I was originally going to do it myself but after hard summer at work I decided to hire a roofing contractor who does a lot of work in my area. I went up there today to do a close inspection and noticed some things that concern me. Below are some pictures with some notes... To those who know roofs better than I... Am I being too fussy about this or does this require correction?

My roof is basically a pyramid. 30' x 30' with a little ridge. This is how it's capped. Should these nails be coated/sealed a bit better?



Should the shingles not be cut closer to the vent?



Is this acceptably straight for the hip?








This is the cap/peak. Does this look correct?



On the hips. Should these not be trimmed tighter so it doesn't show up behind the previous shingle?





Should this forced air furnace stack be sealed?

 

Maybe could have coated one of the nails better. Nice job finding that. Not anything I would complain about.

No the shingles should not be cut tighter to the vent, water and debris needs to drain out. Too tight and tree seeds / other debris could get stuck and cause water to back up, forcing it sideways.

Not sure how else you think the peak should be done. It's not going to leak if that's what your asking, with about 7 layers of shingles there. Bending ridge cap over compound roof planes requires face nails and sometimes relief cuts. Would look better with clear sealant but I doubt you can spot it from 60 feet away in the yard.

Yes you are right the ridge isn't perfectly straight when you eyeball it. And you generally don't want to see shingle sticking out. But again, not going to leak and probably not anything you can see from the ground. No one flying over in an airplane will notice.

And the furnace flashing doesn't need to be caulked any more than your roof vents do. They don't get caulked.

Yes, you may be a little fussy... it's average roof work... and maybe you could have done better. They are roofers not finish carpenters, and it's not brain surgery. If those are your only complaints, consider yourself lucky.

 

Thanks for the input. This is why I posted.... Ultimately I'm most concerned with leaking and durability. The cosmetic stuff can't be seen from the ground. I've only ever done roofs myself so was hoping to get a sense of what I should expect from a contractor. I'm pretty anal... But then my work normally takes forever-and-a-day to complete. I would have taken the time to taper cut the pieces on the ridges.

I may go up again and spread a bit of sealant on those face nails and relief cuts... If the diagnosis is that this is decent work that will hold up.... Then I'm satisfied....

All being told - I didn't cheap out on this job so I think was fair to expect a job that was a bit better than "average"... But if my house is protected.... I can deal with it.

 

An anal roofer would have scooped shingle grit out of the gutters and sprinkled it on the fresh caulk. (I admit it, I have done that.)

Can't wait to start my parents' roof later next week.

 

I like the way you think... Damn! wish you were closer to me.... I like meticulous! The grit on the caulk idea is awesome! I've never heard of that. Brilliant!

This guy was by no means the cheapest. I don't want a "cheap" roof.... I'm sure you can appreciate this. I ultimately went with him because I liked him and he does a lot of work near me.

When I see him again I think I'll mention it, to him... Not others. I'd still recommend the guy.... It seems to me that even as a skilled roofer, it's hard to keep a good crew. His guys left lots of cigarette butts around etc... I heard him chew them out about it but you can't keep your eyes on everyone, all the time...

 

Nothing wrong with saying something, in case he wants to teach his crew the importance of good craftsmanship. Every crew has a "new guy", and the foreman has to watch them like a hawk. And some guys are just screw ups, sad to say. But they need a job too. the cigarette butts are proof you got the usual crew. LOL

 

I didn't mind the butts so much... I sort of expect it... It was just funny because I overheard the owner giving one of the guys crap. It went something like, "How about you put out your f-ing smoke for a minute and hand me a shingle?!?!" I laughed....

I could care less if the work is good in the end.

My concrete guys I will praise forever. They're the most abrasive and crass Calabrese hard-heads. Their language would make a trucker blush. The second in command is the owners son-in-law. Every day at some point he either quits or get fired. The next day he's always there at 7am... Hilarious... Taught my kid some new words though... And my next door neighbor asked me what "cazzo" meant because they were saying it so much... I'll let you Google that one.

Thanks for putting my mind at ease with this... I feel better now... It pained me to hire out the roof but I've been putting in so many hours at work this year that the roof may have killed me. Just too tired... I just want to know my house is dry and safe....

I really appreciate your frank input... It appears I'm just an overly fussy ass

 

Just finishing up my 2-year roof job, did main house last year and garage this year, and I agree with X your roof could have looked better but on the whole is fine. To keep my ridge caps straight I draw a line down the middle to help align them (OCD for sure). Now you know why it is taking so long.

Bud

 

Most guys who care enough to do it will snap a chalk line on one side and lay to the line.

 

Ive always felt that a little OCD can be the difference between a good job or a masterpiece.