Whether you got metal, asphalt shingles, or Tilcor stone-coated steel, the care is the same.
The first month matters because you need to get familiar with your new roof and make sure everything is done right.
Take a walk around your house in the first week. Check that all the installation debris got cleaned up from your yard. Look at your gutters. They should be clear and attached properly. Everything look complete? Take a few photos of your new roof from the ground. You’ll want these later.
Then go inside and check your attic if you can get up there. Should feel dry. Look at your ceilings. No water stains anywhere? Good.
Wait for the first rain and pay attention. Watch how water flows off your roof. Should drain smoothly without pooling anywhere. Check your gutters while it’s raining or right after. They should handle the water without overflowing.
Go back inside and check your ceilings again. Completely dry? Check your attic one more time. Still dry? You’re good.
If you notice any problem at all, call us within 30 days of when you first see it. Don’t wait to see if it gets worse. Don’t try to fix it yourself. Just call us at (888) 739-7339. Take a photo of whatever you’re seeing and give us a ring. We’ll come look at it and handle whatever needs to be done.
Spring is when you check for winter damage. After winter wraps up, walk around and look for anything that might have gotten damaged by ice or storms. Clear out your gutters if they’ve got debris in them. Look for any loose materials on the roof. Trim back any tree branches that might have gotten too close over winter. This whole process takes 15-30 minutes.
Summer is easy. After we get severe thunderstorms, which happens plenty in Pennsylvania, do a quick look at your roof from the ground. Make sure your gutters are still draining right. Check that your attic isn’t getting excessively hot, which would mean ventilation problems. That’s about it for summer. When we get a really big storm with high winds, take a look at your roof afterward to make sure nothing got damaged.
Fall is when you need to prepare for winter and this is actually the most important seasonal task you have. Clear all the leaves out of your gutters. This matters because clogged gutters in winter lead to ice dams and ice dams cause problems. Trim any tree branches that are hanging over your roof or getting too close. Do a visual inspection before the cold weather shows up. Make sure everything looks tight and nothing’s loose.
Some things worry homeowners but they’re actually completely normal. Let’s clear those up.
If you have a metal roof, you’re going to hear sounds. When the temperature changes, especially when the sun hits it in the morning or when it cools down at night, you’ll hear pinging or popping. That’s the metal expanding and contracting. Completely normal. It’s engineered to do that. Rain is going to sound louder on a metal roof than it did on your old shingles. Metal amplifies the sound. Some people actually like it. If we get extreme temperature swings, you might see the panels move very slightly. They’re supposed to do that. It’s not a problem.
If you get asphalt shingles, you’ll see some granules wash off into your gutters for the first few months. This is normal settling. The shingles aren’t falling apart. You might notice slight color variations when the light hits them in different ways. Roofing materials aren’t perfectly uniform. That’s normal too. Small amounts of debris in your gutters between cleanings is just regular life.
For any roof, you’ll get small twigs or leaves in the gutters. You’ll see slight discoloration where water runs off regularly. You’ll notice wear patterns developing over time in the areas where water flows. All of this is normal wear and tear.
Now here’s what’s not normal and what you should call us about:
Some things will damage your roof or void your warranty. Don’t do these.
Do not walk on your roof. We’re serious about this. Foot traffic after installation can damage the roofing materials and it will void your warranty. If you need a closer look at something, use binoculars from the ground. Use your phone camera and zoom in. Take photos. But do not get up there. If you need someone to actually get on the roof and look at something, call us. We’ll come do it. You stay on the ground where it’s safe.
Do not let other contractors work on your roof. If something needs to be repaired or you want to modify something, call us first. Always. Don’t hire another roofer without talking to us. Don’t let a handyman take a quick look. Don’t let solar panel installers attach anything without getting our approval first. If other people work on your roof before we inspect a problem, it can void your warranty coverage for that problem.
Do not try to fix things yourself. You see a shingle that looks loose? Don’t grab a ladder and some roofing cement and head up there. You could make the problem worse. You could void your warranty coverage. You could hurt yourself. And it’s not going to save you money anyway because we cover repairs for anything that’s a warranty issue.
If you need to file a claim, follow this link.
Your roof and warranty add value to your home when you sell it. The warranty is transferable one time to the new owner. This is a big selling point for potential buyers. The new buyer gets the same lifetime coverage you have. It’s not reduced. It’s not prorated. They get full protection just like you got. This gives buyers confidence in the home and can help your home sell faster and for more money. You can see more about how a quality roof affects home value on our ROI guide.
No. Don’t pressure wash your roof. The high pressure can damage shingles, force water under materials, and cause more problems than it solves.
Your roof has algae resistance built in but if you’re in a shady area you might see some growth over time. Don’t scrape it off yourself.
No. Metal, asphalt, and Tilcor all get the same basic care. Monthly visual check, seasonal gutter cleaning, call us with problems. That’s it for all three types.