Here at Gunner, time has our respect. We know it’s valuable to our customers. It’s valuable to us. Time is life’s currency.
As a professional contractor, our priority is to do the work correctly and to the customer’s satisfaction, whether it’s a complicated roof replacement project or straightforward shingle installation job.
But a close second is to complete the job in a timely manner. Home remodeling projects, by their nature, are inconvenient. Workers. Noise. Equipment. Dust. Commotion. So the quicker the work is done, the quicker the customer can resume normal life and get back to calling the shots with their time.
We had a classic time constraint case for replacing an asphalt roof in Shelton, 40 miles or so up the road in Fairfield County. This roof replacement project needed to be finished but quick … for several reasons.
First of all, a hurricane (Henri) was in the forecast! We also had the homeowners’ extended situation to consider as well. They were a young couple with a new baby on the horizon, plus the client’s father, who was living with them, had a compromised immune system. Many of us are parents and also have immunocompromised family members, so it hit close to home. We needed to work fast and efficiently with an abundance of caution and safety, though a clean environment and organized workspace are important parts of our routine.
Another important step for us is a thorough consultation about the area to be worked on. We want everybody on the same page about what needs to be done, from arrival to disposal. Nobody likes surprises, and a good consultation goes a long way to eliminating them.
Case in point: We discovered a hole in the HVAC system during this roof consultation. This HVAC hole could have been dangerous to the family, especially while we were replacing their roof. Leaks can allow recycling air contaminants (like dust, dirt, mold, even chemicals) into the home.
Out of good faith and the fact we always are willing to go the extra mile for our clients, we repaired it. We didn’t want anything to jeopardize the family’s health or this new roof from coming out perfect.
There are many types of roofs and roofing materials, but the most popular option in the United States all things being equal: asphalt shingles. They’re perfect as a low-cost roof replacement; an asphalt shingle roof cost will always come in lower than, say, slate or cedar tiles.
They also look great, are quite durable and weather resistant, and a quick install. This job used GAF asphalt, which, as we’ve said before, are among the best asphalt shingles for the price. GAF offers 16 asphalt shingle colors (Charcoal in this case) and an excellent warranty, which includes wind coverage with no maximum wind-speed limitation.
Most times when a homeowner replaces the roof, they also want to replace the gutters. (We highly recommend this as well, though we always respect the homeowner’s choice.) This homeowner wanted vinyl gutters, which (like asphalt shingles) provide real bang for the price, including durability, a variety of colors (so no extra paint consideration), and an easy install.
Functioning gutters are one of your home’s best defenses against the elements, and adding gutter guards is even better for complete roof maintenance. Gutter guards are essentially slotted or screened covers affixed to the top of your gutters to keep much of the debris coming off your roof out of them. That doesn’t mean you’ll never clean a gutter again, but it does help prevent issues like major clogs and makes gutter maintenance a bit easier.
Thankfully, we were able to increase the size of the crew to complete the roof and gutter work in a quick, clean fashion and before Henri, a tropical storm at this point, brought some nasty weather into the area to test the shingles and gutter guards right away. But the house was well-protected at this point, and soon the sun shone again.
The installation exceeded everyone’s expectations. We were so pleased we were able to make this family’s life a bit easier as they prepared to welcome a new addition.
Speaking of new additions, the homeowners recently had a new deck built in the back as well. We thought that would be the perfect spot for them to relax while admiring their new roof. Just kidding (maybe). Guess time will tell!
City: Shelton
State: Connecticut
ZIP: 06484
Category: Roofing
Materials used (manufacturer): GAF
Materials used (type): Asphalt
Materials used (color): Charcoal
Project Cost: $20,000
Time to Complete: Three days