Choosing a GAF Master EliteTM Roofing Contractor InspectAPedia® -
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
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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.
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.
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.
The GAF Master EliteTM name sounds great. What does it actually mean?
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. (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). 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.
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.
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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.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop, and from the InspectAPedia bookstore. The 2010 edition of the Home Reference Book 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. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
Architectural elements: the technological revolution: Galvanized iron roof plates and corrugated sheets; cast iron facades, columns, door and window caps, ... (American historical catalog collection), Diana S Waite, available used out of Amazon.
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
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, If you have never fixed a roof tile or slate before but have wondered how to go about repairing or replacing them, then this is the book for you. Many of the technical books about roof tiling and slating are rather vague and conveniently ignore some of the trickier problems and how they can be resolved. In Roof Tiling and Slating, the author rejects this cautious approach. Kevin Taylor uses both his extensive knowledge of the trade and his ability to explain the subject in easily understandable terms, to demonstrate how to carry out the work safely to a high standard, using tried and tested methods.
This clay roof tile guide considers the various types of tiles, slates, and roofing materials on the market as well as their uses, how to estimate the required quantities, and where to buy them. It also discusses how to check and assess a roof and how to identify and rectify problems; describes how to efficiently "set out" roofs from small, simple jobs to larger and more complicated projects, thus making the work quicker, simpler, and neater; examines the correct and the incorrect ways of installing background materials such as underlay, battens, and valley liners; explains how to install interlocking tiles, plain tiles, and artificial and natural slates; covers both modern and traditional methods and skills, including cutting materials by hand without the assistance of power tools; and provides invaluable guidance on repairs and maintenance issues, and highlights common mistakes and how they can be avoided.
The author, Kevin Taylor, works for the National Federation of Roofing Contractors as a technical manager presenting technical advice and providing education and training for young roofers.
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).
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
"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
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