Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
from Hanover Roofing Systems, Inc.
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Roofing Info: Installations, Roof Maintenance & Repairs, and Our Hanover PA Roofing Services
Use this page to find answers to frequently asked roofing questions.
A roof is more than just a layer of shingles or sheet metal. A proper roof is a system of barriers that include components like plywood decking, tar paper underlayment, flashing, ridge vents and more. We install these components when we do a roofing system installation or replacement. Click here for a detailed list of all roofing system components.
3-tab shingles are older and provide a more flat looking roof, while architectural asphalt shingles are a higher-dimension, more aesthetic roofing option. Architectural shingles also come with a Lifetime warranty because they are more durable. This is due to their heavier weight and thicker construction, which makes them more resistant to high winds and impact (like from hail). In our opinion, architectural asphalt shingles are significantly better quality than 3-tab and we therefore do not install the latter unless we absolutely must.
You can learn more about 3-tab vs. architectural asphalt shingles by reading this article from Findlay Roofing in Georgia.
Older roofs (over 20 years) will almost always need to be replaced if there is a leak. It's impossible to provide an absolute guarantee that a patch or repair job will stop a leak indefinitely. We usually recommend a full replacement on older roofs if it's in our customers' budget. If there's a way to repair it without needing to replace it, insurance companies often try to get our customers to do so - unless we have been hired to document damage and prepare a cost estimate in order to demonstrate that a repair is not possible. In those cases we usually get the roof replacement paid for in full.
Many people think that roofing tar paper underlayment is unnecessary and some roofers will skip this in order to save money. We think this is a bad practice. Roofing tar paper (or synthetic) underlayment is an extra water barrier and therefore contributes to your roofing system. Furthermore, a Lifetime-warrantied roofing system requires this, and other, important components.
Yes of course! There are two ways this can be accomplished. You can pay for a full roofing system replacement. Or, if your home has suffered damage from recent storms, you can file a claim with your homeowners insurance.
If you have a 3-tab asphalt shingle roof with storm damage, and your insurance company pays for a roof replacement, we often provide the upgrade to an architectural asphalt shingle roofing system for free. This is because a) we prefer to install the highest quality roofing products, and b) insurance companies will only pay to replace the existing roof, but most people don't have the money to cover the cost of the upgrade. We therefore provide it for free to our Hanover PA roofing customers.
We install all three of these leading roofing manufacturers and, in our opinion, they are all similar in quality and durability when it comes to their architectural asphalt shingle roofing products. There are some discrepencies between the three brands in terms of the length and coverage of their warranty, so research details before selecting which brand (or ask your roofer).
FAQs about Hanover Roofing Systems Inc
Below answers to some frequently asked questions about our roofing services.
We offer roof repair services as well as roof replacements and installations. Many roofers simply won't do repairs, and that's because they often cause more problems than they are worth since a repair is hard to warranty. But not all of our customers have the money for a full roof replacement, and others don't qualify for it under their insurance policy. We therefore offer repairs when it is necessary. However, the great majority of our customers end up getting full roof replacements approved and paid for by their insurance company.
Yes of course - both! Most of these FAQs are about asphalt shingle roofing because that's just what most residential roofs are made of due to its affordability and durability. And also because metal roofs last so long they are rarely replaced. However, more and more people are opting to upgrade their roof to metal because of the aesthetic look and the durability (up to three times the lifespan of a regular shingle roof). Visit our friends at JWE Remodeling & Roofing for more info about their corrugated steel, standing seam and other Hanover PA metal roofing services.
Yes we handle flat roofing for commercial, residential and industrial properties: EPDM rubber and TPO repairs, insulation, ISO insulation board, etc. It is most commonly installed on flat roofs, though EPDM rubber is often used on low pitch roofs, for example when a cricket or saddle is installed to facilitate water drainage.
Slate and cedar are thought of as obsolete since the advent of synthetic imitation roofing materials like composites, metal, etc. We install these types of roofs, but are specialties are primarily asphalt shingle and metal.
Yes we always stand behind our work, but we do not warranty our repairs unless it is a significantly large enough repair that we are confident in all the adjacent existing components of the roof. So for any and all installations and replacements, we guarantee our workmanship for the length of the manufacturer's warranty.
Asphalt Shingle: Architectural asphalt shingle roofing systems all come with a limited lifetime warranty from the manufacturers we use. Different brands have slight discrepencies in their warranties, but they are all pretty comprehensive. In addition to the manufactures warranty, we guarantee perfect installation for the life of the warranty. So we will fix any problems with your roof that were the result of poor workmanship on our part.
