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The Single Woman's Guide to Shopping for a Roofer by Tamara Stadnychenko My roof is a respectable 40 years old, but win ters of snow and ice followed by torrential rain fol lowed by sudden bursts of glaring sun have taken their toll. The shingles are curling; chips of roof, blown off by the wind, litter the garden that is just starting to show signs of life. There is a small, but irritating leak in the comer of the bedroom ceiling. A little brown spot sullies the white paint—a constant reminder that something needs to be done before things get worse. Much as I hate the idea, it is time to get a new roof. What's worse, I have to find a roofer and I have to do it myself. It's not a unique problem. There are many of us out there who are widowed or never been married or divorced. Most of us do not have a brother or cousin or friend or neighbor who is a roofer. So we do what we need to do—start looking for a roofer who will ask for lots of money and who has to be trusted to do a good job. And there's the rub. We don't know much about roofing and we don't know much about roofers. We cringe at the an ticipated expense and worry about getting the "right" roofer as opposed to the roofer who will do a slapdash job, take the money and run, and refuse to come back if there is a problem. We've all heard horror stories that we don't want to experience first-hand. So what's a woman to do? To begin with, decide what not to do. First rule of thumb is not to pick a roofer out of a phone book. Instead, ask around. Call friends. Call family members. Talk to people you work with. Talk to neighbors. If nothing else, these people will often let you know which roofers you don't want to waste time with. Think twice before considering a general con tractor simply because he will be more expensive. Re member that a general contractor does carpentry and masonry and windows too. A roof is a specialty item. It is the feature of your home that protects your home and it might be better to hire an expert roofer than a jack of all trades. Even an excellent general contractor can be a problem. While most reputable general con tractors subcontract specialties, the ones who subcon tract excellent roofers are likely to charge higher fees so that they can make a profit over and above what they have to pay these roofers. Consider carefully whether you can afford the added expense. Get several estimates (even if you have a re commendation from someone). The price range may amaze you (during my recent foray into roofing, the high bid was $7,500 and the low bid was $3,300 from seven roofers all claiming they would be doing more or less the same thing). Educate yourself. If you have Internet access, find out what you can before the roofers come to give you estimates. Another good way to educate yourself is to get an estimate from a national chain like Sears or Home Depot. These folks are very good at presenta tion; they will bring roof models and drawings and shingle samples and give you a very good basic tuto rial in what a good roof job should include. They are also more expensive than independent roofers because they use subcontractors. Another thing to consider is that if something goes wrong you may have a problem making it right. The contractor can easily claim that the chain store is liable and the chain store can easily claim that the contractor is liable and it may take months or years to resolve the question of responsibil ity. Think twice before taking the lowest bid. This may be a big temptation, but bargain hunting in this case may not be your best choice. There is usually a reason the bid is so low. It may be that the roofer is young and inexperienced. It may be that the roofer uses cheaper materials that may not last as long as you would like them to last. Don't think twice about reject ing a roofer whose business card and estimate station ery list a post office box instead of a real address. This is a red flag that should never be ignored. Compare estimates. Does every roofer list the same things that are to be done? For a sloped shingle roof in any part of the country that experiences ice, snow, and winds, estimates should include the follow ing: • Weight of felt to be used under the shingles (151b is good; 30 is excellent). • Ice and water shields at valleys and lower edges of roof • Type of shingles to be used (with manufacturer's name) and length of warranty for materials. Make certain that the estimate says "shingles to be in stalled according to manufacturer's specifications." With shingles not installed according to these specifications, manufacturers have the right to dis pute any claims. • Ridge vent at peaks for airflow (this provides ven tilation that lengthens the life of the roof). • Rubber boots around soil pipes and flashing around chimney or other areas prone to leaks. Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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