Roof Expert or Impersonation?
The world is flooded with choices, it can be challenging to operate with discernment. Every company claims to be the best in their field, and chaos prevails with a tremendous diversity of online search directories. As a consumer, perform a simple Google search for “roofing Colorado Springs” and a smorgasbord of online directories populate the screen like the choices at a buffet restaurant. All it takes is for a company to spend money with Angie’s List, BBB, Houzz, Yelp, Judy’s Book, this book and that book and the list goes on and on. These directories endeavor to bolster confidence in a consumer’s buying decision. Behind the scenes and overnight a success story was born, with the help of search directories, some of these companies were only given birth yesterday, being touted to consumer’s via Home Advisor or Angie’s List as a reputable contractor. Hey, we live and have our being in the United States of America, without question the greatest country in the world, and I thank God that capitalism is flourishing. I love capitalism and enterprising ideas and blossoming companies, but let’s face it not every company can be the, “Best of the best.” Here’s the rub for every consumer, how does a consumer determine, “who is a roof expert?”
This is a challenging topic for every consumer, and in the residential roofing industry I’d like to explore that question by evaluating why locating an expert in my industry may be the best choice for you. Before we begin, allow me to peruse the often over flaunted, flagrant and abusive usage of the following title “roof expert.”
Qualifications for a roof expert?
Allow me to digress for a moment and reach back several decades. It was around 1986 that I worked for Ed Babes, the owner and operator of A-Top Roofing. Without question, Ed was a consummate professional and an expert in the residential roofing industry. In a time when air guns were being used to install staples and nails, Ed stuck to his guns and refused to implement nail guns into his work force. We were required to hand nail every roof shingle and that’s where my knowledge of roof top’s began. It was a day before the world wide propagation of cell phones and internet. We learned the old fashioned way by getting our hands on shingles, into a pouch full of nails and unintentionally spreading tar all over our hands.
Those were the days of hard work, where word of mouth prevailed. In those days the experts were the men who knew how to install roofs. Today, I would like to state that an expert is one that is capable of performing the function of roofing and fully understanding all of the roof’s integral components and the integration of such intrinsic pieces. Here are some ideas to gauge whether one may qualify as an expert roofer or roof expert:
- Unless one is an expert roofer it would be difficult to be a roof expert. Although, possible I would be more confident with one that has hands on experience of the field in which they presume to be an expert. I would not want an expert heart surgeon that had no experience as a surgeon. By all means, no practical airline would hire an expert pilot that has never flown. Come on, you know what I’m talking about. My aunt used to vote for the President of the United States based upon which candidate was better looking; for real! While looking and interviewing one of the many roofing contractors Colorado Springs has to offer, many self proclaimed roof experts portray themselves as possessing a wealth of roofing acumen. Don’t fall into the same trap of pretense, posturing and positioning that is created by a marketing campaign that flaunts a roofer or roofing company as an expert.
- It takes years, if not decades for one to become a roof expert.
- There are manufacturer’s representatives that have only been in the roofing industry for a few years. The title of roof expert is not owned by them.
- An expert must have comprehensive understanding of all roof components.
- A roof expert has to be able to manipulate flashing to divert intrusive water from penetrate a building’s interior.
- The integration of the entire roof system must be fully understood and an expert is capable of communicating to the home owner and another roofer every aspect of the function of each component of the roof system.
- A roof expert is able to expect the unexpected and to design the roof system with this idea in mind.
- An expert roofer is familiar with the best products in the roofing industry.
- An expert roofer is capable of installing every product that is being sold and represented by their roofing company.
- Every salesman is not a roof expert. i have rarely engaged a roof salesman that had comprehensive roofing knowledge.
- Every roofing company doesn’t have a roof expert on staff. There are roofing companies where the primary owners have little understand of roofing. (I know this from personal communication within the roofing industry.)
HAAG Certified roof inspector
One of the qualifications that I’d be looking for as a homeowner from one of the more competent roofing companies Colorado Springs has to offer, is for them to have roof experts that possess an innate ability to properly and accurately inspect and evaluate residential roofing. Objective, measurable, quantitive data and analysis of the current condition and performance expectations of a roofing system must be at the finger tips of ever roof expert. They have to be able to verbally communicate objective data and be willing to put their name on the line. If they are not willing to put it in writing they are not a roofing expert. Verbal communication is meaningless when it comes to holding someone accountable. The best sign post for a consumer that they are working with someone that has at least one layer of being a roof expert is if they are a credentialed HAAG roof inspector for their prospective field of choice in the roofing industry. A roof expect may only be an expert in commercial, residential or industrial roof systems.
- Haag Engineering is one of the oldest firms in the United States that specializes in the engineering analysis of damage and failure to roof systems.
- A certified roof inspector has been trained to determine cause and scope of damage, compute costs of repair, and to analyze field date culminating in objective data.
- Most roof experts have been trained and certified by Haag Engineering.
- A certified roof expert is able to determine whether a repair or replacement is most cost effective for the end user.
- A roof expert is able to determine precisely what caused the damage.
- Homeowner’s should have an assurance that a Haag certified roof inspector is able to provide accurate and trustworthy information.
- If a Haag certified roof inspector misrepresents the truth their license is subject to being revoked.
There are other layers that would be apropos in identifying whether one is a roof expert or not. In an upcoming blog post I will share on why you may want to hire a Shingle Master Company. A Shingle Master Company is another layer of vetting prospective roofers to determine whether or not they are roof experts.
Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC has been vetted by the best and awarded the prestigious title of Shingle Master Company. We have been roofing Colorado Springs one roof at a time and look forward to serving you. Contact us for your roofing needs in Colorado Springs, Denver and along the front range.