What’s your new year’s resolution for 2021? Some of the most common new year’s resolutions include maintaining a healthier lifestyle, improving finances, and making more time for self-care. As roofers, we see the new year as a fresh start and an opportunity for homeowners to plan ahead when it comes to their roof. Actually, it makes a lot of sense to apply many of those common resolutions to your home. By maintaining a healthy roof, you will end up saving a lot of money and reducing the amount of stress in your life. Therefore, here are a few tips on how you can plan ahead and prepare for any roofing problem.
One great way to plan ahead for roofing emergencies is by revisiting your homeowner’s insurance and seeing what is covered. Even just skimming through your insurance policy will make it easier to make decisions in the event your roof gets damaged from a sudden accident or act of nature. In some cases, insurance will only cover for partial damage, and others offer replacements for material matching issues. Some policies cover cosmetic damage, others do not. Familiarize yourself with your policy including the right numbers to call and steps needed to file a claim.
An emergency budget is another helpful way to prepare for any roofing problem or other home projects. It is pretty much impossible to ignore a roofing emergency and they often happen when you least expect it. So why not at least try to prepare a little bit by creating an emergency fund.
Keep your local roofer’s phone number handy so that you can call them the moment you need their services. If you don’t have a local roofer, find one! It takes time to find the right roofer for you and there is no better time than when you don’t have a roofing emergency. When researching roofers, make sure to ask for the proper paperwork and insurance information, as well as referrals.
Speaking of finding the right roofer, consider scheduling your annual roof inspection! This will ensure that your roof is in proper condition to protect your family for another year. Even if you think your roof is in good shape, an inspection can help catch small repairs. This will ensure your roof lasts as long as possible. Even better, schedule a roof cleaning so that your roof is left sparkling clean after an assessment.
It’s not always fun or easy to plan ahead, but doing so can end up saving you a lot of time and money. Our mission at IBEX Roof is to ensure quality roofs over our customers’ heads and with no headaches involved! Give us a call today at 360-218-3108 to learn more about how we can best service your roof and gutters in 2021.
Happy New Year to all! We are absolutely ready to leave behind the wreckage of 2020 and kick off a fresh new year. What better way to do so than to start off 2021 with a strong roof? That doesn’t necessarily mean getting a brand new roof, but it does mean making sure your roof is in its best shape so that it will last another year. If you are looking to replace your roof, or if you just want to keep up on the latest 2021 roofing trends, here are a few tips on what is currently popular in the roofing world.
Although not a new trend, traditional asphalt roofs are still a strong choice for roof replacements because of their durability, dependability, and curb appeal. You will be sure to find an asphalt shingle that will perfectly complement the rest of your home. They are also a safe choice when trying to distinguish your house while keeping it cohesive with the rest of the neighborhood.
Metal roofing continues to grow in popularity for both residential and commercial roofs. It’s a sustainable option that can last over 50 years if properly taken care of. In the past, metal roofing hasn’t had too many options in terms of design and patterns. But nowadays, you can find metal roofs of all different colors, shapes, and textures. Homeowners no longer need to worry about choosing between function and aesthetic when considering a metal roof!
Backyards patios and decks have become a prominent trend as a result of the worldwide pandemic. They are a great amenity for that extra “staycation” flair and offer another area of the home to enjoy. Roofs have also been a crucial addition to any outdoor area to maximize year-round enjoyment of these outside living spaces.
In the past few years, homeowners have been less shy about adding colors to the interiors of their home, and now we are seeing the same enthusiasm for home exteriors, too! For roofs specifically, lighter grays and colors have been the new go-to over darker shades of gray and black. More companies offer a variety of colors in different materials, including red, green, and even blue. Of course, just because certain colors are trending doesn’t mean they will be the right one for your home. Make sure to consider the other colors and materials of the rest of your home when choosing a color of your roof.
Make sure your roof is healthy and happy by scheduling a roof inspection with IBEX Roof today. And if you are happening to be in the market for a new roof, we’re on top of that, too! Keep our number handy and give us a call at _ when you’re ready to get started on your next roofing project.
Have you started your holiday decorating yet? Whether you plan on going all out for your neighborhood’s decorating contest or just want to put up a few simple lights, IBEX Roof is here to help. Make sure you’re not accidentally damaging your roof by following these best practices for decorating your roof!
Safety is always the top priority when dealing with your roof, decorating or otherwise. This means following all ladder safety rules, detangling your lights and cords before stepping on a ladder. Create a decorating game plan to minimize time on your roof. Ideally, you should never walk on your roof, especially without proper safety equipment, as fall accidents are one of the top reasons for emergency room trips and can be fatal. Always have a second set of hands to help out.
