Service Archives

Five Tips to Find a Leak in Your Roof

February 11, 2022January 8, 2020 by Excel Roofing

Roof Leaks

The signs of a leaking roof are usually very noticeable. The most common indicators are spots and discoloration on ceilings and walls. Visible mold near moist spots on walls or ceilings is an indication of a moisture problem within an attic, usually as a result of improper ventilation or a leak. Curling, buckling, or missing shingles are also a warning sign of moisture penetrating the roofs surface. Damaged flashing near chimneys or vents can also be an early indicator of a moisture problem. Once you determine your roof is leaking, it is pertinent to get the leak fixed as quickly as possible to avoid any further damage. Here are five tips on how to find a leak in your roof.

How to Find a Leak in Your Roof

First step is to check your gutters. Sometimes gutters get blocked and can back up. These blocks can act just like a roof leak so make sure the gutters are clear.
Simply look up at the ceiling. Water spots are a surefire sign that you have some water reaching places it shouldn’t. The next place to inspect would be the attic. If water is leaking through the roof, the attic will show some signs of water leakage. Go up with a flashlight and check for dripping water. Look for signs of water staining on the underside of the roof boards. Also look for wet insulation.
Inspect the roof above the stains. Look for any holes or other penetrations in the roof. Items that penetrate the roof are by far the most common source of leaks. For example, roofing nails that have started to leak will have dark spots around the nail. It is rare that a roof will develop a leak in open areas of uninterrupted shingles. Check areas around roof vents, plumbing, chimneys, skylights, dormers or anything else that is built through the roof.
If the issue still isn’t obvious, recruit a helper to climb on the roof with a garden hose. In the attic, knock on the area where the leak appears to be so the helper knows where to start applying the water. Start soaking the area just above the leak and work up from there. Soak each area for a few minutes before moving on to a higher area. This will give the water ample time to work its way through the roof and spot the leak. Give a yell when the leak becomes visible. Remember to be patient—it takes time for the water to penetrate any leaks.
If running water over the roof doesn’t reveal the location of the leak, it may be time to start pulling up shingles in the area of the leak. With the shingles out of the way, tracking the leak should be even easier. Discolored paper, water stains, or rotted wood will all be in the vicinity of the leak. Start looking up from the stains for any penetrations in the roof as this is likely the source of the leaking roof.

How to Avoid Future Roof Leaks

Hire professional roofing installers.

Hiring an experienced Denver roofer is a critical component to avoiding a damaged roof in the future. The roof is the most essential part of the structure of a house. A properly installed roof will aid in the safety of a home, and most importantly, the people that live in it. Even the tiniest of leaks can create colossal amounts of rotting wood and mold.

Invest in quality roofing materials.

There are several components to consider when choosing which materials to use for roof installation.

Budget
Climate and general weather patterns in your area
Preferred style
The architecture of your home

It’s important to keep in mind that although roofs play a critical part in securing the structure of a home, it also plays a pivotal role in the overall look of a home. Additionally, harsher winters or areas with a high rainfall average should heavily way on your decision of which roof material is best. Discuss these factors along with your budget with a professional to get the best roof for your home.

Maintain your roof.

A roof leak can occur when the roofing material has decayed during extreme circumstances, such as an ice dam, that pushes the original design beyond limitations. In these instances, the roof deck becomes exposed to moisture. Roof maintenance will help monitor the decay of your roof as well as eliminate extreme circumstances. The most important maintenance tasks to reduce and potentially avoid roof leaks are:

Make sure ice dams are removed in the winter
Clean your gutters in the spring and fall
Have your chimney inspected annually
Check regularly for signs of moisture around skylights and roof vents

Although you cannot completely avoid roof leaks, taking these steps will greatly improve your chances of eliminating any roof problems.

Call us at Excel Roofing and we’ll send an expert out to inspect your roof. We have been dealing with leaky roofs and other roofing issues for years and have the knowledge and experience to get the job done!

