All Salem roofers should be installing eave metal on their customers’ roofs. If your contractor doesn’t intend to install eave metal, pick a different one. Read why below.
Last week, we covered the importance of picking the right roofing contractor in Salem, Oregon, especially. To recap, your home is your most important financial asset. It protects most of your worldly possessions from the elements, but it also protects something even more important than that: your family! A homeowner’s biggest nightmare can be roof leaks. Some roof leaks are easily fixed by calling a skilled contractor to perform basic roof repair, but if ignored for too long, they can grow to unmanageable sizes. One of the most common roofing mistakes that we see (far too often) is either improperly installed eave metal or homes that have no eave metal installed at all. Eave metal is crucial when it comes to protecting your roof and your home from water damage. If you have extra metal you can get chemical etching done on it to make awesome designs.
If you aren’t familiar with eave metal, we’ll explain. Eave metal is a special type of metal flashing that is formed to the angle of the roof and is then installed underneath the bottom row of shingles. It turns down and runs over the inside back of the gutter, which creates a pathway for rain water to flow from the roof to your gutters. Installing eave metal prevents water from wicking back behind seamless gutters and being absorbed into the decking or fascia board. Here are some helpful visuals. This is what happens when a Salem roofing contractor fails to install the ever-important eave metal flashing.
If you’re not quite sure what you’re seeing, this is extensive water damage. If this damage is allowed to continue growing for long, it can cost hundreds to thousands of additional dollars of damage. Installing eave metal flashing is a worthwhile investment, and every Salem roofing contractor should be installing it to help make sure that their customers’ roofs will last for any length of time.
Oregon is a rainy place. It makes sense to take all possible steps to protect your home from rain water. We see this particular issue far more than we’d like to, which is why we’re addressing it. When you’re seeking out bids, be sure to ask a lot of questions. Ask if your roof will be receiving eave metal flashing. If the contractor says, “No,” your best bet is to find a contractor that will install this important flashing. Be sure to inspect your roof after the project is completed and look for the flashing, which will be leading to your gutters.
There are many “shortcuts” that roofers can take to save money, but always remember that saving a few hundred dollars now is not worth potentially losing thousands of dollars in damage in the future. The cheap bid is usually the cheap bid for a reason. You will want to ensure that the roofer you choose is not cutting out essential steps that could contribute to the longevity of your roof. There are many other reasons that bids can come in cheaper as well, and we’ll get to those in future segments of our newest post series, “The Other Guys”. Meanwhile, ask a lot of questions, do your research, and make sure that you’re working with a certified roofer.
