Roofing FAQ: Roof, Siding and Gutter Questions, Answered

We work out of Addison and cover the suburbs of seven counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will. Enter your ZIP code on the service areas page to confirm your street is covered.

They are one company. Alta Property Services has served the Chicago area since 2010, and ALTA Roofing & Exteriors is the name it uses for roofing and exterior work. Whoever inspects your house works for the same company that schedules the crew and answers for the job afterward. More background is on our about page.

On the online license lookup run by IDFPR, the state agency that licenses roofing contractors. Search by company name or license number and confirm the status reads active. For insurance, ask for a certificate issued by the contractor’s insurance agent showing current liability and workers’ compensation coverage. Our own license and coverage details are on the licenses and insurance page.

A little granule loss is normal. New shingles shed loose surplus granules for their first few months, and every roof sheds some in heavy rain. Large amounts point to something else: an aging roof whose asphalt is drying out, or hail that knocked granules loose in patches. If granules suddenly pile up below one downspout, or dark bare spots appear on the shingles, have the roof inspected.

The roof deck sits on top of the attic, so the attic’s climate becomes the roof’s climate. In winter, warm, damp household air condenses into frost on a cold deck, then drips and stains when it melts. In summer, a closed-up attic bakes the shingles from below. Ventilation draws outside air in at the eaves and lets it out near the ridge, keeping the deck close to the outdoor temperature. Shingle manufacturers also make adequate ventilation a condition of their warranties.

It is a self-adhering rubberized asphalt membrane that bonds to the roof deck and seals around each nail driven through it. Ordinary underlayment sheds water; this layer stops water that ice pushes under the shingles or wind drives sideways. In northern Illinois it belongs at the eaves, and roofers also run it through valleys, around chimneys and skylights, and across low-pitched sections. It is a backup, not a cure for an attic warm enough to melt the snow on the roof.

Drip edge is the L-shaped metal strip along the eaves and rakes of a shingle roof. It supports the edge of the first course, closes the gap between deck and fascia, and throws water clear into the gutter so it cannot curl back onto the wood. IRC-based codes require it on asphalt shingle roofs, though many older roofs were built without it. It goes on during a replacement and can be retrofitted along a gutter line during fascia repair.

Yes. We first identify what is up there, including the shingle brand and line, the underlayment and how the flashing was built, so the repair works with the original installation instead of against it. If the roof is fairly new, call the original installer first, since their workmanship coverage may still apply.

It can be either, and often it is both. Water gets in through failed step flashing or counterflashing at the brick, through a cracked chimney crown, through porous brick and mortar, or past a missing cricket behind a wide chimney. Testing one area at a time with water finds the source. Flashing is roofing work; crown and masonry repairs belong to a mason, and we will say which trade you need.

On most single-family homes in the Chicago suburbs, tear-off and the new roof take one to two working days. Large or steep roofs, extensive deck repair, and designer or metal systems can stretch the job to three to five days. Rain and high wind pause the work, and any section still open at the end of the day is secured under a weather-tight cover before the crew leaves.

Tear them off, in almost every case. IRC-based building codes permit a second layer of asphalt shingles in limited situations and never a third, but a layover buries whatever rot is under the old roof and keeps ice barrier and underlayment from going down properly. Some manufacturer warranties also require installation over a bare deck.

A few steps the night before prevent surprises:

• Park cars away from the driveway and out of the garage.
• Take mirrors, pictures and shelves off upper-floor walls; hammering travels through the framing.
• Drape sheets or tarps over anything stored in the attic.
• Flag sprinkler heads, low-voltage lights and fragile plants near the house.
• Keep pets and children indoors and away from the drip line while crews work.

Anything mounted on the roof must be removed before re-roofing starts. A satellite dish is usually removed and either reset on new, flashed mounts or moved to a wall or pole, and your provider re-aims it afterward. Solar panels need the solar installer, or another qualified solar contractor, to take them down and put them back, so that work is scheduled around the roofing crew. Mention rooftop equipment when you request an estimate so the plan and its cost are in writing.

Not on the doorstep. Out-of-state crews follow big storms, and some are hard to reach once the job is over. Before you sign anything, look the company up in IDFPR’s online license search and get a signed contract showing its name, address, scope and price; Illinois requires one for most home repair jobs above $1,000. Walk away from anyone who offers to absorb your deductible or to take over talks with your insurance company, since Illinois prohibits both. Our guide to vetting an Illinois roofer lists more questions to ask.

Yes. A shingle’s wind rating assumes its seal strips have bonded to the course below. On an older roof, or one installed in cold weather that never fully sealed, gusts well under the rating can lift tabs, crease them and break the bond. After a windstorm, look for torn shingles on the lawn, crease lines across tabs, and patches of bare underlayment or exposed nail heads.

Not necessarily, though it is a good reason to have the roof checked. Gutters, downspouts, vent caps and air-conditioner fins dent from smaller hail than it takes to break a shingle, so dents prove hail hit the house without proving the shingles were hurt. Shingle damage looks like dark spots where granules were knocked off, soft bruises that give under a thumb, or cracks, mostly on slopes turned toward the storm. Damage becomes likely as hail nears an inch across, and older shingles can bruise from less.

