| "It's raining cats and dogs!" You are certainly | | | | Be sure to check on the qualifications of your |
| familiar with this silly little saying for when the rain | | | | contractor through agencies such as the Better |
| is pouring down. While you may never have a | | | | Business Bureau. |
| thought about where it came from, the saying | | | | A new roof should last as long as the shingles hold |
| comes from the 1500's when/ houses in Europe | | | | up, typically 15, 20 or 30 years depending upon |
| had a fairly flat thatched roof made of a thick | | | | their lifetime rating. Usually more expensive |
| layer of straw. The household animals would curl | | | | shingles will have a longer lifetime. However, the |
| up in the straw and use it for bedding. These | | | | improvement in looks of the home combined with |
| roofs didn't have much in the way of wooden | | | | the durability of the new roof will add to the value |
| timber support and when you had the | | | | of the home. |
| combination of an old roof and a heavy rain, well | | | | One manufacturer of highly respected roofing |
| you can picture the rest of the story! | | | | material is GAF Materials Corporation. Most |
| Today, even though we still enjoy a wonderful | | | | contractors are aware of GAF roofing products |
| canopy bed, our roofing material has | | | | and many belong to GAF's CARE (Center for the |
| tremendously improved. Roofs are rarely flat and | | | | Advancement of Roofing Excellence) program. |
| are usually sloped. In fact, most roof slopes are | | | | This program provides professional advanced |
| so steep, that it takes a professional contractor | | | | seminars about roofing and roofing products. |
| to address any roofing problems. | | | | Contractors can join GAF's organization for |
| Most homeowners who need to replace their roof | | | | professional roofers called "Certified Contractor |
| are looking for durable and energy efficient | | | | Zone". Through CARE, contractors learn how to |
| materials. The traditional roofing materials are clay | | | | appropriately sell GAF products and methods to |
| tiles and a wide variety of shingles. Steel and | | | | customers based upon the needs of the |
| aluminum roofs are becoming popular and some | | | | customer's individual home. |
| homes even have a concrete roof. | | | | The GAF sales approach is to teach homeowners |
| Replacing or repairing the roof of a home is an | | | | that they have more than just the options of |
| expensive process, more money than the | | | | repairing or replacing the roof of their home. The |
| average homeowner may have readily available | | | | third option is to restore the roof. Some of GAF's |
| to spend on home repairs. Most homeowners will | | | | famous materials include: |
| finance the roof repair by taking out a home | | | | - A premium grade of architectural shingles called |
| improvement loan or a home equity loan. The | | | | Grand Timberline . |
| good news is that a major repair such as a new | | | | - A complete system for steep slopes called |
| roof does increase the value of the home. The | | | | GAF's Weather Stopper Integrated Roofing |
| way to know how much money to borrow is to | | | | System. |
| obtain estimates for replacing the roof. | | | | Roofing is an essential part of your home that |
| This is part of the process of finding a qualified | | | | can improve the home's value. |
| contractor to handle the job. A good way to find | | | | Before selecting one contractor and one standard |
| a suitable contractor is to network with friends | | | | roofing material, explore your options and weigh |
| and neighbors for referrals. Do remember that | | | | your decisions. |
| the lowest bidder may not be the best bargain. | | | | |