In July, the State Farm insurance adjuster ruled in my favor and agreed that I needed a new roof based on wind damage. It took awhile to process the paperwork, get the check, have my mortgage holder co-sign the check, then schedule the roofer.
I hired a company that I’ve been using to replace shingles and have on my short list to recommend when clients need roofing repairs. I use Benchmark in Lewis Center and have been pleased with their service (614-431-5352).
However, doing my own roof, would give me a chance to really monitor their work to see if I still want to keep recommending them. Well, they passed the test.
They came around 8:30 in the morning and finished by 5:30 that night. They put tarps over the plants and grass where they would be tossing the old shingles. Eventually all the mess would be put in a large trailer to haul away. They used a leaf blower to clear debris from the gutters and out of the nearby trees. And they walked around the house afterward to make sure everything was cleaned up. During the time they were there, they worked hard and steady and stopped only for their lunch break. Best of all, there was no crude behavior that we sometimes associate with contractors.
I took photos at various stages so I could of course, blog about the project. They watched me curiously as I was taking the photos … they probably wondered if they were going to be in trouble. I thought about trying to tell them about “blogging” but decided against it.
For the details, I had them do a tear-off. Some people don’t pay extra for this step and that’s not a wise thing to do for several reasons. My old shingles were 3-tab, 30 mph shingles that were stapled on. The new shingles are 5-tab dimensional, 80 mph with a 30-year warranty. So when those 50-60 mph winds blow through, I’ll not be holding my breath about losing my roof anymore.
BTW, The Murph was a nervous wreck all day. He was concerned about all the strangers walking around, and all the noise that was happening above him, but the last straw was when he went outside to relieve himself and ”things” were falling out of the sky landing all around him. He doesn’t handle stress well. 
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Elaine Reese
614-825-8860Real Living HER
2 responses so far ↓
Carole Cohen // August 17, 2008 at 2:13 pm
It’s a noisy project isn’t it! But almost instant gratification. I can see the worry on their faces as you describe taking photos LOLOL.
Elaine Reese // August 17, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Yes, very noisy but the air hammers make the job go faster, so the noise doesn’t last as long.
Instant gratification, for sure. Looks a whole lot better than shingles missing from a third of the roof.
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