Keep off the roof. Note the date, the time and the hail size compared with a familiar object, then photograph what you can see from the yard: missing shingles, dented gutters, torn screens, cracked siding. During the following days, check the attic and top-floor ceilings for new stains. If anything looks damaged, notify your insurer and book an inspection so someone can document what is not visible from below. Keep receipts for any temporary repairs.

Call our 24/7 line. We triage active leaks ahead of other calls and schedule a crew as soon as one is free. While you wait, keep people out from under any sagging ceiling, catch the water, and photograph the damage before cleaning anything up. Do not climb onto a wet roof. Our emergency roof repair page has a fuller first-hour checklist.

Call our 24/7 line when water is actively coming in, especially near light fixtures or outlets; when a tree or large limb has punched through the roof; when a section of roofing has torn away and rain is on the way; or when a ceiling is bulging or sagging. A few missing shingles with a dry forecast, or granules in the gutters, can wait for a scheduled inspection.

Only if the damage is reachable from a ladder on a one-story roof, in dry, calm daylight, with someone holding the ladder. A wet or icy slope is no place for a homeowner, and a tarp that catches the wind can pull a person off the edge. Inside, you can do more good: set out buckets, carry valuables out of the room, and keep people out from under a sagging ceiling. If you do put a tarp up, photograph the damage before and after for your insurer.

Only when a covered peril, such as a hailstorm or windstorm, did the damage; age and wear are not covered. If the adjuster finds storm damage that cannot be properly repaired, policies typically pay for replacement, less your deductible and any depreciation the policy holds back. Our part is documentation support: dated photos, roof measurements and an itemized scope in the adjuster’s format, and we can meet your adjuster at the house. The coverage decision itself belongs to your insurer.

Overhead and profit, often shown as O&P, is a line some insurance estimates include for a general contractor coordinating several trades, for example when one claim covers roofing, gutters, siding and interior repairs. Whether it applies depends on how complex the loss is and on your policy, and that call belongs to the insurer. Questions about it go to your adjuster. The paperwork we prepare is listed on our claim documentation support page.

Yes. Some insurers ask for current photos or a condition report, especially on older roofs, at renewal or when you change carriers. Dated photos of each slope, the flashing and any past repairs, taken during an inspection, give you something concrete to send. We report what we see; what the insurer does with it is up to them.

Most likely because the policy pays in two stages. The first check covers actual cash value (ACV): what the damaged roof was worth after depreciation for age and condition, minus your deductible. With replacement-cost coverage, the balance of the replacement cost value (RCV) usually follows once the new roof is in and documented. Some policies, often on older roofs, pay ACV only, so no second check comes. Your declarations page and adjuster can confirm which applies, and the claim documentation page walks through an example.

It can, through a supplement: a request that the insurer review costs missing from the adjuster’s original estimate, usually because nobody could see them before work began. Typical examples are rotted decking under the shingles, a hidden second roof layer, or code-required items left out of the first scope. We photograph each item as it is uncovered and list it in the same line-item format the adjuster used. Approval is up to the insurer.

Usually because each quote describes a different job. Before comparing totals, check whether flashing is new or reused, whether ventilation is being corrected, which shingle line and matching accessories are named, whether permit and disposal are included, and what workmanship warranty is offered. A low number often leaves one of those out. Our roof replacement cost guide has a full line-by-line checklist.

It is a planning tool, not a bid. The roof cost calculator applies price assumptions we review periodically to the size, pitch, layers and material you enter, and lists each assumption it uses. It cannot see decking, flashing, chimneys or ventilation, so the written estimate after an inspection is the number to rely on.

The written estimate is the price for the scope it lists. What can change it is a condition hidden until old material comes off, such as soft decking, a concealed second layer or rot behind siding. Those items carry unit prices in the estimate, so you know each cost in advance, and we photograph them and review them with you before anything is added.

Three-tab shingles are one flat layer, notched to create a uniform, brick-like pattern. Architectural shingles bond two or more layers together for thickness and shadow lines; you may also hear them called dimensional or laminated. They weigh more, generally carry higher wind ratings and longer manufacturer warranties, and hide small deck irregularities better. Repairing an aging three-tab roof can be hard because the original product may no longer be sold.

A system is a set of components from one manufacturer, typically ice barrier, underlayment, starter strips, shingles and ridge caps, sometimes with its ventilation products. For keeping water out, compatible products installed correctly matter more than a single brand name. The brand matters for warranties: enhanced system warranties generally require the manufacturer’s own components installed together. If you want one, ask that every component in your estimate be named.

It can. Metal sheds snow readily, which limits ice dams, but a whole slope of snow may let go in one slide. Snow guards keep that slide from landing on a person, a car or a lower roof, or tearing off a gutter, so they belong above doors, paths, decks and lower roof sections. The metal roofing guide covers systems and costs.