No matter what decorating theme you’re going with, always double-check you’re using the appropriate lights, cords, and products. Most holiday decorations will have labels for indoor or outdoor use, and it will help to separate indoor and outdoor decor in storage, too.
If you’re planning on adding inflatables and statues to your holiday light show, make sure to keep track of how much weight you are adding to your roof. Any extra weight on your roof can damage your roof’s sheathing and shingles. Even if you’re only putting up lights, the extra weight can put stress on your gutter system. Avoid an emergency roof or gutter replacement by keeping your decorations as light as possible!
In addition to reducing the amount of weight on your roof, you should never use nails or puncture holes to hang your holiday decorations up. Instead, there are a variety of products at your local home improvement store that can be used for safe decorating:
Following these best practices for decorating your roof will ensure a happy holiday season for you and your family. And although we can’t decorate your home for you, IBEX Roof wants to make sure your home stays safe and sound through the rest of winter. We would be happy to come and inspect your roof for you to make sure it’s in good health before you start decorating. Give us a call today at (360) 218-3108 to schedule your next inspection!
We’ve talked about why homeowners might choose to get a partial roof replacement. But if more than half of your roof needs replacing, we always recommend getting a full tear-off roof replacement. Here’s why.
When you build a new roof on top of an old roof, you are risking your roofing warranty as well as the longevity of your roof. Tearing off your old roof to replace it with a new one ensures that your new roof is 100% new. Getting rid of your old roof will also make sure that any broken, damaged, or rotting material gets removed, providing you a safer structure to protect your home. In addition, a full tear-off results in a roof that just looks brand new. Overlay roofs risk not looking completely flat depending on the condition on your existing roof. So if you are replacing your entire roof, you might as well choose the option that looks the best!
Overlaying a new roof on top of an existing roof only covers up potential roofing issues, making them harder to find later. Leaks and other types of damage will be harder for a roofer to spot. With a tear-off roof replacement, you only have to worry about one roof – your brand new one. With just a single roof on top of your home, it will be easier to maintain your roof as well as assess how much life is left in your roof over time.
Homebuyers do not want to buy a home that will require expensive repairs right after closing, especially a roof replacement! Having an overlay roof can actually decrease the value of your home, while a brand new, single-layer roof can add home value. Does this mean you have to replace your roof right before selling your home? Not necessarily. But home value and curb appeal is definitely something to consider if your home is due for a roof replacement, even if you’re not selling anytime soon.
The last thing we want is for our customers to spend extra money on a roof replacement they don’t need. That’s why we recommend scheduling a roof inspection so that we can assess how much life is left in your roof! Annual inspections allow us to let customers know when they need to start preparing for a new roof. Don’t let your next roof replacement come as a surprise. To schedule a roof inspection today, or to learn more about our roof replacement services, give our friendly office staff a call at (360) 218-3108.
Most roof replacements end with a few bundles of leftover shingles that can be saved for future repairs. We always recommend saving them for a rainy day (literally!). Sometimes homeowners don’t have the extra room to save their shingles or they will repurpose them for something else. Other times, they do save their shingles, which get used up for roof repairs. Either way, what happens when you need a roof repair with discontinued shingles?
It’s not easy to find discontinued shingles, especially if your last roof replacement was done years ago. It’s always worth asking your roofer, though, if they are able to find a match to repair your roof. If they aren’t able to find the exact shingle match, they will do their best to find the closest second. The best way is by looking at the manufacturer of your current shingles as they will most likely have a similar color, if not the same one under a different name. Many manufacturers also have online tools that can show you what different colored shingles will look like on your roof.
While some insurance policies might cover discontinued shingles, many don’t. The best way to find out is by checking the roof repair section of your homeowner’s insurance policy. It should say whether or not they cover the matching of discontinued shingles. More than likely, your insurance will only cover roof work needed to ensure your roof’s safety, and will not cover anything just for aesthetics.
If your roof is over fifteen years old, then consider getting a full roof replacement! This will allow you to choose a new color of shingles and not worry about matching the color of your old ones. Of course, you probably don’t want to replace your roof just for the sake of its color! Book a roof inspection first to see how much life is left in your roof. If your roof is still in pretty good shape, you may want to consider just sticking to repairs with a similar shade of new shingles.
At IBEX Roof, we’ve seen a mismatched roof or two in our time! Although having two different shingle colors doesn’t affect the safety of your roof, we understand wanting to find the best match for your discontinued shingles. If you need a roof repair and your old shingles have been discontinued, we’ll do our best to find the closest match. Nowadays, brands make shingles in all different shades and colors; we know we’ll be able to find something that will make your roof look great. And if you need a roof replacement, we’ve got you covered there, too!
