The Leading Contractor in the Area
Celebrating Over 20 Years of Service

How do I find a reputable roofing contractor?

What is the difference between what are commonly referred to as asphalt shingles and fiberglass shingles?

What type of warranty should I look for?

Is it always necessary to tear off existing shingles before re-roofing?

What function does shingle underlayment serve?

•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., was established in April, 1986
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., has been located in Ripon, WI, since its inception
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., has an excellent reputation with local banks, suppliers, business leaders and past customers
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., sends its employees to Technical College 
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., is fully insured and bonded
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., provides a safe environment for its employees
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., provides prospective customers with a referral list of satisfied customers
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., provides a clearly written contract and change orders
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., is legally licensed 
•     Ripon Area Builders, Inc., is a community minded business   

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What is the difference between what are commonly referred to as asphalt shingles and fiberglass shingles?

When contractors talk about asphalt shingles they are actually referring to organic felt-based shingles. Organic shingles are saturated and coated with asphalt. They offer excellent resistance to blow-off, as well as outstanding tear and nail-pull resistance.

Fiber glass shingles are also asphalt shingles; the difference is that they're made on a fiber glass base. Properly sealed and correctly applied, many fiber glass shingles offer the same standards of tear and nail-pull resistance, in addition to excellent wind resistance, as their organic felt counterparts.

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What type of warranty should I look for?

Warranties usually range from 20 to 40 years. Yet, as an increasing number of contractors and homeowners tell us, the length of the warranty is not as meaningful to them as upfront coverage in the few years following application. This is the time when, according to contractors, problems caused by defects are most likely to occur.

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Is it always necessary to tear off existing shingles before reroofing?

There are two options available for reroofing installations. One would be to tear off the old roof before applying the new one (tear off). The second would be to lay new shingles over the existing roof (lay over). While the second choice is the less expensive of the two options, it is not necessarily always the best choice. Some advantages to tearing off the old roof before installing a new one are   1) any defects in the roof deck would be noted and repaired, 2) condensation problems in the attic would be revealed and proper designed attic ventilation could then be installed, 3) after old roof is torn off, waterproofing shingle underlayment could be installed before applying the new roof and      4) tearing off the old roof and starting with a clean deck before reroofing may result in a smoother finished roof system.

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What function does shingle underlayment serve?

An underlayment, commonly known as roofing felt, will protect the roof deck from moisture prior to shingle application and provide a degree of back-up protection in the event water gets under roofing shingles.

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