Fall is the ideal time to replace your roof and protect your home from the icy grip of winter
By Mitch Allen
If you’ve waited all spring and summer to think about replacing your roof, I have good news: Fall is the ideal time to replace your roof. The summer rush is over yet there are still plenty of daylight hours so workers can start early and stay late. Plus, no one has to worry about spring rains or scorching summer heat interrupting progress.
How do you know when you need a new roof? The signs include damaged shingles, missing shingles, and evidence of water leaking into your home. If you see these indications, don’t wait too long because melting snow and damaging ice are right around the corner. And because so many homeowners stayed home again this summer and shifted resources to home improvement projects, it’s been a busy season for Roofsmith Restoration founder Mike Farist and his team.
“If a roof is damaged, a little rain or melting snow may be all you need to finally see a leak,” Mike says. “That’s why it’s important to have your roof repaired or a new roof installed as soon as possible. For the most part, it’s been a wet summer so roof damage has been more apparent this year and our volume is up. Still, we’ve been able to stay on schedule. Right now in the early fall is the perfect time to start the process.”
If you’re worried about your new roof being expensive, don’t be. It may be covered by your insurance company.
Fighting For You
If you do have damage, the folks at Roofsmith are absolute bulldogs when it comes to getting your new roof covered by your insurance company. Daily, they are on the phone arguing with insurance adjusters or at the post office mailing another damaged shingle to another industry laboratory.
“They’re going to deny you,” Mike says. “Or they’re going to offer you $300 to replace a few shingles that don’t match the rest of your roof. It’s unconscionable. That won’t even cover your deductible.”
Mike and his team are also expert inspectors, which means they know precisely how wind, rain, hail and sunlight affect shingles—and insurance companies trust their judgment.
Northeast Ohio’s Best Roofer
According to the independent research firm GuildQuality, which has surveyed Roofsmith customers over the past seven years, Mike’s company has a 94% referral rate—the best in the country. But let’s put that in perspective. In an industry where Roofing Magazine says 62% of homeowners would NOT recommend their roofer, 94% of Mike’s customers would.
In addition, Roofsmith is a regular Angi Super Service Award winner, including 2016 through 2020, maintains an A+ BBB rating, and has twice been named Northeast Ohio’s Best Roofer. Plus, the company is an Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractor, which means they can offer their customers an enviable lifetime warranty.
And because Roofsmith employees are salaried project managers instead of commissioned salespeople, you won’t feel pressure to “sign today.”
Mike’s customers also receive a multi-page, detailed quote explaining exactly what his company is going to do. “There should never be any surprises,” Mike says. “Like every business, roofing is all about the customer experience.”
Quality Materials
Mike is also meticulous about the materials he uses.
“Every other roofer I know uses a tar paper underlayment which you can tear with your pinky,” he explains. “We use a synthetic underlayment that you cannot tear with a pair of pliers.”
And don’t get him started on nails.
“We use hot-dipped, ring-shank nails which have double the holding power of smooth-shank nails and will never rust. Nobody else does that. We do.”
If you’re missing a few shingles and don’t need a full replacement, Roofsmith offers a roof tune-up for just $399. The company also installs seamless aluminum gutters custom-made on-site.
Roofsmith Restoration serves all of Northeast Ohio. For a free estimate or roof inspection, visit Roof-Smith.com and complete an easy online estimate form or call 330-822-4245.