Once you pick a roofing contractor to install a new roof on your home, there are a couple tips for safety and protection of your possessions and the workers on your property.

Safety of kids and pets:

The average roof can last for decades, so all the work on the top of your house can be an exciting and interesting activity that most pets and kids only get to see once. This curiosity can lead to dangerous situations for both. Before construction begins, let your children know what is going to be happening and that they need to stay clear from the work area. Make arrangements to have pets inside or away from the home. The safety of your family and our workers is our number one priority.

The area around the work area:

In Colorado Springs, most homes have small yard areas and short driveways. Cars, truck and motorcycles or any other recreational vehicles should be removed from the driveway. Also make sure the cover is on your pool or hot tub. Move grills and patio furniture away from the work zone if possible. If there are any low hanging tree branches that are directly over the roof area, they may need to be trimmed back. If it’s the holiday season or if you leave your lights on your gutters and rake edges of the house year-round, they will also need to be removed. Our workers will need access to electrical outlets, preferably exterior. If there are no outside outlets or any in your garage, an extension cord may need to be run through a door or window.

Inside the home:

While the work is being done outside your home, we suggest you remove any loosely hung wall decorations as the pounding on the roof might cause walls to shake a little.

If you have any questions on what to do or what to not do before we install your new roof please feel free to contact the office of Front Range Roofing and Siding during normal business hours. We look forward to working with you.

There are a lot of things in life and around your house that you can do yourself pretty easily with the help of Youtube videos – change your oil, stop a faucet from leaking or maybe even installing a bookshelf. As qualified roofers, we suggest that one area you leave to the professionals is your roof for a number of reasons.

Cost:

When doing roof repairs or re-roofing there are a number of safety equipment items you will need to buy and may only need to use once. A fall from a roof could cost you more than just a bite out of your wallet. Downtime from work, activities and family time could all happen from a serious fall of 10 feet or more. A simple drop of materials from the top of the home onto your landscaping could lead to costly replacements.

You also have to consider all the individual materials and items you will have to purchase. Professional contractors with a history of doing business can get discounts through major material suppliers that the general public can’t get. Not to mention, you also need to make sure you buy the correct items. Do you want asphalt or wood shingles? Did you know that the City of Colorado Springs banned new wood roofs in 2002 after the Hayman Fire? And then there are the permits that will have to be pulled. Skilled contractors also have the experience with pulling permits to get it done in a timely fashion.

Safety:

Even with the proper safety equipment, walking and working on the top of your home can be dangerous work. Professional roofers are trained in the latest safety techniques and equipment.  Eye protection, work gloves, safety ladders with stabilizers and anchors are just some of the safety equipment needed to do the job right.

Time:

Kids sporting events, time in the great outdoors or even catching up on your favorite TV shows. Your time is valuable. Installing a new roof properly without the right experience can be a lot of trial and error, which obviously takes up a lot of your time. Generally, a certified, skilled roofing team can have a new roof installed in a single day.

If you’ve been waiting for your tax return to fix your old roof, now is the time and our team is ready to go. Let our expert roofers at Front Range Roofing and Siding give you a FREE estimate on a new roof for your home.

How often lately have you seen a home go up for sale in your neighborhood only to see it “under contract” within days? The Colorado Springs area is expected to be in the Top 10 housing markets for 2018. This forecast is for townhomes, condominiums and single-family homes. If you are looking to buy a new house in Colorado this year, keep in mind that the roof is often the most overlooked area on first walk troughs.

You’ll easily be able to notice some simple, obvious signs that something is wrong with the roof just by looking up before you walk in the door. Do you see caving or sagging areas in not only the roof but also the gutters? What about missing shingles or flashing or areas of missing granules? Even small things like shingles that are cracked or curled can be signs of more extensive damage. Does it just look old and worn down? If the chimney is visible from the ground, check the flashing around the base to see if it is pulling away from the stack. Once you are inside the potential home of your dreams, look upwards again in the closets and top floor rooms. Black dots or water stains are a sure sign that some more extensive damage will show up on a professional inspection.

Your real estate agent can find out the age of the roof if you ask them. If the roof hasn’t been replaced in over 20 years, consider that a red flag. On the other hand, a newer roof could possibly lead to insurance discounts. If you find that the house has a newer roof, ask your insurance agent about discounts. In some cases, homes with metal roofs offer additional savings. Some of the bigger insurance companies have the discounts right on their websites like Farmers: https://www.farmers.com/faq/discounts 

Happy House Hunting!

With all the advancements in energy efficiency, attic ventilation is very different from when most of our houses were originally built. Today’s homes are more energy efficient from windows to doors to insulation. While it is great for your house, it doesn’t let your home “breathe” as easily as it used to. This is why proper attic ventilation is so important.