For most re-roofs, yes. Synthetic underlayment is a woven or spun polymer sheet: lighter, far harder to tear, less prone to wrinkling when wet, and safer for crews to walk on. Many products can also stay exposed to weather longer before shingles go on, within limits the manufacturer sets. Asphalt-saturated felt costs less and still meets code, but it tears more easily and can wrinkle under shingles if it gets wet. Neither one does the job of a self-adhering ice barrier along eaves and valleys.

Once a year, check caulk wherever siding or trim meets something else: window and door casings, trim joints on wood, fiber cement and engineered wood, and around hose bibs, vents and light fixtures. Replace any bead that has cracked or pulled loose. Vinyl is the exception. Its panels must slide freely in their channels and laps as they expand and contract, so caulking a panel to trim or sealing its laps locks it in place and makes it buckle.

You can, with care, though a soft-bristle brush and a garden hose usually do the job. A power washer should run on a low setting and point straight at the wall or downward; spraying upward forces water behind the laps and into the housewrap. A mild household detergent lifts most grime and mildew. Scrub from the bottom up so streaks never run over dry dirt, then rinse from the top. For painted fiber cement, follow the manufacturer’s care instructions.

Installers call them tiger stripes. When water spills over the outer edge of a gutter, it carries airborne grime down the face, and the grime bonds to the painted finish. The stripes are cosmetic, but they tell you that gutter is overflowing. Find out why, whether a clog, a sag where a hanger has failed, or a run too narrow for the water it collects, then clean the face with a cleaner made for painted aluminum, not an abrasive pad.

Often they can be repaired. A leaking miter or end cap can be resealed, a sagging run re-pitched and rehung on new hangers, and a crushed downspout swapped out. Replacement is the better call when a sectional system leaks at joint after joint, when the gutters are undersized for the roof, when ladders and ice have bent them out of shape, or when the fascia behind them needs rebuilding anyway.

Heat cables melt a channel so meltwater can drain, which can help at one stubborn spot. They do not remove the cause, they use electricity all winter, they need a GFCI-protected outlet, and carelessly installed clips can damage shingles. Icy eaves are cured by stopping the heat that melts the snow: blocking warm air from reaching the attic, topping up thin insulation and balancing the vents. Read our guide to ice dams for the full picture.

Two kinds, from two sources. The manufacturer’s warranty covers defects in the products. The contractor’s workmanship warranty covers installation errors. Some manufacturers add enhanced system warranties when a full set of their components is installed, offered only through contractors they have certified. Length and coverage depend on the products named in your estimate; our warranty page explains our workmanship terms and how manufacturer coverage works.

That depends on the warranty. Some manufacturer warranties transfer to the next owner, usually if paperwork is filed within a set time after the sale, and some cover less after a transfer. Keep the registration confirmation with your closing documents. The warranty page explains transfer for the products we install.

Manufacturer warranties commonly exclude damage from installation that ignored their instructions, inadequate attic ventilation, incompatible components, and later additions, such as a satellite dish or solar mounts, put in without proper flashing. Some also require registration within a set period. Your warranty document has the exact list, and the warranty page covers what to keep on file.

Current options are on our financing page. The lender, not ALTA, sets rates, terms and approval based on your credit and the project amount, so no one can quote you a rate until the lender reviews an application.

It depends on the lender. Some prequalify with a soft inquiry that does not affect your score and run a hard inquiry only when you accept an offer; others run a hard inquiry at application. Ask which applies before you apply. The financing page explains how financing works for our projects.

We also repair, maintain and replace low-slope roofs on retail centers, offices, light-industrial buildings, apartment buildings, and condominium and townhome associations. Our commercial roofing page explains how that work is phased around tenants and residents.

As few people as possible, with every visit on record. Lock the hatch or access door, keep a sign-in log for HVAC, sign, cable and solar technicians, and ask each trade to report anything it cuts, moves or drops. Many membrane warranties require notice before anyone adds penetrations or equipment, and an unreported puncture is a common source of leaks nobody can explain.

We confirm a time that suits you. The inspector checks the roof surface, flashing and gutters, the attic if you allow it, and siding and trim when they are part of the concern. You get a written summary with photos. If work is needed, an itemized estimate follows and the decision stays with you. Our process page lays out every step.

No. A standard inspection with photos and a written summary is free, and what you do with the findings is up to you. If the inspector finds storm damage, the same visit produces documentation for your insurer. You will know whether the roof needs a repair, a replacement or nothing at all before price comes up.

Often, yes, because winter damage usually stays hidden until spring rain finds it. Ice dams can lift the lowest shingle courses and soak the deck at the eaves. Snow sliding off an upper roof can rip gutters loose and scour the roof below. Repeated freezing and thawing cracks the sealant around chimneys and vents. A spring look at the eaves, attic and flashing catches these while they are minor fixes. Our seasonal maintenance checklist lists what you can check yourself.

Yes. Roofing, gutters, siding and soffits work as one system, so it makes sense to look at them together: an overflowing gutter at the back can be rotting the fascia, and a missing kickout flashing can be soaking the wall below it. Tell us what prompted the visit when you schedule, and the inspector will check each area and cover it in one photo summary.