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Roof Replacement – Big Project

roof replacement

Roof replacement is a big project. Definitely not DIY, for me anyway.

I am not getting very far on my projects this week. First, two days of grandchildren staying over. They want (and get) so much attention. But that’s a lot of fun. Second, the contractor arrived this morning to start roof replacement.

We are moving from cedar shakes to architectural shingles. After twenty five years, our cedar shake roof was at end of life. I seen to recall that these used to last a lot longer. But not any more, and not in Calgary’s climate. I am told that the quality of cedar shakes has declined as we used up the old growth sources.

I used to love shake roofs, but not so much any more. After researching the alternatives, I settled on architectural shingles. Everything I have read tells me that modern shingles are much better made and will last a lot longer than the previous generations. And they are definitely more cost effective.

So, this morning at 8:00 a.m. sharp, the crane arrived and we took delivery of the shingles. The roofing crew also showed up and started the prep work. Fortunately, we got one of our cars out of the garage at 7:45.

Selecting a Roof Replacement Contractor

After deciding to move to architectural shingles, we asked all of our friends and contacts in Calgary if they could recommend a roofing contractor. We obtained four referrals and asked all four for a quotation. Three of them provided quotes. All were fairly close in the price given, and with similar quality of materials.

Previously, I had set three criteria for making a selection. First, I wanted a “no surprises” price, more of a quotation than an estimate. Second, I wanted continuity of support. There is a difference between warranty of materials and warranty of work. Warranty of materials comes from the shingle manufacturer, but warrant of work comes from the contractor. To provide this warranty, they actually need to be in business. Third, I wanted continuity of value. In theory, moving from shakes to shingles might reduce home value. I wanted good advice on getting the right shingles that did not detract from our home’s appeal and functionality.

At the end of the “interviews”, we selected Hubbard Roofing & Exteriors, together with IKO Cambridge Architectural Roofing Shingles. I will let you know how that works out.

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