Here is another issue: the buckling of the metal (left photo), especially if the seam of the valley is not a perfectly straight line. The closed valley is much more attractive. And the most important point...

I can't believe with all the agencies out there to protect the consumer and with programs like Mike Holmes' that people still opt for the cash jobs, awarding them to... a guy with a ladder! He has no name, very likely no registered company, no truck lettering (proabably because the name changes frequently), and basically no proof of his existence. If he has no company identity today, he will not have one tomorrow.  It is a vanishing act.  Please, please, please people, smarten up!  With the GM layoffs (2yrs ago now?), I would think that close to a thousand people suddenly became expert roofers.  The economy has picked up somewhat but I suspect that there are some of us still out there trying to earn a living as an imposter. Dissatisfaction guaranteed!  In my buyer beware blog I mentioned a call I received from someone who has no trace of the company or persons that left behind a rather expensive repair job.  The homeowner thought he needed eaves troughs so he paid for that and then he paid some more. And he still may be paying today.  I would hope that he addressed the problem before new ones had opportunity to arise (such as rotted fascia boards).  I really can't stress enough how easy it is to take the extra step and ask all the relevant questions.  Tips to prevent fraud are listed on the BBB website.  Remember: every good salesperson offers a warranty but when their phone number changes and they have no registered company, it amounts to nothing.  Be smart with your roof.  It protects everything inside your home.      

Before I found out what a blog was, this was posted on the Durham Region Roofing website as its own page.  This is my first blog and I thought I'd publish this since the content seemed "blog appropriate". Please share your stories if you have had or heard of a similar situation:

The question was Are all Roofers Pretty Much the Same? Consider this: there are over 200 roofing contractors in the durham area alone.  What makes one different from another? We received a phone call for a roof quote and when we arrived to take a look, it seemed as though we were at the wrong address.  From the ground, it appeared that there was a new roof.  Nevertheless, we knocked on the door and found out that we were at the right house.  What a disaster!! The roof was tarped in the back.  Whatever company did her roof was no longer in business or operates under a different name.  Regardless, they were nowhere to be found.  It appeared some shingles had blown off.  It happens sometimes in high velocity winds.  Manufacturer's warranties are limited and high wind speeds are one of those stipulations.  Anyhow, somehow, at some point she had them return (which is surprising).  What did they do to fix the problem, you ask? They face nailed pieces of shingles (not whole shingles but part shingles, right side up, upside down; any which way really... (and for those who don't know, when the nails are not hidden, or "face nailed", they rust, losing mass and leaving beneath them a hole in the shingle that is too large (= leak).  At least they could have caulked them if they were going to be so sloppy.  Speaking of sloppy, check out the caulking job.  Moving on, the metal valleys were cut short (the roof deck left exposed and vulnerable to rotting).  Speaking of rotting (oh these guys were classic), they nailed over rotted wood.  They may as well have scotch taped the darned things to the roof.  This lady had thousands of dollars in damage to the inside of her home and had to redo her roof.  Our price came in $200 more than the company that completed the work the year before.  It was an expensive roof to begin with and she had paid for it TWICE!!  (plus further costly damage). 

I also visited a homeowner who was having a problem whereby when it rained, water would spill out from behind his new troughs.  The roof looked great.  The troughs were sloped properly.  It actually took me a minute before I realized that there was one little detail that was overlooked by the "so called" roofing professional.  Not enough overhang into the troughs.  I told him what would be required but the roof looked as though it had also recently been done.  I told him to save a dollar and call the company that did his roof and to ask them to fix the problem which should have been under warranty.  He didn't have a receipt, their name, or any vague idea as to how he could get in touch with them.  Probably a cash job.  Well done.


Ok.  Last one.  My company was competing with another for a job in Brooklin.  This company had done a few roofs in the area so they were somewhat known around the neighborhood.  I think we lost them over $100 and a lot of undelivered promises (ice & water upgrade, for example).  I later called to follow up with the homeowner who told me that he had already gone ahead with his roofing plans and expressed great regret in his decision to choose the other company.  He knew of us by word of mouth. Besides the fact that they did not complete all of the work that they described in their quote, the most visible and most upsetting concern to him was the ridges.  The contractor was so hurried to finish the job (and move on to the next) that this step was done (literally) in the dark!!  The client thought they never used a chalk line but the neighbor (who had his roof done by us) confirmed for us that the fact is that they completed the job after the sun set. That is SO lame!  It's not easy to make a dollar these days, I agree, but I would think that this would be the last dollar he would make on that street.  Bad ethics.  I wonder if they put up a lawn sign.  I know I wouldn't take credit for that.  Heck, I've made my guys redo a four foot ridge when they thought they're good enough that they don't need a chalk line.  Not on my investment!!  My reputation means more to me than keeping to a time schedule.  I'm very involved in my business and need to know that everything is running my way - flawlessly.  This is what really separates my company and other companies like mine from a lot of the others - P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N.A.L.I.S.M.; I.N.T.E.G.R.I.T.Y.; A.C.C.O.U.N.T.A.B.I.L.I.T.Y.  Sorry.  I get really passionate about this topic. 
   
Anyway, I see and hear a lot of things but I'll stop there.  Now is your turn.  If you have a similar story you would like to share, please do.  I hope you enjoyed my first blog.  I did.  It is more casual than that which I've put on the company website.  I think it would be fun to establish a forum with people in my community and know what they are thinking. Enjoy the photos...