We Offer Financing

February 11, 2022January 8, 2020 by Excel Roofing

Keeping your roof in top shape is an important part of maintaining your most valuable asset – your home. However, roof replacements can become costly, quickly.

For some homeowners, a problem (which many of us have done) is that they received their insurance settlement for their roof and ended up spending the money.

Now, they don’t have the cash to pay for a new roof. To add to this dilemma, the roof must be completed in one year or they will lose part of their settlement money. This is the elephant in the room.

In other cases, the deductible can be very high, making the needed repairs impossible to schedule.

Whatever your case may be, we are here to help! Excel Roofing works with Service Finance Company (SFC), who specializes in financing home improvement loans. Financing options are listed on every estimate we give our customers. Each of the listed options states the loan monthly payment, loan schedule, interest rate, and overall cost.

It is very useful to know exactly how much the total cost will be, which helps determine if financing is the right option for them.

The SFC loan approval process is simple and only takes about 15 minutes. First, the homeowner fills out a short questionnaire with their Excel Roofing Project Manager. Together they call SFC to share the results of the questionnaire which determines whether or not they are approved for the loan.

The fact that the decision can be made so quickly is a great benefit to homeowners. It lets them know exactly what they can qualify for. SFC provides options that homeowners would not otherwise have available and finances homeowners with FICO’s as low as 580.

Another benefit of financing is the tax benefits. If a homeowner itemizes their deductions, they may be able to deduct the interest they pay on the loan.

Of course financing can also be used if there is no insurance settlement. If a homeowner is planning on selling the house and knows it needs a roof, it makes sense to install the roof now and finance the deal.

The new roof will add value to the home and eliminate the roof as an issue in a real estate transaction.

At Excel Roofing, we always try to provide every customer the best possible roof for the money they have available. Financing has proven to be an additional and very valuable tool in helping our customers get the roof they need.

Short on cash? Or maybe just interested in hearing more about Excel Roofing’s financing options? Call us today: (303) 761-6400

Insider Roofing Tips: Hail & Gutters

March 20, 2024January 8, 2020 by Excel Roofing

HI, I’M J BRETZ, THE OWNER OF EXCEL ROOFING.

I’ve been in the roofing business for almost 30 years, and I would like to share some insider information with you about hailstorms and roofers.

Pick a local company you can trust. How do you know who to trust? Ask these questions:

How long has the company been in business?
How many jobs have they done?
What is their BBB rating?

Trust: You can trust Excel Roofing. I founded Excel in 1993. We have performed over 32,000 jobs and have always maintained an A+ rating with the BBB.

Cancellation fees: Most roofers charge a 15% cancellation fee to cancel

Local Company: We don’t door knock, and we don’t telemarket; however, this doesn’t mean we’re not interested in your business. We’re just not storm chasers. Excel Roofing are the local guys who were here before the storm and will be here long after the storm chasers are gone.

Repairs: Storm chasers don’t do small repairs. Excel has a full service repair department. This is important because

1) you want the company that installs your roof to be around if there’s ever a problem, and

2) you want them to be good a fixing roofs.

Money Up-Front: Don’t ever pay a roofer/storm chaser money up-front; you’re just asking for problems. If a roofer says they need money for material, it means they have a cash flow problem. The dirty little secret is the salesman wants money up-front so he can get an advance payment on your deal. The other reason they want money up-front is that it makes it almost impossible for you to get out of the deal if you change your mind.

Never pay any money until the job is 100% complete! Don’t give in on this one. No matter how sincere they sound, don’t pay anything until the job is complete.

Q & A: Hail

Q: HOW MUCH MORE DOES HAIL RESISTANT ROOFING COST?

A: Hail resistant roofing material is typically 5% – 15% more expensive than standard roofing. The good news is over the past 10 years, the cost to upgrade has dropped from a 30% price difference. The average price for a new standard asphalt shingle roof is $8125. To upgrade to hail resistant shingles would be $8325.

Q: IS HAIL RESISTANT ROOFING WORTH THE EXTRA COST?

