Quick Roofing Checklist From A Massachusetts Roofer

Andy Engdahl is Roofing Specialist for United Home Experts and works hard to educate his customers about a proper roof installation process, good quality products, and how to receive the best warranties in the roofing industry.

A long lasting, high performance roof in Massachusetts is much more intricate and involved than what is in plain sight.  It is very easy and common to see a roof as basically a bunch of shingles covering your house.  To have a roof that will work and stand the extreme weather conditions in Massachusetts, it is very important to hire a roofing company that uses a proven roofing system.

A proper roof system will help prevent many of the problems associated with roofs in Massachusetts, such as ice dams. A roofing system is made up of many components that essentially work in unison.  The components that are part of a roof system include;

• shingles
• ventilation
• underlayment

A strong roof system should always begin with removing the existing layers of roofing and inspecting the entire deck surface.  Sheathing that is has rot needs to be replaced. Next, ice and water shield should be applied six feet from all lower edges, eaves, dormers, in valleys and around skylights.  The ice and water shield provides protection from ice dams and prevents leaks from wind driven rain.  After the ice and water, a high performance fiber glass reinforced felt paper needs to be positioned on the remaining decking.  The fiber glass reinforced felt paper provides an extra layer of protection between the shingles and the roof deck.  Following the felt paper is a layer of starter shingles around the perimeter of the roof.   After the starter shingles are applied, high quality, strong warranty shingles should be placed on the roof.  The final step to a high performing roof system in Massachusetts is proper ventilation. There are various options for ventilating ones roof depending on the design of the roof.  A typical vent for a roof is a ridge vent.  The ridge vent works very well to prevent excessive heat and moisture. It is absolutely vital that a roofing company in Massachusetts follow a very similar roofing system as outlined above. The aforementioned roofing system should provide for a worry free durable roof for many years to come.