Give us a call today at (360) 218-3104 for a free estimate on your next roofing project.
A reputable roofing contractor will know how to measure your roof to order the right amount of shingles for your replacement or repair. Because roofing materials are measured by square, there will often be leftover roofing shingles that are usually left with the customers. Not sure exactly what to do with them? Here are a few options to consider!
We recommend saving any remaining shingles for future roof work. When you keep your leftover roofing shingles, you ensure that you’ll have the matching color and shingle when it’s time for a repair. You don’t want to risk having a repair that doesn’t match in the event your roofing manufacturer discontinues the color you originally chose!
Make sure to properly store your leftover roofing shingles so that they will be ready for use in the future. Keep them somewhere safe with a moderate temperature and void of extreme moisture.
If you don’t think you’ll be needing your shingles for a future repair or if you don’t have the room to store them, you may consider using them for another roofing project! There will likely not be enough shingles for a whole house, but you could have enough for a dog house, shed, or even a gazebo.
The rough texture of asphalt roofing shingles makes them a great option for creating walkways or adding traction to stairs. This is especially useful in the winter if your sidewalk or porch stairs get icy and you don’t have any salt or sand on hand. You can also use your leftover roofing shingles to create a walkway in your garden or around your home.
Lastly, you can always choose to donate or recycle your leftover roofing shingles. Your roofer may be willing to take the roofing shingles if you don’t want to keep them. Or, there are several organizations that may accept them; IBEX Roof donates our leftover materials to Habitat for Humanity. You can also see what recycling options your state offers for roofing shingles at ShingleRecyling.org.
The forecast has been a bit rainy and this is usually when homeowners find out whether or not they have a leaky roof. Once your roof starts leaking, it’s crucial to work fast to prevent the problem from getting worse and to keep your home dry. But what if it’s still raining outside? Is it possible to repair or even install a roof in the rain?
When it comes to residential roofing, almost all roofs can be inspected or repaired in reasonable rainy conditions. In fact, it’s best not to put off any repairs needed on your roof in case it gets worse and quickly turns into a roofing emergency.
Roof replacements, on the other hand, may be more on a case-by-case basis. We do our best to keep track of the weather forecast closer to the dates of any roof replacements. If the weather doesn’t seem favorable as your appointment approaches, we will try to reschedule during a time with better weather. However, sometimes even the forecast gets it wrong! In this case, we take all measures to work quickly and efficiently to deliver you a top-quality roof to keep you and your family dry and safe.
If we had control of scheduling the weather, that would be awesome! But since we can’t do that, the next best thing is for us to keep track of the forecast. The weather changes rapidly especially in the fall and spring, and it’s best to schedule your roof inspections, repairs, and replacements, ahead of time. We usually book up during these times so that we can stay flexible in the event that the weather doesn’t fully comply with our safety practices.
Rain or shine, IBEX Roof never leaves our customers hanging. We organize our schedule so that we never have to leave in the middle of a project and we never move on to the next job until yours is complete! The last thing we would ever want is to have a leak in your roof because of the rain. There’s no need to worry about how you can install a roof in the rain because we’re on top of it! If it’s time for your home to get a new roof, give us a call today at 360-218-3104.
What a beautiful week it’s been and we’ve been enjoying roofing in the fall weather. Right now is the perfect time to get your roof inspected, repaired, or replaced, and we promise it’s not just for our sake. Here are three big reasons why fall is the best time to schedule in your roof care appointments!
Now that the weather is cooler and not as hot or humid, it’s the most ideal climate for installing new roofs. Whether that’s too hot or too cold can affect the integrity of shingles and their ability to properly bond. That doesn’t mean that your roof will be installed badly (we are professionals, after all!) but ideal temperatures will ensure that your roof replacement will go as smoothly and swiftly as possible.
Additionally, less rain means fewer chances of inclement weather postponing your roof care. Roof work can be done in light rain, but heavy rainfall and storms can postpone your appointments. When you schedule your roofing to be done in the fall, there’s less chance of your schedule being pushed around.
The biggest reason to prepare your roof in the fall is to get it ready for winter. Inspections ensure that any small damages are repaired and that there are no leaks for when the rain or snow comes. Even if a small area of damage doesn’t seem like a big deal, we highly recommend getting it repaired as soon as possible. Any cracks or open crevices in your roof can be widened by freezing rain or ice, potentially causing leaks. Additionally, pests may use these areas to take shelter in your attic. If that happens, it will be a much bigger problem that will be both expensive and a headache.
