Roofing Questions, Answered

A roofing contractor puts new roofs on houses and fixes the roofs already on them. Around Louisville, we handle roof replacement, roof repair, roof leak repair and roof inspections, plus new construction roofing for builders. Every job starts with a look at the roof.

The asphalt shingle makers' association calls a home roof over 20 years old a prime candidate for a new roof. From the ground, binoculars can show curled or missing shingles and bald spots in the granules. NOAA's 30-year normals give Louisville about 74 freezing nights and about 43 days of 90 degrees or more each year. Years of that weather are what wear a roof out.

It depends on the age of the roof and how far the damage goes. A few missing shingles or one leak around a vent can often be fixed with a roof repair. Wear across the whole roof, or a soft roof deck, points toward a roof replacement. Our written quote spells out the work we recommend for your roof.

Sometimes, and the Kentucky Residential Code sets the limits. The code allows no new layer over two or more old layers, or over a water-soaked or worn-out roof. A full roof replacement under the code means tearing the old layers off down to the deck. We look at the roof first, and the written quote says whether the old layers come off.

Ask how many old layers come off and what happens if deck boards turn out soft. Under the Kentucky Residential Code, rusted or damaged flashing and vents get replaced, so ask about those too. The same code calls for a drip edge at the eaves and gables of a shingle roof. Our written quote spells out the work on your roof before any of it starts.

We price each roof after we look at it. Size and pitch drive the price, along with any old layers that have to come off. The material you choose matters too, and so does how easy the roof is to reach. The quote comes to you in writing before any work starts.

Kentucky leaves that question to local rules. Under the state's residential code regulation, a single-family home needs a permit only where a local ordinance requires one. In Louisville, the office to ask is Louisville Metro Construction Review, and we can point you there. Some nearby cities have their own permit office or paperwork, so check your address before work starts.

Move what you can away from the drip and catch the water in a bucket. Then call or text (502) 817-7791 about roof leak repair. That work starts with finding where the water gets in, which is often not right above the stain. Water can travel along a rafter before it soaks through the ceiling.

Louisville and the rest of Jefferson County sit at the center of our service area. It reaches south into Bullitt County and northeast into Oldham County. Towns include Jeffersontown, St. Matthews, Mount Washington, Shepherdsville and La Grange, and our service area page lists them all.