A: I think so. The savings on a homeowners insurance premium will cover the cost. If a homeowner saves $250 a year on the premium, the hail resistant roofing material pays for itself within a few years.

Q: DO HAIL RESISTANT ROOFING MATERIALS ACTUALLY WORK?

A: Yes. They definitely sustain less damage from hail. The manufacturers of hail resistant roofing have done their homework and developed a stronger roofing material. The independent tests that Underwriters Laboratories developed has proven the strength of these materials. And the insurance companies are willing to offer discounts to those homeowners that do have them installed.

Q & A: Gutters

Q: HOW MUCH DO GUTTER SCREENS COST?

A: The best gutter screens can be purchased at your local hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s. If you are not a DIY’er (do-it-yourself’er), Excel Roofing can install them for $4 per linear foot.

Q: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO UNCLOG AN UNDERGROUND (FRENCH) DRAIN?

A: This is a tough question to answer. It really depends on the clog and the design of the underground drain. Because French drains cannot be roto-rootered, often the entire drain will have to be replaced.

A correctly installed underground drain is usually about 15 feet long, the drainpipe needs to be sloped away from the house and completely surrounded by rock.

The average price to remove and replace an underground drain is $500.

Q: MY DOWNSPOUT KEEPS FREEZING. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

A: Heat cable should be installed to prevent future freezing. Heat cable can be found at your local hardware store for about $70 per 100 feet and obviously needs a power outlet near the install.

The cable needs to be strung into the gutter, down the downspout and several feet on to the ground. If the heat cable is going into an underground drain, the cable needs to be strung as far as possible.

Excel Roofing can install most 100 foot plug and play heat cable systems for $299.

Finding a Good Contractor is Easy

April 24, 2024January 7, 2020 by Excel Roofing

HOW TO AVOID BAD CONTRACTORS

Man shaking hands with an Excel Roofing contractor

No one wants to get stuck with a bad contractor. Unfortunately roofing companies can be notorious for this. Getting stuck with a bad contractor usually means a project that runs over budget and just never seems to get finished.

Finding a good contractor is no different than finding a good used car. You simply need to do a little research first.

Make sure the contractor provides a written contract. The contract should have specifics like services provided. Lots of fine print in the contract is a big red flag.

CANCELLATION FEES?

Contractors often bury cancellation fees in the fine print of their contracts. If the contract has a cancellation fee, walk away. Cancellation fees serve no purpose other than to hold the consumer hostage.

If the contract does not mention any language regarding liability insurance and worker’s compensation, you should request a copy of their liability insurance and worker’s compensation. If anything looks fishy like changed dates, call the insurance company.

You want to be sure these “white-out wizards” haven’t doctored up a bogus insurance certificate.

HOW LONG HAS THE CONTRACTOR BEEN IN BUSINESS?

Ask the contractor how long they have been in business. The chances of being cheated by a contractor who has been in business for 20 years is much smaller than some contractor who blew into town with the latest hail storm. A 20-year contractor will also have a stronger motivation to honor a warranty.

Let’s face it, that storm chaser doesn’t care if your problem isn’t fixed – they’re already chasing the next storm.

The contractor is responsible for permits and inspections. They should be able to speak knowledgeably about permit processes and what to look for during an inspection. If you don’t see a permit on your front door before the work begins then you have a big problem.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Before you sign the contract run an internet search on the contractor and the company. Chances are you will find some information on review sites like Angie’s List and Google Reviews.

Keep in mind that people are more apt to write a negative review than a positive review so don’t let a few bad reviews scare you off, especially if everything else looks good. But if the contractor’s internet search turns up nothing but bad reviews then you should look elsewhere.

Be wary of any contractor that asks for money up front. As the consumer you do not want to pay a cent until the job is complete and you are satisfied. That way, if the contractor does not the complete the work or does a sub-standard job, you still have the money to hire someone else to finish the work.

At Excel Roofing, you Don’t Pay A Cent Until You’re Content

When you find a contractor that fits this description, feel good about letting them into your home and feel confident you have hired someone who will take care of you from start to finish. Good luck on your next home improvement project!