There is no better time than scheduling your roofing in the fall. Every roof IBEX Roof climbs gets evaluated under the same thorough assessment. It’s our top priority that your roof keeps your home protected and that you feel prepared for the upcoming winter. Give us a call today at 360-218-3194 to get a free estimate on your next roofing project.
Being long-time roofers, IBEX Roof understands how to expect the unexpected. There are times when we’ve had to act fast in an emergency situation, like when a customer experiences a roof leak or when a roof suffers from storm damage.
The climate of the Pacific Northwest can be quite unpredictable and we do our best to make sure our customers’ roofs are ready to withstand any type of weather. However, some storms end up being more destructive than others, and homeowners are often caught unprepared.
Water damage is usually a result of heavy rainfalls of which we are very familiar with in the Pacific Northwest! If you know a storm is coming or a rainy season is approaching, consider getting a roof inspection to ensure your roof is ready. Not only can heavy rainfall cause damage to your roof, but it can also turn what would be a small repair into major structural damage. Additionally, it’s a lot more troublesome to get a leaking roof fixed while it’s still storming; taking preventative measures and properly maintaining your roof will always be your safest and least expensive option!
Strong winds can damage shingles and rip away gutters, causing aesthetic damage as well as water leaks. Without gutters, water won’t be able to properly drain away from your roof. Aftereffects of wind damage may not seem like a big deal sometimes, but don’t wait to repairs done. Otherwise, you may be looking at way more expensive problems later.
Hail and ice damage may not be very common around here but are not unheard of. Hailstorms can cause granule loss on asphalt roofs as well as create dents in metal roofs. Ice dams, on the other hand, can weigh down gutters or cause water leaks in your roof.
Tornadoes are also quite rare in the Pacific Northwest, but they sure can cause a lot of damage when they hit. If a tornado hits your home, our crew will inspect the damage, make sure your home is structurally sound, and provide you with the best course of action moving forward.
Our professionals here at IBEX Roof are always here for you when you need us, especially in a time of emergency. Keep our number on your refrigerator so that you can call us the moment you need us. In addition to providing an estimate of costs up-front, we also offer financing plans so that getting your roof fixed is not a burden. If your home has suffered from any type of storm damage, give us a call today at 360-218-3104. We will make your home safe and sound again!
We always recommend getting your roof repaired when it’s damaged, even when the damage is small. There are plenty of ways for a small roof issue to turn into a bigger problem. But if there is one problem you especially want to avoid, it’s animals getting into your roof. Missing shingles, small holes, and even excess debris can all be inviting signs for animals to come and take over.
Squirrels are one of the most common roof pests and they like to chew on almost everything. Once they get onto your roof, they will chew on shingles, underlayment, soffit, fascia, and even electric wiring. They are also nesters and will take residence in your attic, especially in colder seasons when they need a warmer home. A great way to prevent squirrels from making a nest in your home is by trimming back tree branches that are hanging over your roof. Also make sure to patch any holes, even small ones, which can serve as entryways for critters to get inside your home.
Not only do raccoons like the chew but they also have hands that can rip things up. Because they are bigger creatures than squirrels, they can do a lot more damage in a short amount of time. Additionally, they may rip up the insulation in your attic to make their nests. Just like squirrels, prevent raccoons entry into your roof by making sure there are no holes or possible ways of entry into your attic. Garbage cans and compost piles can sometimes attract raccoons so it is best to make sure they are covered or properly enclosed when near your house.
It’s common for birds to make nests inside gutters which can block water from properly flowing away from your roof. You can discourage birds from nesting around your home by keeping your roof and gutters clear of debris, specifically twigs, leaves, and pine needles.
Mice, rats, and bats have the ability to get into dime-sized holes, so it is best to repair any holes in your roof, especially your soffits. These rodents will make nests in your attic, within your walls, and even in your vents. Additionally, mice are very quick to reproduce, leading to bigger pest problems.
If animals have already invaded your roof, the first number you should call is your local animal control. Nothing can be done to fix your roof or any other damage until all wildlife is out of your home. If animal control is unable to help, you may have to call a private animal removal service. After there are no longer any animals in your roof, call your local roofing contractor to inspect and repair your roof before further damage is done.
If your roof has already been rampaged by critters, give IBEX Roof a call (once all the animals are out!) and we will come to inspect the damage. We will then let you know what’s the best way to repair your roof or, depending on the damage, if you’re better off with a replacement.
The best way to prevent roof damage from small pests and animals, of course, is to properly maintain your roof before any pests arrive. This will prevent the most headaches while reducing the costs of fixing the damage. Schedule an inspection today so that your roof has no openings for animals to get in! You can even sign up for annual cleaning and maintenance so that your roof is always in tip-top shape. Give our office a call today at 360-218-3104.
