’t change out roof decking that is compromised or rotting; that’s a bad roofing job. This can lead to your roof sagging, as the roof decking can’t handle the weight of the new materials that were installed. This can also be a health hazard if rotten boards are left to grow mold and mildew, and could cause those in the home to get sick.
It’s important to mention that your roofer cannot tell exactly how much decking needs to be replaced until your old roof is torn off completely. This is why working with a contractor you trust is paramount, because communication here is key. As long as your roofer answers your roofing questions, communicates with you, and changes out any decking that needs to be replaced, you and your new roof should be good to go!
How to Prevent a Bad Roof Installation
Now that you know what a bad roof installation looks like, you can see that it almost always boils down to who you hire to install your roof. A little bit of research goes a long way when it comes to hiring a contractor, and choosing a reputable, vetted and experienced contractor is the best way to ensure that you will be happy with the end result.
This can sometimes feel like a daunting task, especially if you don’t know what questions to ask and how to tell if a contractor is quality or not. This is why Elite Exteriors has created a FREE guide to assist in finding the roofing contractor that’s right for you, including 5 questions to ask a potential roofing contractor. This will provide peace of mind for the homeowner, knowing they’re working with professionals, and that they did their due diligence when it comes to their new roof investment.
Elite Exteriors is the Southeast’s premier residential and commercial resource for unparalleled service, superior craftsmanship, and incomparable quality, and it’s all backed by an unprecedented lifetime labor and materials warranty! We would be honored to work with you, and assist in any way we can when it comes to your roofing needs. We offer NO-COST initial consultations and inspections, and for more information, give us a call at 470-350-3024, or fill out our online contact form.