Back in 2008, a show called “Love It or List It” debuted on television, and I was hooked. I was fascinated with the concept of couples doing a home renovation (with the help of professionals) and ultimately deciding to stay in the updated home or sell it.
A common theme in each episode was that every time a project started, they would encounter a problem that would inevitably change the traction of the project. Whether it was a hidden leak behind a wall or things not up to code, something would always go wrong.
I was shocked. “How did this keep happening?” I’d ask myself while shaking my head. And now I know the answer. Construction projects are generally unpredictable. There is no way around it. There are times when you are going to encounter problems in residential construction you never knew existed until you get underway and start pulling away the pieces in place.
When these problems would arise on “Love It or List It,” the renovation team would blindside the family, causing mayhem and drama for the show. It might make for great reality television, but this is something I vowed not to do when we started Gunner: Blindside people.
Maybe it was the show or just a general disdain for upsetting people, but we have made sure to do our very best to give our clients accurate roofing estimates, or any estimates we do in our business line for that matter. This includes giving them worst- and best-case scenarios from price range to estimate time. And we’ve gotten pretty good at it.
No one wants to be blindsided to the tune of an extra couple of thousand dollars. By having a thorough consultation, we keep our clients informed on the amount of work that we think they will need, what they could potentially need, a price range, and time estimated. That way our clients are either prepared or pleasantly surprised.
GAF Asphalt Shingle Replacement
Cos Cob, CT
So, why all this talk about a show I binge-watched back in the day? Well, our client in today’s blog post had an interesting project, to say the least.
Our client, in Cos Cob, Connecticut (in Fairfield County and quite close to our home office), called us for a roof replacement. When common roofing issues start popping up like daisies, it was time. Her roof was well past its prime, and over the years it had been patched up and added to multiple times. This created some discrepancies and interesting levels.
Due to this Cos Cob roof’s extensive repair history, we warned our client that we weren’t exactly sure what all would need to be done until we actually started the work. She was happy to be kept in the loop and was ready to get started.
Once we removed all the years of shingles, we discovered an original layer of cedar shake. Cedar shake is a rustic-looking wood shingle, really nice roofing when applied correctly or not buried under patches.
Underneath the cedar shake were laths. Laths are 1-inch-by-4-inch strips across the roof that the original cedar was nailed to. Unlike say, fresh plywood, lath was not a base that would be conducive for the incoming new GAF asphalt shingles. So we removed it and installed the new plywood. This plywood was the perfect foundation for the new roof and will last for years.
But we weren’t done with just a new roof replacement. We also added on one of my favorite exterior attachments: copper flashing. I love copper flashing. Not only for the prime look but for its incredible durability.
The copper flashing installation was to the front and back wall to roof intersections. Now, we’ve talked about copper flashing installs before, but for this house, we were attaching them to stucco.
We needed to make sure it was secured properly, and in order to do so, we had to cut into the stucco. While this might sound risky (messing with stucco), it’s something we’ve done many, many times. This will ensure the home is protected from leaks and give the homeowner the peace of mind they deserve.
GAF Asphalt Shingle Replacement
Cos Cob, CT
As for the roof itself, the Cos Cob homeowners went with a GAF asphalt shingle roof in the color charcoal. A bold dramatic yet timeless color, perfectly paired with the copper flashing. Talk about stopping people as they drive by.
The GAF asphalt shingles are a popular roof replacement choice, in fact, the most popular in the country. Great price range for the budget-conscious, and they’re durable, and well warrantied – perfect for any home renovation. The GAF asphalt shingles also sport a load of different colors to fill any roofing need.
Even with all of the different layers of this project (literally), we were able to get everything finished in three days. Another sharp contrast from my former favorite show: finishing projects when we say we’re going to finish projects. It’s goes back to that accurate estimated time and price approach we take so seriously.
All joking aside, we are very fortunate to have such an incredible team that works so well together, from hello to installation. From the very first phone call, we have our team make your roofing, windows, siding, or gutter replacement job stress-free and seamless. It’s the foundation of our business.
GAF Asphalt Shingle Replacement
Cos Cob, CT
Our Cos Cob client was impressed with the entire roof replacement project and process and loved how everything turned out. Most importantly, she will no longer have to worry about her roof failing in during the next storm or waking up to water damage. That’s peace of mind!
If you’re a homeowner in need of leak protection from storms, like fresh copper flashing installation, or even all the way up to a full roof replacement, get with us for a free roofing quote.
City: Cos Cob
State: CT
ZIP: 06807
Category: Roofing
Materials used (manufacturer): GAF
Materials used (type): Asphalt
Materials used (color): Charcoal
Project Cost: $20,000
Time to Complete: Three days