As we go into our winter season here in Colorado, moisture is generated inside your home and builds up in the attic. This can cause mildew and mold to form, which can be costly to remove and dangerous to your family’s health. Wood can start to rot and insulation can lose its effectiveness when it gets wet. Shingle warranties can be voided if the shingles are damaged by improper ventilation.

Insulating your attic is also vital to keeping the heat in the interior of the home and to minimize temperature changes on the roof. The build-up of warm air inside can lead to ice dams, which can also cause extensive, pricey repairs to your gutter system. An ice dam forms when the snow melts on your roof, runs down and refreezes inside your gutters. As more snow melts, the water has nowhere to go but back inside your home causing interior damage.

While adding roof vents might seem as simple as cutting holes and installing them, we suggest having a professional do the installation. This will ensure that they are not only installed properly but also in the right areas.  The number of openings needed is determined by the size of your roof space. Your home may also need bath fans. If they are not vented to the outside, they will just exhaust into the upper floor area. Warm, humid air from your bathroom will also aid in the growth of mold, mildew and wood rot.

Adding vents and attic fans to the outside of a home is more than most DIYers can do by themselves.  Let a professional do it right. If you have any concerns with your attic’s ventilation, please give our team at Front Range Roofing and Siding a call.

The first snow of the season has hit us, but the weather is looking better later in the week for Southern Colorado.  This is the perfect time of year to start winterizing your home.

Outside:

If you are physically able and can do so safely, clean out your gutters from clogs and debris.  There are many tools available to help attain those hard to reach places.  Wet leaves can become quite heavy and cause sagging in your gutters, pulling them away from your home.

When was the last time you checked how much insulation is in your attic?  The combination of poor roof ventilation and warm attic air can lead to ice dams in your gutters.  This can lead to costly repairs come spring time.

Clear any obstacles from heating vents and from around your air conditioning unit.  If it’s been years since you’ve had them cleaned, it might be worth having a service professional come to your home.

Wood burning fireplaces and flumes need inspection.  Make sure your chimney is clear from debris and bird nests.   Check the flue damper operation for proper opening and closing.  If you see any open mortar joints, have them fixed immediately.

Disconnect all hoses from outside faucets and turn your water off.  Drain water out of the hoses before storing for winter and empty water fountains.  Blow out your sprinkler system to prevent frozen lines.  Many businesses in Colorado Springs will blow them out professionally for a reasonable price.

Examine the weather stripping around your windows.  Cracks and missing stripping can lead to higher heating bills.  Don’t forget to check around doors as well.

When it comes to your roof, we suggest you give us a call for an inspection and tune-up.  There might be missing shingles, loose nails, cracked flashing and more.

Inside:

The interior of your home will need winterizing as well.  If you haven’t replaced the air filter in your furnace since last spring (or possibly longer), replace it now.  Don’t forget to clean out your dryer vents too.

Install or upgrade carbon monoxide detectors.  This gas is odorless, colorless and can’t be detected without a working carbon monoxide detector.  Place the units outside sleeping areas and on each level of your home.

If your home has electric baseboard heaters, make sure curtains and drapes are several inches above them.  Consider getting heater covers if you have small children or pets in your home.  Wipe dust from the vents to prevent unpleasant odors and to maximize efficiency.

How do you find the right roofing contractor?  Your roof is one of the most vital features of protecting your home from inclement weather and storms.  We have some simple tips on how to find the right roofing contractor for one of your biggest financial investments.  The most important on our list is going with a local contractor.  Storm chasers are here today and gone tomorrow.   They can be almost impossible to find after the job is over.  What good is a company warranty if you can’t get ahold of them?  The news is filled constantly with customers being ripped off, having shoddy work done or incomplete jobs.  A local contractor will also know the rules and code regulations for your county.

The second tip – never pay for the job in full upfront and always get a FREE estimate in writing.  No contractor should charge you for the bid to do the job.  Be aware of companies claiming to be able to do the work without you paying your insurance deductible!  This is fraud and could get you in trouble.

Rounding out the top 3 is to check to make sure the contractor has the proper licensing and insurance.  While most states require licensing and insurance for roof workers, some companies will cut corners to save money by either being uninsured or underinsured.  This can lead to costly litigation for you if someone was to get hurt while working on your property.

When making the final decision to go with roofing contractor, get local referrals and check with online review sites like the Better Business Bureau.  Expect every company to have a complaint against them, that’s just the nature of doing business today, but multiple negative reviews should raise red flags!  We have done thousands of roofs and are proud of our online reviews and A+ BBB rating.

