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Advice About Choosing a GAF Master EliteTM Roofing Contractor
- CERTIFICATIONS for ROOFING CONTRACTORS - Roofing contractor certifications & warranties: choosing a GAF Master EliteTM Roofing Contractor
- Roof shingle manufacturer certification programs for roofing contractors
- How to get the best roofing job on your home
- Questions & Answers about choosing a roofing contractor and the GAF Master Elite roofing contractor certification & warranty program
- References
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This website discusses how to get the best roofing job.We give an example of a "bad" roofing contractor, discuss roofing contractor certifications such as the GAF Master EliteTM roofing contractor certification program, and we give some simple tips on how to get a good roofing job.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Choosing a Reliable, Qualified, Good Roofing Contractor
The photograph above shows a laminate-type roof shingle installed improperly on an irregular dome-shaped roof. (This was job was not done by a
GAF Master EliteTM or Other Certified Roofing Contractor. The roofer who put these
shingles in place probably lacked proper training - something which some roof contractor certification programs are trying to address.
But don't assume that every "certified" roofer is one you want to do business with.
Questions and Answers about GAF Master Elite Roofers or Other Roofing Contractor Certification Programs - How to Get a Good Roofing Job
The following opinion based on both having worked as a roofing installer as well as having inspected more than 5,000 residential & commercial
roofs for defects. Additional comments and opinions from readers about roofing warranties, contractors, and the GAF Master Elite or similar programs may be posted below.
OPINION: The roofing contractor training requirement and contractor certification is a great idea and we applaud the example set by the apparent intent of this program. |
Watch out: remember that there can certainly be fully competent roofers who can do a great job but who do not have that title, and a roofer who is NOT a GAF Master EliteTM contractor may prefer to use a different and equally good or even better roofing product.
And conversely, there are contractors in and outside certification programs whose work has been the subject of reader complaints. The GAF Master EliteTM roofing contractor designation seems to be a marketing program
that recommends a specific GAF roof shingle product line and which features the requirement for some training by GAF.
Terms & Provisions of The GAF Master EliteTM Roofing Contractor Certification
- The roofing contractor is licensed [if your state requires licensing]
- The roofing contractor carries insurance [most likely as required by your state]
- the roofing contractor has a "proven reputation" [I consider this marketing language since the details of what this means are not specified]
- The roofer will recommend GAF's "Weather Stopper(R) 5-part roofing system - this roofing choice may offer a more extensive warranty than some other products. For example, as some roofers report, some [not all reported] roofs may be covered for labor and materials, without pro-rating. (This subtlety may mean that your roofer is specifically pushing GAF products which are easily available at local building supply stores like Home Depot or Loews rather than trekking to an independent building supplier where prices for competing products (Bird/Certainteed™) may be a bit higher).
- The roofer has taken one or more training courses in roofing from GAF - this is potentially a valuable claim. Some people in construction have not even read the instructions on the package (of shingles in this case).
Watch out: Some roofing contractors are simply folks who own a pickup truck and a hammer, and who view construction more or less like making a sandwich - you go to the store, buy peanut butter, and come to the job and spread the peanut butter (in this case building materials or shingles) over the surface of the building.
It's "on there" by hook or crook, with no effort to apply the materials according to the best practices of the industry or according to the specifications of the manufacturer.
The GAF Master EliteTM roofing program and what it means to consumers
The following opinion based on both having worked as a roofing installer as well as having inspected more than 5,000 residential & commercial
roofs for defects.
The GAF Master EliteTM roofing contractor designation looks to me like a combination of a marketing program
that recommends a specific GAF roof shingle product line and which features the requirement for some training by GAF.
The training requirement is a great idea, but remember that there can certainly be fully competent roofers who can do a great job but who do not have that title, and a roofer who is NOT a GAF Master EliteTM contractor may prefer to use a different and equally good or even better roofing product.
Shingle quality and roofing warranties
GAF and all of the other shingle manufacturers have occasional problems with products due to the variations during manufacture even when the shingle specifications are stable. But in the case of thermal splitting, all of the manufacturers have understood the problem and changed their shingle specifications accordingly. we have read that Bird/CertainTeed shingles typically performed better in industry standard tests for strength and durability than the GAF products performed by an independent laboratory.
While the conventional 3-tab roofing shingles are less costly than the "architectural shingles" that do not have those cutouts between the shingle tabs, laminated architectural shingles, by eliminating the cutout between the tabs, provide a continuous double layer of roofing material over the entire roof and in that regard might be expected to have a better life (all other conditions of roof slope, sun exposure, ventilation, surface deck preparation, proper nailing, shingle color, etc. being the same).
What's the Value of Roof Shingle Warranties
I consider most roofing warranties close to worthless. The typical roof shingle warranty is for the PRODUCT not the INSTALLATION. This means that IF your roof wears out and leaks from a product defect before the end of the warranty period, the manufacturer will pay a pro-rated portion of the original product cost.
If your shingles had a 20 year warranty and they fail in the 19th year, you can expect to collect 1/20th of the cost of the shingles, NOT the cost of the roof replacement.
Since most of the cost of a roof on a home is wrapped up in the labor and overhead and not the cost of the actual shingle product, unless the warranty covered the labor, it's pretty much worthless.
What remains then is to see if GAF has a better or worse reputation than its competitors in responding to warranty claims. That's a question we are monitoring But we don't currently have an answer for it.
...
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) & reader comments about roofing contractor certification programs and roof product & installation warranties
Choosing a GAF Master EliteTM or Other Certified Roofing Contractor - reader OPINION
In response to the homeowner question just below, we reply with comments about roofer "certification programs" offered by GAF
or other roof shingle manufacturers, about shingle life, about shingle warranties, and about how to get the best roofing
job for your home.
