Has a recent storm brought a leaky roof to your attention? Are you now forced to figure out how to deal with the situation? It's never fun when a roof that you thought was sound actually turns out to have various issues. Now you have to find someone to repair the roof, something that can seem daunting if you've never had to deal with the situation in the past. Fortunately, asking the right questions will help to ensure that you have found the right contractor to deal with the repairs. Some of the most important questions you should be asking include the following:
How soon can you get started? Highly skilled and experienced roofing contractors almost certainly will not be able to get started right away due to demand. There may only be a wait of a few days or so, but you can still expect that your roof isn't going to be repaired right away. If you're concerned about your roof leaking in the meantime, instead of going with someone of perhaps dubious skill levels, you can ask to have a temporary protective cover installed over the affected area. This will help keep your roof from leaking again before it can be repaired properly.
Does your estimate include everything? If you get three different estimates from three different roofing contractors, you're likely going to see three different methods of determining how much it's going to cost to repair or replace your roof. In some instances, this may mean leaving off items that are sometimes deemed optional - such as flashing. Flashing consists of metal strips that are installed under the layer of shingles in areas where there would otherwise be a seam. This provides an extra layer of protection in these areas. It may be reused to save money, but reuse is highly likely to result in the roof leaking again in the near future.
How long do you expect the repair to take? Different types of repairs will take different amounts of time and this is something that you should be aware of. If all that needs to happen is to pull off a single section of shingles and replace those shingles, most roofing contractors will probably be able to complete the job in just a few hours once they are able to get started. But if your roof is old and needs to be completely replaced, this can take a few days to several weeks to finish completely. The job can be complicated if more than just the layer of shingles will need to be replaced.
For more information, get in touch with a roofing company such as Landmark Roofing.