If your roof is old, it’s probably in need of repair or replacement, it’s time to give us a call at 719-536-9442.  This year we are celebrating our 20^th year of superior roofing in Southern Colorado.  When Front Range Roofing & Siding does your roof in El Paso or Teller County, our services are always backed by the manufacturer and our company warranties.

Have you heard of a roof tune-up?

Because of our constantly changing climate in Colorado Springs there are a ton of things both small and large that can happen to your roof even over a couple of years’ time.  In Southern Colorado our buildings take a beating from strong rains, snow and hail storms.   But don’t worry, that doesn’t always mean you need an entire new roof.  You get your car, bikes and skis tuned-up, so why not your home?  These simple roofing repairs can help extend the lifespan of your current asphalt roof and identify issues before they become costly replacements.

Some but not all of the checks we do during our assessment include examining the caulking & sealing around your vents, pipes, pipe jacks, skylights, chimney, furnace caps and flashing.  We also look for fiberglass showing through your base sheet, loose shingles, bent metal flashing, granular loss, nails popping out of shingles and dry rot.  Our professional tradesmen will also inspect your gutters for dry rot, rust and standing water.  We do a visual inspection for sagging areas where the gutters may be pulling away from your home.  Hangers and spikes can pull away from your house over time. It also might be difficult for you to visually inspect some areas, so we will let you know if we see any clogs that need to be cleaned out.

Front Range Roofing & Siding offers Fall and Spring tune-ups and does not charge for the inspection portion.  We suggest you call us if your roof is over five years old, if you were in an area hit by a hail storm or if you are looking to sell your home.  Our promise is that we will always honestly tell you if no repair is needed.  If we should find anything that needs to be fixed or replaced, we’ll offer $50 off any repair work.

First, let us explain that roof shingles are rectangular flat shapes made up of metal, plastic, wood, slate or composite materials like asphalt that are vital to the overall appearance of your home.  Probably the easiest way to describe what roofing dimensional shingles are, is they are basically upgraded asphalt shingles. The difference between traditional 3-Tab and dimensional shingles are the 3-D appearance instead of the customary repetitive pattern. Both types are protected from the weather by a layer of granules on the top giving your roof durability. 3 Tab shingles are more likely to blow away in our Colorado windy environment, which is why we no longer use them. A lot of insurance companies will give you a discount if you buy an impact resistant or storm single.

For fire safety reasons, wood shake shingles are no longer allowed in Colorado Springs, but we can still achieve the look of shake through a thicker asphalt shingle.  The City of Colorado Springs banned new wood roofs in 2002 after the Hayman fire.  One of the companies we work with, Decra, is even offering a metal shingle that has the illusion of shake.  The weight of your shingle is very important in Colorado Springs.

Dimensional, also known as architectural or laminated shingles, generally offer a longer lifespan.  They are more wind resistant and are less likely to warp.  Many consider them more aesthetically pleasing to the point where some neighborhood HOAs are actually requiring them from homeowners.  More options are becoming available to the public with each passing year from color to sizes.  For instance, Owens Corning announced their 2017 color of the year is Sedona Canyon.  You can read the article here: https://www.owenscorning.com/roofing/design-inspire/color-of-the-year

There is generally a minimal cost to upgrade your residential roof to designer shingles.  How many shingles your roof will need is based on the overall roof area size and will be detailed in the written estimate you will receive when we do a FREE thorough roof inspection of your property.  The inspection will also cover your gutters, siding and windows as needed.

If your roof is old and in need of repair or replacement, imagine how these dimensional shingles will look on your home.  In 2017 we are celebrating our 20^th year of proven, reliable roofing in Southern Colorado.  Remember, when Front Range Roofing & Siding does your roof in El Paso or Teller County, our services are backed by the manufacturer and our company warranties, giving you peace of mind.

Gutter clogs and buildup are due to lack of gutter cleaning and maintenance. Some of the things that can accumulate in your gutter are leaves, twigs, stagnant water, plant growth, snow and ice. This not only damages your gutters, but can affect your siding, the ground beneath the gutter, and paint. So understand what you need to do to tell if your gutter is clogged and how you can fix that.

The winter months bring with them many storms, lots of debris, and many potential dangers. Understand what you need to do to prepare your roof properly for the winter months:

1. Remove trash and debris: Your roof collects lots of debris, no matter the season. Make your roof safer by doing a pre-winter and post-winter debris pickup. This way, although there will be debris that gathers on your roof during the winter, it won’t be adding to additional debris and potentially causing roof sags, drainage blockage, wet spots, and other winter dangers.