As a homeowner here in Michigan, my home now needs a new roof.
Well after searching the internet for different brands of shingles we have found that GAF had a class action lawsuit against them
for a long period of time involving almost all of their product line. We are in this early failure period.
We had GAF Timberline 30 laminated shingles installed on my roof back in 1994. The cause, premature thermal splitting that was determined
in the court of law. Well at this point there is nothing we can do to correct the problem. So much for this part!
Our main concern is that we are currently working with a roofing company on an estimate for a replacement roof.
They are a certified Master Elite roofing contractor through GAF. Home building talk show hosts such as Tom Silva,
Joanne Liebeler and Ron Hazelton all talked about the quality of GAF products and the importance of having a Master Elite contractor
installing them.
Our question is this: To your knowledge, would you possibly choose GAF as a shingle of choice for your home?
Have they worked out the problem from the past? What is your opinion on GAF products?
If you could please email me back with a personal opinion, It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Questions & answers or comments about choosing a roofing contractor and the GAF Master Elite roofing contractor certification & warranty program.
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- GAF Corporation: www.gaf.com/General/GAFintro_MAIN.asp is the company's website.
- GAF Corporation history and derivation of the GAF name: www.fundinguniverse.com/ company-histories/GAF-Corporation-Company -History.html you can read the history of the company and see the derivation of its name - General Analine and Film - though we doubt it's important in understanding modern roofing materials.
- Consumers shopping for a roofing contractor should not be confused between marketing promise and contractor competence in any building field.
- Asphalt Roofing Residential Manual,
- Built-Up Roof Systems, Manual, C.W. Griffin, Mcgraw-Hill (Tx); 2nd edition (July 1982), ISBN-10: 0070247838, ISBN-13: 978-0070247833
- Concrete Folded Plate Roofs, C. Wilby PhD BSc CEng FICE FIStructE (Author), Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998, ISBN-10: 0340662662, ISBN-13: 978-0340662663
- Concrete Roofing Tile, History of the, Batsford, 1959, AISN B000HLLOUC (availble used)
- Copper Roofing, by CDA
- Copper Roofing, Master specifications for copper roofing and sheet metal work in building construction: Institutional, commercial, industrial, I.E. Anderson, 1961 (hard to find)
- Corrugated Iron, Building on the Frontier, Simon Holloway
- Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide, Edmund C. Snodgrass, Lucie L. Snodgrass, Timber Press, Incorporated, 2006, ISBN-10: 0881927872, ISBN-13: 978-0881927870. The text covers moisture needs, heat tolerance, hardiness, bloom color, foliage characteristics, and height of 350 species and cultivars.
- Green Roof Construction and Maintenance, Kelley Luckett, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009, ISBN-10: 007160880X, ISBN-13: 978-0071608800, quoting: Key questions to ask at each stage of the green building process Tested tips and techniques for successful structural design
Construction methods for new and existing buildings
Information on insulation, drainage, detailing, irrigation, and plant selection
Details on optimal soil formulation
Illustrations featuring various stages of construction
Best practices for green roof maintenance
A survey of environmental benefits, including evapo-transpiration, storm-water management, habitat restoration, and improvement of air quality
Tips on the LEED design and certification process
Considerations for assessing return on investment
Color photographs of successfully installed green roofs
Useful checklists, tables, and charts
- Historic Slate Roofs : With How-to Info and Specifications, Tina Skinner (Ed), Schiffer Publishing, 2008, ISBN-10: 0764330012
, ISBN-13: 978-0764330018
- Low Slope Roofing, Manual of, 4th Ed., C.W. Griffin, Richard Fricklas,
McGraw-Hill Professional; 4 edition, 2006, ISBN-10: 007145828X, ISBN-13: 978-0071458283
- Roof failure causes in depth (and specific methods for avoiding them)
- Roof design fundamentals and flourishes, based on voluminous industry research and experience
- New technologies and materials -- using them safely and correctly
- Comprehensive coverage of all major roofing systems
pecifications, inspection, and maintenance tools for roofing work
- Metal Roofing, an Illustrated Guide, R.A. Knowlton , [metal shingle roofs],
- Patio Roofs, how to build, Sunset Books
- Problems in Roofing Design, B. Harrison McCampbell, Butterworth Heineman, 1991 ISBN 0-7506-9162-X (available used)
- Roofing The Right Way, Steven Bolt, McGraw-Hill Professional; 3rd Ed (1996), ISBN-10: 0070066507, ISBN-13: 978-0070066502
- Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926, reprinted 1977
by Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, VT 05743, 802-265-4933/34. (We recommend this book if you can find it. It
has gone in and out of print on occasion.)
- Roof Tiling & Slating, a Practical Guide, Kevin Taylor, Crowood Press (2008), ISBN 978-1847970237,
The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, www.jenkinsslate.com,
143 Forest Lane, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127 - 866-641-7141 (We recommend this book).
- Slate Roofing in Canada (Studi4es in archaeology, architecture, and history),
- Smart Guide: Roofing: Step-by-Step Projects, Creative Homeowner (Ed), 2004, ISBN-10: 1580111491, ISBN-13: 978-1580111492
- Solar heating, radiative cooling and thermal movement: Their effects on built-up roofing (United States. National Bureau of Standards. Technical note), William C Cullen, Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Print. Off (1963), ASIN: B0007FTV2Q
- Tile Roofs of Alfred: A Clay Tradition in Alfred NY
- "Weather-Resistive Barriers [copy on file as /interiors/Weather_Resistant_Barriers_DOE.pdf ] - ", how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
- Wood Shingle Roofs, Care and Maintenance of wood shingle and shake roofs (EC), Stanley S. Niemiec (out of print)
- ...
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
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