Roofing FAQ
Q: When is the right time to change my roof?
A: The question of which season should I have my roof installed comes up quite often, especially when it starts getting closer to the colder months. The answer depends more on the weather at the time of installation than the season or the time of year.
Most people believe that the roof should be installed only in warm weather preferably summer and not during the colder months. This is a myth!
All seasons prove to have their difficulties and ease for installation of a roof. Most Southern Alberta weather conditions in all 4 seasons prove to have their difficulties and ease for installation. Any time of the year is ideal to have your roof installed as long as it is not too rainy, frosty, icy, windy, extreme hot/cold. Extreme cold weather is only dangerous for the workers but not the materials. A true professional is used to working in all of the above conditions and can adapt his/her practices to accommodate for the challenge that the weather may present. However, TDC Roofing crews are limited to the conditions they are allowed to work in to ensure their safety. Ideal roofing temperatures depend on the extremity of the sun, humidity and wind chill. It is the professional opinion of TDC Roofing that your roof can be completed in any season. The following are the situations to expect depending on the time of the year.
#1 Fall
Fall is one of the most ideal times to have your roof installed. Mornings are cool and then it warms up in the afternoons. Keep in mind, early fall in Calgary can be unpredictable. Early frost and slippery conditions can make work difficult. However, the average temperature in Fall is ideal for roofing.
#2 Winter
This is a big surprise to most people with the exception of professional roofers. The roof is usually 20 to 30 degrees warmer than the ground when the sun is out. The roof temperature on a -10 Celsius day could be 20 degrees or higher.
In Southern Alberta, we are known to have an occasional warm weather due to Chinooks in December winter. Due to the fact that the roof is usually warmer than the ground temperature, winter can usually be better than summer to have your roof installed.
In Southern Alberta, it might be snowing and -40 degrees one week, but it will be plus 10 degrees and sunny the next. The average roof installation takes only a few days, and a roof replacement usually can be completed in between the bad weather periods. It does not matter how cold it is outside, the same roof installed during the cold weather will correctly seal down in time and last just as long as a roof installed during warm weather.
#3 Spring
Spring is, in our opinion, is another prime season to install roofs. The weather is still cool in the mornings and warmer in the afternoon allowing for a better roof installation. Spring rain can cause delays as the roofs become too slippery for the installers, and an open roof can cause leaking to the interior. Again, installation is a process that can usually be completed in between bad weather periods.
Q: Why do I need a roof, if it's not leaking?
A: Your roof has a limited life span. If you exceed that, it will only lead to bigger and more expensive repairs when you replace it later on down the road. Call us today for a free assessment!
Q: Can I put the roofing job off for a few years?
A: Possibly, but don’t take chances. Get the answer from a reputable roofing contractor like TDC Roofing. Call us today!
Q: What color of roof should I select?
A: This is a highly individual decision. We can provide you with color samples from the manufacturer to help you decide. You can also look under our “Roofing Info” tab and select Shingle colors for some options that are available.
Q: How long does the job take?
A: The average job takes two or three days for one of our crews. Once we have started work on your home, the work is not interrupted until it is completed – weather permitting. When your job is scheduled, it is the only job for that crew until completion.
Q: Why should I hire a professional roofer and not a handyman?
A: Would you hire a plumber to do an electrical job? ·Experience and an understanding of the changing technology of roofing systems are absolutely necessary. Call us today!
Q: How is the price of my roof replacement determined?
A: Different roofing companies have different ways of quoting. Some use job cost analysis. Some focus on what they feel the market will bear. And some just pull a number out of the air and gauge the response. At TDC Roofing we use Xactimate pricing. Xactimate is a nationwide estimating service subscribed to by most insurance companies to help them verify that their subcontractors are pricing fairly on any given project. In fact, many insurers prefer not to deal with roofers who do not use Xactimate pricing.