Since we’ve been in the foam roofing business for so long, we’ve gotten quite a few questions from customers over the years. One thing that a lot of people want to know is this: How do I keep from screwing this up?
Having a good roof is important for so many reasons. It stands between your home and the outside world. If it’s in good shape, it provides protection from wind, hail, and storms. If it’s in bad shape, you’ll get leaks, mold, and mildew. It affects your home’s value in a big way.
Nobody wants to buy a house with roof problems. And a structurally sound roof can decrease your energy bill by hundreds of dollars a year.
Perhaps it has something to do with the value of a dependable roof, but it seems that homeowners often worry that they’ll make some mistake that will cause a problem.
We want to assure you that it’s very unlikely that you could sabotage your foam roofing installation for the simple reason that we can work through any issue. In fact, in the 35 years, we’ve been in business, this has never happened.
But there are a few things we’ll need you to do before we install. (And trust us, we’ll make sure you’ve done them!)
1. Please disclose any roofing problems or leaks you have had in the past.
Before we can install your roof, we have to prepare the existing substrate. (Substrate is just a fancy word for the surface underneath your foam roof. Usually, it’s your existing roof.)
One of the nice things about foam roofing is that we don’t have to strip off the old roof. This saves you money and keeps tar and shingles out of the landfills. But we do need to know if your old roof ever had a leak or any other issues. If it did, we’ll need to fill gaps and remove contaminants so that they don’t cause any problems with your new roof. We’ll also sweep it clean of dirt, dust, and debris before your installation to ensure your roof enjoys a long and sturdy life.
2. Dry rot repair must be completed before we foam a roof.
If you install your new foam roof over an old roof with dry rot in it, the rot will spread to your new roof and seep from the foam. Before installation, it is important to remove any dry rot, including in the roof deck.
American Foam Experts can do dry rot repair at a very fair price. If you’d prefer to do it yourself or you have another repair contractor, that’s fine. But the repairs absolutely have to be done before we can install your foam roof. Otherwise, you’ll be calling us again in a few years when that dry rot comes up to the surface of your new roof!
3. Make sure your vehicles are out of the crew’s way.
There are a few reasons for this. First, we want to protect your car. Sometimes, tools and debris fall off the roof during installation, and that can damage your vehicle.
But we also need a clear line of sight from the foam truck to the roof. We can’t see if your car is in the way. And our crew needs room to move around and do their jobs.
4. If you are planning to install solar panels, let us know.
California Law
As of May 2018, California became the first state to require all new builds to have solar power. The mandate, which comes from the California Energy Commission (CEC), will take effect in January 2020. This means that every new home or apartment building with 3 stories or less will need to have solar.
Nevada Law
A new law in Nevada has made solar panels a lot more attractive to homeowners. Because of the financial incentives that are now available, solar panel firms are returning to Nevada, and many homeowners are purchasing the energy saving devices.
If either of these laws applies to you, you must install the brackets into the roof before we foam. If you wait until after your roofing installation to install the brackets, that means that someone has to cut into the foam to do it. This would void your warranty unless we refoam it ourselves. You can avoid this problem altogether by installing the brackets beforehand.
Remember, regardless of the issue, we can handle it so long as you tell us about it in advance. We are a family owned and operated professional roofing business, and we’ve been doing this a long time.
We will sit down and have a conversation with you before your foam roofing installation to ask you all of these questions, so you have nothing to worry about.
Just be honest and tell us what we need to know. We’ll take it from there.