Metal Roofing: The standing seam and corrugated steel metal panels we use come with the manufacturers' 40-year warranty on their paint/finish. In addition to the manufacturer warranty, we stand behind our installation and guarantee that if anything proves to be wrong with our installation then we will fix it for free.
So in addition to any and all manufacturers' warranties, we stand behind our installations for the same length of time. This guarantees that if something goes wrong with your roof, whether it is the manufacturer's fault or our fault, you are covered. This is by far the most comprehensive, longest-lasting warranty offered by any Hanover PA roofing contractor.
Yes we are a fully licensed, insured and factory-certified roofing company in Hanover PA with many references - available upon request - from southern PA and northern Maryland residents for whom we have executed high quality roofing services.
Insurance Claims & Storm Damage FAQs
About half of our roofing customers came to us because a bad hail or wind storm damaged their roofing, siding, etc. This process can be long and arduous, complicated and stressful. We do as much as possible to ease our customers' concerns, and part of that is providing answers to some of the common questions we here again and again. Call us at 717-524-6964 or send us an email if you have any questions about your storm damage roof claim.
Beware of any roofer who tells you they can help negotiate an insurance claim: it is explicitly against most state laws for a roofing contractor to negotiate with an insurance company on an owner's behalf.
What a roofer can do - and what we do for our customers - is provide initial and follow-up inspections, document damage, prepare cost estimates and scope of work details, review insurance company evaluations of damages, etc. in order to help the complicated and sensitive claims process go as smoothly as possible.
Usually this involves the use of a licensed public insurance adjuster to assist with insurance negotiations, since roofing contractors are not allowed to negotiate with insurance companies on our customers' behalf. Our public adjusters work for our customers to help get the most of their insurance claims and stop insurance companies from only approving bare-minimum repairs (which they often try to do in order to save money). The best part: their services come at zero cost to our customers. We pay the public adjusters' fee, and our storm damage claim customers get new roofs for not a penny more than the cost of their deductible.
Storm Chasers get their name by following weather patterns state-to-state and setting up shop in towns that have just been hit by major storms. They know that insurance companies in those towns are quickly paying for all roof damage due to the storm, so they start going door-to-door to talk people into filing claims. Though it may sound a little sleazy (and we don't do it), there's nothing technically against the law being done. The worst of these companies end up doing shotty work, or purposely neglecting to do certain work even though the insurance company paid them to, and then they skip town - never to be heard from again. You're better off hiring a local roofing contractor like HRS, who will be around for years after your roof gets installed in case anything goes wrong.
Insurance companies will only pay to replace what is already there. If your storm-damaged roof is a 3-tab asphalt roof then they will only approve a 3-tab asphalt shingle roof replacement. However, we usually work with our customers to provide them the upgrade to an architectural asphalt shingle roofing system for free. We don't like installing 3-tab roofs because it seems like a waste: an architectural asphalt roof comes with a much better warranty and isn't significantly more expensive. Things might change but, in 2019, every single one of our roofing customers with an insurance claim ended up getting the upgrade to architectural for free.
Yes, and not a single penny more if you sign with our public insurance adjusters. These licensed insurance professionals will make sure that your insurance company pays enough for us to perform the necessary repairs and/or replacements, so when you sign a contract we guarantee that we will do the work for the dollar amount that the insurance company approves and not a penny more. Signing with us a is a zero-risk proposition.
This happens sometimes, and many of our customers worry that we are going to turn around and send them a bill for the difference. We don't do business like that. When our customers sign with us, we promise them that we will perform the repairs approved by the insurance company for the dollar amount that the insurance company agrees to pay - and not a penny more. If you want to hire us to perform work that goes above and beyond the scope approved by insurance - that's great! We will provide a cost estimate and separate contract for any such work that exceeds the insurance scope.
Probably not for the price of what your insurance company paid on the claim for the asphalt shingle roof. They only pay to replace what was already there - they don't pay for upgrades. If you have a 3-tab asphalt shingle roof then we usually provide the upgrade to architectural asphalt shingles for free. If you want a further upgrade to the much more expensive standing seam metal roof (up to 3x more pricey) or corrugated steel (about 150% of the cost), then we will provide a price quote for what that will cost you out of your pocket in addition to the insurance company's payout.
For sure. And there are many color options to choose from. Check out options for IKO Cambridge architectural asphalt shingles here. For GAF Timberline HD architectural asphalt shingles click here. And click here for CertainTeed Landmark shingle colors.
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Meet with our owner and our project management team to discuss your options for a roof repair or replacement. If you have potential damage due to storms, we can discuss whether or not you qualify for a free roof replacement.
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