Roofing

Homeowners today are faced with more options than ever before when it comes to home remodeling. You used to be able to call a plumber and tell him you needed a new lavatory faucet and he would bring you a chrome two-handled faucet-no big deal. These days if you were to call me and say, “Eric, I need a new lavatory faucet.” I would in turn say something to the effect, “Do you know what kind? What color? Is it a 4” spread or 8”? Single lever or two-handle?  Just go to your local home improvement store and venture down the plumbing aisle. The choices seem almost limitless, and if you can’t find what you’re looking for, they can order it! You can get a variety of finishes such as, Oil-rubbed bronze, Venetian bronze, nickel, satin nickel, stainless, aged pewter, brass-I think you get the point. The same goes for roofing. So you want a new roof? Do you want asphalt shingles-three tab or architectural? Metal? Standing seam or ribbed? Cedar shakes? Tile? Oh, and by the way, what color, finish and warranty?

Suddenly you realize that simply calling a roofer and telling him you need a new roof isn’t all that simple. I am going to try to focus on the mainstream choice for our area, which is asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles are a great choice and offer an economical way to get the job done. Asphalt shingles come in basically two styles; 3- tab and architectural.

3-tab:

3-tab shingles are the old standby. They have been given the name 3-tab because each individual shingle has three “tabs” separated by rain grooves. They have been around for years and will continue to be a good choice for the checkbook conscience consumer. Offering a 20-30 year warranty (always check the details and coverage of the warranty from the shingle manufacturer) and many color selections, 3-tab shingles have been the standard issue for your basic roofing needs for many years. 

Architectural:

Architectural shingles are an upgrade from the standard 3-tab. If you compare a 3-tab against an architectural shingle here are a few things you will notice. First, the architectural shingles does not have any rain grooves. It is a solid shingle all the way across. Secondly, you will notice that the architectural shingles is laminated-meaning that there are typically two layers of asphalt shingle laminated together to give the roof a dimensional look, similar to a slate or cedar shake roof. To further add to the dimensional look, many manufacturers have a “shadow” line to make the shingle look like it’s thicker than it really is. These features, along with a 40 year to lifetime warranty, make the architectural shingle most desirable if going with an asphalt shingle. The price difference of course will vary on your selection, but a basic architectural shingle will run about 20-30% more than a 3-tab for materials only. The price gap can increase if you choose a designer type shingle. 

View this photo comparison of shingles. 

I am asked quite often what the differences are between these two shingles and hopefully you have found this to be helpful. Of course the staff and I at Mike Wood Builders will be happy to help if you have any further questions.   

Do Your Homework!

A few months ago I read a story of several upset homeowners who had just discovered a lien had been put against their house for work done by a roofing company. The puzzling thing to them was that they had paid the roofer so where was this lien coming from? The supplier of the roofing materials had not been paid by the contractor so they put a lien on the property. Some of the troubled homeowners were fortunate to have a receipt of payment from the Contractor which saved them from having to pay for the materials used on their job twice.

Remodeling or building your home can be stressful on you, your family and your way of life. Adding to that stress would be hiring a contractor that you didn’t spend time researching their background and reputation-to only end up finding out the hard way. It cost you very little to make a few phone calls and ask around the local lumber yards to find out who pays their bills and who doesn’t, but it can save you a lot of heartache and money. We always encourage people to ask for references (of not only past customers but suppliers too!) and please, check them out. You might want to go a step further and call the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce. Even services such as angieslist.com can be helpful as well. They have reviews about service companies posted by actual customers that can also help you in the decision making process

Unfortunately the days of a handshake being good enough are gone. Protect yourself and get a signed contract, keep records and keep all receipts of payments.

So do yourself a favor and get your homework done, so you can ace this test and avoid the stress! 

Milestones

This year Mike Wood Builders will be celebrating our 35^th anniversary! I wanted to take a moment and tell you some of the reasons why I think we have been blessed to have had 35 years of business.

Integrity-

Integrity and honesty is the foundation that Mike has laid for every aspect of this company. When I first started working with Mike I was amazed at how he went out of his way to do the right thing no matter what it cost him. I tell people quite frequently that we aren’t perfect and we make mistakes, but more importantly, we make those mistakes right. Our main focus is to serve our customers just the way we would like to be served.

Customer Service-

Returning phone calls, emails and just being available to answer questions has a huge impact in our day of big box stores, fast food and overall lack of customer service in market place. Our goal as a company is to provide you with a great product and the best service we can. Can you find someone else to do the job cheaper? Quite possibly. We are rarely the cheapest, but you know how the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” Having an office easy to locate and someone to talk to when you call is worth a little don’t you think? Sure we could all have our office in our pickup trucks and save some overhead, but how would you find us if there were a problem?

I suppose I may be a little biased in my opinion since this is my ten year anniversary for working with Mike Wood Builders, but on the other hand when I ask people why they choose our company, it’s almost always the same response- “your reputation.”

It’s been an absolute pleasure working these ten years for Mike Wood Builders. We thank you for your business and your support as a community. As we plan for the next 35 years, let us know how we can help you.

Design/Build

I wanted to take a minute and talk about Design/Build. This term is generally used to describe a company’s ability to work with their customer from the very beginning stages of design for their project and manage the construction through to the finish. This process is unique in the way that the designer is the builder and therefore intimately familiar with everything that is going into the project.

Most design/build companies have some type of computer software that enables them to create the custom design and plans that are specific to the needs of the homeowner and make changes easily. It also allows the homeowner the ability to see a 3D model of their particular project and feel comfortable with what they will be getting. To me this can be a very valuable tool. Would you feel comfortable investing thousands of dollars with someone and not know what you are getting? When you work with a design/build company you can see not just imagine what your new addition, home or kitchen remodel is going to look like before anyone shows up to start demo on your home.

I have seen customers eyes light up when they can see a 3D model of what their home is going to look like after the project is complete. It helps to establish trust between the company and homeowner when you know you are on the same page. Some times it can be difficult to explain what you want your project to look like or making sure the things you tell your builder are going to end up looking like what you have in mind. That is where design/build is so valuable. This process also allows helps you to avoid costly mistakes before you begin. For example, you can see how your new roof lines will tie in to the existing roof and make sure you will avoid that upstairs window or how the water will be directed. It is also much easier to rearrange a window in a software program than on the jobsite-and much cheaper!

So before you drop thousands on a home addition or remodel, talk to someone that can show you what you will be getting for your investment. I am happy to say that Mike Wood Builders offers a design/build process using Chief Architect. With this program and our years of experience we would be happy to help you work through you new project.