FAQS

Questions & Answers
Standards in the roofing industry often seem reminiscent of the wild west. Many roofers appear self-taught and follow “what they see fit” as a standard. Is there an actual standard that I can expect my roofing project to be completed to?

British Columbia is the only jurisdiction in North America where a Roofing Practices Manual is maintained by our Roofing Contractors Association. It provides a wealth of information and a good minimum standard to follow. Is your contractor familiar with this information? Contractors with limited understanding of these resources may have limited experience roofing. Their expertise should be questioned.

The use of Air Nailers, properly described as Pneumatic Nailers, for asphalt shingle installation has grown significantly in the past 20 years. This directly relates to the general downgrading of installation standards in the same time period. This practice is typically utilized in order to allow less experienced roofers to go faster and increase production. Unfortunately, it typically results in misfired fasteners that damage the materials and result in leaks 3 to 5 years down the road. As most roofs typically require 4000 to 10000 fasteners, if 1 out of 100 are incorrectly driven, then you would have 40 to 100 damaged locations which are failures waiting to happen. Southwest ONLY hand nails asphalt shingles thus ensuring zero incorrectly driven fasteners. In our experience, we find our overall costs are lower when we do not have warranty call backs to fix these issues. If your roofer thinks hand nailing is to slow or expensive, is this because he does not come back to fix these issues when they leak?
The use of Air Nailers, properly described as Pneumatic Nailers, for asphalt shingle installation has grown significantly in the past 20 years. This directly relates to the general downgrading of installation standards in the same time period. This practice is typically utilized in order to allow less experienced roofers to go faster and increase production. Unfortunately, it typically results in misfired fasteners that damage the materials and result in leaks 3 to 5 years down the road. As most roofs typically require 4000 to 10000 fasteners, if 1 out of 100 are incorrectly driven, then you would have 40 to 100 damaged locations which are failures waiting to happen. Southwest ONLY hand nails asphalt shingles thus ensuring zero incorrectly driven fasteners. In our experience, we find our overall costs are lower when we do not have warranty call backs to fix these issues. If your roofer thinks hand nailing is to slow or expensive, is this because he does not come back to fix these issues when they leak?
Re-roofing, Repairs, Moss Removal, and Maintenance.
To deliver superior service, quality installations, in a professional manner, on budget and on time.
Southwest provides the best service and the best quality installations. We have been in business since 1985, we are licensed and insured. We also retain a Registered Roof Observer (http://www.rciwesterncanada.org/about-2/professional-members/) to monitor our internal quality control procedures and ensure that every installation is of the highest quality.

South-west Roofing provides a 10 year Full System Warranty against leakage for all our complete roofing systems. We also provide manufacturer warranties where available. We also offer a “5 Year No More Moss Warranty” when you have use treat your existing asphalt shingle roof! If you want more details about this Warranty, give us a call.

Typically, a labour and materials warranty from the manufacturer covers the labour and materials costs to repair or replace defective shingles. It is often sold to the homeowner as a workmanship warranty which it is not. Most often these warranties do not cover incorrectly installed products unless it is specifically mentioned. Do not be fooled!

Throughout the Lower Mainland, the Fraser Valley, and the North Shore.

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