Roof Repair & Replacement Pros in Portland, OR

Portland Roof Installation

Other than buying the house itself, installing a new roof is likely to be one of, if not the biggest investments you'll make in your home. Luxury kitchen remodels or home additions can sometimes outstrip a new roof for cost, but if you're working to improve your home over the long haul, this is the one place where it's actually good to splurge. Between the long life expectancy of a quality roofing installation and the full scope of what it protects (walls, floors, and loved ones), the roof you install may be the single biggest choice you make when it comes to home improvement.

Options
Though you'll have quite a few options for your roof, it's useful to first think of roofing materials in two categories: asphalt shingles and everything else. Asphalt shingling is, by far, the most popular type of roof installation in Portland or anywhere else for that matter. The reason is simple: It's cheap. High-end Portland roof installations typically cost two to four times as much. Of course, it's also true that you get what you pay for. Whereas high-end roofing materials are generally accompanied by warranties of 20 to 50 years and can last twice as long, asphalt shingles tend to begin to need repairs in as soon five to 10 years after installation. Moreover, if high-end roofing materials are damaged, usually it's due to some type of natural disaster, whereas asphalt shingles can slowly deteriorate and form hard-to-detect leaks that may damage sub-roofing materials, such as insulation, drywall, and other elements throughout the home. Asphalt won't help as much with energy efficiency as other forms of roofing can.

High-end options include composite, traditional tile, natural slate, metal, and rubber roofs. Composite roofing is the second most common Portland roof installation request, but metal and rubber roofs have been making steady gains in recent years. While these roofs tend to outperform asphalt in most or nearly every category, some are better than others for specific performance standards such as energy efficiency, durability, looks, etc.

Cost vs. Resale Value
As with any major home improvement project, Portland roof installation is a project that can raise the overall value of your home. Often, we see putting a little more money or a little less money may make for an overall better investment when it comes time to sell your home. For roof installation in Portland, however, we see an approximate resale value of 75 percent whether you choose asphalt shingling or a more high-end approach. This means if you spend $16,000 on your roof installation, you can expect your home to be worth an extra $12,000 when you sell. This helps defer the cost of installation somewhat, although certainly you can't say it pays for itself without including the peace of mind of having a solid roof over your head. Keep in mind, too, that these figures are only averages, and by finding a good deal on materials and labor, you may be able to increase this percentage.

Contractors
Regardless of the roofing material, quality installation and design is just as critical to delivering a reliable and high-performance roofing system. Support structures, dormers, soffits, ventilation, and insulation are some of the components that comprise a durable roofing system. Plus, each roofing material has slightly different installation concerns and methods. Finding a local contractor who has the expertise and experience with various roofing materials, and who will charge you a fair price, is a must for a quality roofing installation in Portland. HomeAdvisor can put you in touch with these types of contractors. We prescreen each and every contractor before they enter our database, and we provide homeowners with controlled, online customer reviews so you can conveniently and confidently see what other Portland homeowners have said about their experience with individual contractors.

Roof Cleaning
Once your roof is installed, keeping it in good shape is extremely important if you want it to last. While homeowners in other areas can certainly benefit from roof cleaning, Portland is a city where this task is even more important. Since moist weather is a fact of life in Portland, roof cleaning is about more than simply keeping up appearances. The moss, grime, and other ailments that can affect your roof are not only unsightly, they are detrimental. Moss in particular can easily cause shingles to age or loosen prematurely. By keeping your roof clean, you reduce the chances of any harmful material collecting on your roof, and improve appearances at the same time.

Portland roof cleaning companies are well versed in scrubbing away collected gunk and debris, but they also provide another service that is just as important: early identification of roof problems. Since you have to actually go up on top of the house to properly perform roof cleaning, Portland homeowners who hire this service regularly will be able to get a heads up if anything on their roofs looks awry. In fact, because some Portland roof cleaning companies are also able to perform small repairs during the same visit, having your roof cleaned could end up saving you hundreds (or even more) in repair bills by promptly remedying a situation that would otherwise have been left unchecked!