FAQs

Q:  How do I know for sure I need a new roof?

A:  

 

Older roofing shingles and wood shakes typically have a 15- to 30-year lifespan depending on the shingles’ quality, the location and tree cover of your home, and how well the roof was installed originally. Direct sunlight, weather/wind, and poor roof deck ventilation are rough on Bay Area roofs.

Though the GAF shingles we use today have lifetime warranties, they didn’t a decade ago. We tell our customers that 12 years is a good rule of thumb to go by. At that point, check for these warning signs:

• Curling shingles
• Loss of the asphalt granulation (looks like bald spots)
• Evidence of leaking on your ceilings
• Cracked or discolored interior drywall (painted or wallpapered)
• Decaying shingles
• Missing shingles
• Visible cracks
• Wind damage
• Broken or damaged shingles
• Rusted or missing flashing

If a residential roof is over 15 years old, we recommend you call us out for a look. Sometimes damage isn’t visible to the untrained eye on the ground, and catching it early can avoid expensive interior repairs in the future.

Q:  If I see any of these roofing warning signs, are we talking about repair or total roof replacement?

A:  This depends on whether the roofing shingles are past their prime or the original roofing contractor installed part of or the whole roof system improperly. Perfectly good roofing shingles can be repaired if the damage hasn’t affected their integrity. If your roof shingles are old and decaying, it’s economically smarter to replace the entire roof.

Q:  How much does a new roof cost?

A:  Several factors go into determining the cost of your new roof. They include the quality and professionalism of your roofing contractor; the brand, type and grade of roofing shingle you select; the size of your roof and the shape and slope of your roofline.

 

Don’t choose a roofing contractor on cost alone. Price is a factor, but not the only factor you should consider. Quality roofing material and contractor workmanship have value. Hiring the cheapest roofing contractor could cost more in the long run when you consider the cost to repair sub-par roofing and the damage it causes.

Get a roofing estimate for an accurate idea. The Pinnacle Group’s estimates are convenient, fair, no obligation and you don’t have to be home.

Q:  How do I know what type of roofing shingle is best for my roof and my budget?

A:  This is a roofing question where aesthetics and finances come into play. Not one roofing shingle manufacturer compensates Signature Roofing, Inc. to promote their products. Having been in a roofing contractor for many years, we can recommend without hesitation GAF asphalt shingles. For the vast majority of homes in the Richmond area, these roofing shingles deliver the best value for the money and look for curb appeal.

Q:  Will I have to replace gutters and downspouts at the same time?

A:  If your gutters and downspouts are in good shape, our roofing contractors will work around them. To avoid damaging them, we don’t remove and reinstall them once your roof is complete. We also use ladder gutter guards to avoid damaging your gutters. If your gutters are in need of replacement we can provide this service too. The Pinnacle Group is a full-service roofing contractor.

Q:  Is there anything I need to do to before the roofer company starts?

A:   Roof replacement and roofing repair is messy and noisy process. Consider going somewhere else for about two to three hours once roofing contractors start removing the old roofing shingles to avoid all the noise. Keep pets in mind too. There’s no way around it. But we do all we can to minimize hassle and inconvenience during the roofing process.
If your garage doesn’t have a ceiling, our roofers will place tarps to keep debris from falling into your garage. After the solid decking is installed, we’ll remove the tarps and use a blower to clean out the dust.

Park your cars in the street. The roof removal trucks need to back up to the house. You’ll save your tires from nails and your car from dust and falling debris.

Use common sense and protect any item that you would be upset about if it broke. Many contractors tell you to remove pictures from walls, chandeliers from the ceiling, knickknacks from shelves, etc. With over 5,000 roofs under our belt, we have never heard a customer say that anything fell off their walls or shelves. Seems like a lot of work for a problem that we have never experienced.

If you have a paver or some other form of decorative driveway, we will cover it with plywood to protect the surface from roofing vehicles and falling shingle debris.
If you have a swimming pool, close the pool cover. If you don’t have a cover, we’ll tarp it too. Roofing debris can stain plaster finishes.

Q:  And what if my new roof leaks? Then what?

A:  Manufacturer shingle systems plus warranties are now lifetime. Most manufacturers’ warranties are transferable to the new homeowners for a small fee. That covers the roofing shingles.

 

Regarding roofing shingle installation and roofing contractor workmanship: The Pinnacle Group’s workmanship warranty is very clear with as little legal jargon as possible. The integrity of our roofing work is reflected in the warranty, which of course, is transferable to the new owner should you sell your home.