Get matched with top roofers in Merrick, NY

For homeowners who plan to stay in their homes for a long time or never want to have to deal with replacing a roof again, rubber roof shingles are likely worth the added investment amount over asphalt shingle varieties. While the initial cost of installing a rubber shingle roof will be significantly higher, their long life spans can be worth it in the long term. Consider the curb appeal of a rubber roof, though, as other roofing materials, like metal, can look better and offer even greater value.

A standard roof can hold a live load of about 20 pounds per square foot. However, gable roofs often have steeper-than-average slopes, so calculating their weight capacity can be challenging. If the slope of your gable roof is greater than 4:12, the live load needs to be decreased to allow for a larger dead load. Ask your roofer exactly how much weight your roof can support.

A chimney liner is typically easier to install by pushing it down through the chimney with the help of a rope. Depending on your fireplace and the type of liner, installing it by pushing it up through the chimney could work, but operating from the top down is usually the best option.

No, you can’t use your home’s square footage. You have to calculate your roof’s square footage, and then you may have to convert your square footage measurement to correspond with how the roofing material is measured. For instance, some roofing is sold in “squares,” which equals the total square footage of the roof divided by 100. Shingles are sold in bundles that may not correspond to the number of squares you need. Metal roofing is sold as sheets, so determine the amount of square feet each panel will cover and then divide the total square footage by the coverage area.