Every roof we tear off tells us what the last twenty years looked like. In Frisco the same handful of decisions turn up again and again, and most of them were made with good intentions.
1. Roofing Over The Old Roof
A layover is cheaper on the day and it is the most expensive thing on this list. You never see the decking underneath, so rot goes unfound. The second layer traps heat against the first and both age faster. The weight is doubled. And when it does come off, you pay for two tear-offs at once.
Some manufacturer warranties will not cover a layover at all, which people discover at the point of claiming.
2. Ignoring Ventilation
The most consequential and least visible mistake. An attic with exhaust but no matching intake, or with insulation shoved into the soffit vents, holds heat and moisture against the underside of the deck and cooks the roof from behind.
Most of the prematurely failed Frisco roofs we open had this. New material over an unventilated attic just starts the same clock again.
3. Delaying A Small Repair
A failed pipe boot is inexpensive. Left a season, it wets the deck, the deck delaminates, the insulation below packs down and stops insulating, and eventually it stains a ceiling several feet away. The repair grows by an order of magnitude while you are deciding.
4. Choosing On Price Alone
The cheapest of three quotes is cheapest for a reason, and the reason is nearly always in the line items: a lower decking allowance, thinner underlayment, no ventilation work, or fewer courses of ice and water where it is needed. Itemised estimates make this visible. Lump sums are quoted precisely so it is not.
5. Hiring The Truck That Turned Up After The Storm
Storm crews follow hail and leave. Whatever they install, the workmanship warranty behind it evaporates when they cross the state line. Ask for a local address and a review history that predates the last storm.
6. Accepting A Deductible Waiver
An offer to cover or absorb your deductible sounds like a favour. It is insurance fraud under Texas law, it can void the claim, and the exposure is yours as much as theirs.
7. Getting On The Roof Yourself
Ladder falls are a leading cause of serious home-maintenance injury, and a wet or hail-damaged roof is worse than it looks from below. There is nothing you can see up there that a photographed inspection will not show you more safely and more usefully.
8. Skipping Flashing Work During A Replacement
Reusing old flashing at chimneys, walls and valleys to save a little is a false economy, because flashing is where roofs leak. New roof, new flashing. If a quote does not itemise it, ask why.
9. Mismatched Or Substituted Materials
A repair done with a different shingle line, or a valley detailed in a way the manufacturer does not specify, creates a weak point and can compromise the material warranty. Ask what is being installed by manufacturer and product name, and check that is what arrives on the truck.
10. Letting Other Trades Onto The Roof Unchecked
Satellite installers, solar crews, HVAC technicians and painters all make holes. Every penetration made by someone who is not a roofer is a future leak and, on some warranties, a voided one. If anyone has been up there, have the penetrations checked.
The Pattern
Nine of these ten are decisions to defer something: the inspection, the repair, the ventilation, the flashing. Roofs do not reward deferral, because the water that gets in during the delay does not go away when you finally act.
Want To Know Which Of These Applies To Your Roof?
Free inspection with photographs, and a written report that tells you what actually needs doing and what can wait.
Call (214) 437-7353 Frisco roofing servicesSources: NRCA Roofing Guidelines · CPSC, Ladder Safety
