max2

Tue May 31, 2005 6:25 am

I live in N.Ca. and will be reroofing with GAF Grand Canyon. I have narrowed to 2 bids. One bid has metal vallys painted..the other does not specify valley technique. One has 15 one has 30 lb felt. I will have a ridge vent installed though the roof has two eyebrow vents. I've read there should be no other vents with a ridge vent. Not one of the bids mentioned this. I will have the old one layer original 17 year old roof torn off. Both bids specify ridgeglass ridges. Shouldn't these be the GAF ridge product not another brand? One bid specifies 6 nails per shingle the other does not. Both companies are reputable and have licences in good standing and many references. Any idea on what this should cost. I want to pay a fair price but $12,000 for 24 square seems high.
thanks in advance for any guidance.

Pride_roofing

Thu Jun 02, 2005 5:27 pm

Well Max, that is a fine shingle most people dont purchase that type of material. First off on those shingles there must be an open metal valley per instalation instructions. You can not close the valley with the thickness of the shingle. The felt I would use on a job like that would be GAF's Shinglemate just like 30 pound but fiberglass. If you use ridge vent make sure you have intake(Soffit vents) or they will not work and it will void your warranty. The only vent that should be on that roof with ridge vents would be a bathroom vent that is closed off the the attic. Gable vent must be blocked off. Shingle Vent II is a good ridgevent never heard of what you described. GAF makes Snow Country and that is almost the same as Shingle vent II. 5 min. nails per shingle is required by GAF. As far as price the pitch has alot to do with that. Grand Canyon shingles are very expensive and very heavy. The price if it is walkable sounds about right for that type of job. Remember you will get what you pay for. If you are shopping price that is not the shingle for you. Ask to see some of their other work with this type of materials. These are not easy shingles to put on there is only 1 way for them to seal and look right. I have seen many roofs with that type of shingle done wrong and leaking within 4 years. On a job like that I would hand nail the shingles to ensure proper placement and driven to the correct depth. the nail must go a min. of 3/4 of the way into the wood. On that shingle I would go with 1 1/2 to 2 inch nail depending on the decking that you have. quality is not cheap and so many people get what they pay for. Congradulations on your new roof.

max2

Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:02 pm

thanks Pride...
I have discovered that this roofing is seldom choosen because of cost. I am locked in however because my wife wanted wood shake on a rather large 16ft. by 16 ft Gazeebo we had built last year and the contractor said this was a fire hazard...I agreed...and she picked this as a substitute. So now for all of it to match we are locked in. I don't mind too much as I understand this will last for 50+ years. I now have to finalize the specks and see about the valley material...I think I want copper not painted any thoughts?

Pride_roofing

Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:26 pm

Well copper would all I would use with copper flashing step and counter make sure they use copper nails with the material or it will fail. The price seems right.

Master

Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:55 pm

Everything Pride said.

rooferama

Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:08 pm

Check the cost with the ELK Domain, Winslow shingle. It is the same effect as the GrandCanyon, but with a bigger footprint. It gives the appearance of a the Large Shake. Just another option.

Pride_roofing

Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:46 pm

Well I was under the impression that He was looking for a high quailty shingle with a great warranty. And since his gazebo has them on it. Maybe it would be smart to use the same shingle. Anyways that Elk rep never called me back after 3 times of wanting to use his products. Hell I was gonna give him that rainer money too. If I cant call the rep and get an answer back how do you think the warranty is gonna work?

max2

Thu Jun 02, 2005 10:50 pm

Rooferama and Master thanks for the input

Pride wish you were going to do the job....


I am going to tear off the old roof as it seems to only make sense if this roof is "lifetime". Two bidders did say it was unneccessary... There is so much difference in the way roofers approach a job. One would think long standing roofers would pretty much see things the same way.

My wife is the one with the good taste, but I will admit that after starting to pay attention to roofs recently,even I realize this product really looks first class.

Pride_roofing

Thu Jun 02, 2005 11:44 pm

Thanks Max, Grand Canyon is a great shingle it is exactly like Presidental Shake TL from Certainteed. And if installed correctly it will last a lifetime. Many estimators look at homes as a paycheck. Well last I checked that is what has cause alot of voided warranties and poor workmanship. Sad part is the instructions are printed on every bundle of shingles. I have a 3 inch binder of just mistakes i have found in the last year alone. By far I am not a low price contractor but when I do a roof I will stand behind it for 10 years and if I made a mistake and it ruins your paint/drywall I get to do that also for free. there are 3 types of roofing contractors 1. Shinglers (well anyone can do that) 2. Hack artists 3. then there is a full service roofing companys that make sure your warranties are valid and quality is the first thing to do. If you have any questions please feel free to email me or drop another line here. Thanks Kevin

max2

Fri Jun 03, 2005 5:02 am

Pride...terrific logo...now I really wish you were doing the job!

Based on your input I awarded the contract with the following specs:
-copper valleys w/copper nails
-copper flashing
-remove and seal eyebrow vents and gable vents
-GAF leatherback

Pride_roofing

Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:55 pm

Sounds like a fine roof. While your at it might as well put copper gutters on and then you will never have to worry about those either. 1 thing make sure they use the correct starter shingles since they are required by GAF and they match the color perfectly. Thanks have a great day.

QRFL

Tue Jun 07, 2005 2:27 am

i just bid a walkable 34square grand canyon tear-off shake,plywood and shingle with a 2-ply torch 5 square gravy job easy access for $18,950 i am going to roof it myself do and i think i was pretty cheap but making a decent proffit, (there is a lot of neighbors with tarps )

max2

Mon Jul 18, 2005 4:04 am

Well my roof is done and I am quite pleased with the outcome. The contractor was excellent and had a quality result at every phase. The tear off was flawlessly done in one day and completely cleaned up. I had all the facia board replaced which was not on the original estimate, and the contractor supplied the material and charged the exact amount on the material invoice which he gave to me. Wow!
The roof looks great with the copper valleys and flashings..thanks for the tip Pride...and the roofer even did our attached shed/dog house 8X12 with cooper flashing and metal trim. The ridge caps are a nice touch on the gable edges and the ridge vent is already working in our 100+ degree heat wave this week. I am glad we opted for the Grand Canyon and I feel certain we will have a 30 year roof here.
Anyone in the Sacramento Valley foothills will do well to contact Rich Case at StraightLine Roofing in Shingle Springs. A quality individual who does a job that exceeds expectations by going the extra mile for a first class result.
Thanks for the feedback and knowledge provided here.

Master

Mon Jul 18, 2005 2:35 pm

Located in a place called Shingle Springs...how eloquent.

Pride_roofing

Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:22 pm

Hey Master I have a guy that i did his roof in michigan its a cottage but he lives in IL. I will have him get in touch with you due to the fact his home needs a roof and it has 2 flat sections on it.