4 FAQ’s About Roofing In Knoxville, TN

According to the National Roofing Contractors Association, the maintenance of a home’s roof system is the most neglected area of home care. To help you avoid the frustration of an en expected roof repair, we’ve compiled a list of our top five most frequently asked questions about roofing in Knoxville Tennessee!

“What is the realistic lifespan of my shingles?”

-At current, all major asphalt shingle manufacturers advertise their roofing products as “lifetime”. As a general rule of thumb, “lifetime” as it pertains to shingles and accessories is 50 years. Now, be it that we are all smart and reasonable homeowners, we know that 50 years is a stretch! With proper roof maintenance, an asphalt roof system in the Knoxville area should last around 30 years with periodic roof maintenance.

“I’m in the market for a new roof, what’s your biggest piece of advice?”

-If I had to target ONE key factor when shopping for a new roof system, I would pay very close attention to what your perspective roofing companies are offering as it pertains to roofing materials! This is critical for a few reasons.

1. IF you ever had a manufacturers warranty claim on your roof system, the manufacturer is only going to replace THEIR products. An asphalt roof system is made of (7) key components that make up the total roof system; don’t let a less-than-stellar roofing contractor sell you designer shingles and “house-brand” accessories.
2. What materials your potential roofing contractor is offering speaks volumes about their company as a whole! Great contractors focused on quality only want to sell the best, while a less-than-stellar contractor is only focused on getting your job done for as cheaply as possible! It’s the age old saying “you get exactly what you pay for.”

“How can I get more time out of my current roof system?”

-An annual roof inspection a good starting point to ensure your roof system is in tip-top shape! A roof good roof inspection should include the following components:

1. Dimensional shingles/field shingles
2. Eaves, rakes, starter shingles
3. Roof top penetrations i.e. pipe boots
4. Ridge ventilation including ridge cap shingles
5. High prone leak areas: Valleys, low slope areas, and flashings

But buyer beware, roofing contractors love to turn inspections in to SALES. To protect yourself from sleazy sales tactics ALWAYS ask for documentation of damage(s). This could be pictures and or videos, if a roofer wants to talk about damage, he needs to provide proof of said damage.

“I need a roof repair, will my shingles match?”

-Short answer, probably not. Knoxville is famous for having an unusually high amount of algae growth. The easiest way we can demonstrate this is simple, drive around your neighborhood and look at your neighbors roofs; Do you see all of those black streaks, YEP that’s algae growth! For Knoxville residences with mature trees close to the homes’ exteriors this problem is exasperated. If your roof system is over 10 years old, the combination of sun-fading and algae staining makes a shingle match virtually impossible.

“My roof is fairly new, why is it leaking?”

-Two words…HAIL STORM! In 2011 the Knoxville area was hit with a severe hail event. To make a long story short, there was no way that the Knoxville based roofing companies could ever meet the area demands alone, so the storm-chasers came in droves! We like to think that these out of state companies were focused on putting our community back together, but oftentimes that simply wasn’t the case. Fast forward a decade and we’re are beginning to experience the repercussions of their short cuts: flashings not replaced, three tab shingles used instead of installing starter row shingles, ridge ventilation hastily installed, pipe boots not replaced, the list goes on…and on.

At Rescue Roofing & Exteriors we pride ourselves on providing the best products and practices, timely communication, and an unmatched customer experience! We sincerely hope that you’ve taken some value away from this article and cannot wait to earn your business.