A home addition is a fantastic way to expand your living space. However, as you probably know, this is a major investment in both time and money. For the best, highest-quality addition to your space, it’s essential not to skimp on home addition roofing.
We’re PITCH Roofing, and as your local roofing partners, we’re your go-to expert for all things roofing. As experienced contractors who have worked on more than a few home additions, we know the common pitfalls that homeowners run into. Keep reading for our guide on what you need to know about home addition roofing and what our veteran Florida roofers can do to help with your home expansion!
Common Problems in Home Addition Roofing
In many ways, home addition roofing is much more complicated than getting a roof replacement. With a roof replacement, you’re mostly just replacing the outside-facing materials and updating what’s already there. With a home addition, however, your goal is to build a new roof from scratch. This is a much larger enterprise, which means much more can go wrong.
Here are some of the biggest issues with home addition roofing that you’ll want to watch out for!
Proper Insulation and Ventilation
Without proper insulation or ventilation, you can feel a temperature differential between the main house and the addition. This is especially apparent in the summer when the rest of your home might be crisp and cool, but the addition is several degrees warmer.
Not only is this unpleasant, but it can also have larger ramifications. Poor insulation or ventilation in your addition’s roof means that your air conditioning system will have to run more or less constantly to try to keep it at the temperature of the rest of the home. This can both run up your energy bill and shorten the lifespan of your AC system!
Roofline Integration
Home addition roofing is not just about creating a strong roof for your addition. You also need your contractors to ensure that your new roofline meets your existing roofline in a way that’s natural and seamless.
This isn’t just an aesthetic issue, either. While proper roofline integration does give your home a great profile, there are more pragmatic concerns. Namely, failing to match the rooflines can lead to issues with water drainage, which in turn can cause persistent leaks. A problem like this isn’t quick or cheap to fix, either, so it’s important to choose roofers who will get the job done right the first time.
Matching Materials
If your home addition’s roof is made of the same material as the main structure, then you probably want a perfect match. This is often easier said than done, though. Not only can manufacturers struggle to find the exact right type of roofing material, but age and weathering can leave a visual marker between your old roof and your home addition.
Solving issues like this requires expert know-how and relationships with roofing material manufacturers. For your home addition roofing project, look for qualifications like being an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor to ensure that your roofers can reliably source materials that will perfectly blend your two roofs together.
Structural Load Balancing
It’s easy to forget just how heavy a roof is. Even with relatively lightweight architectural shingles, you’re looking at 60-80 pounds per bundle, and that’s before you add in decking, underlayments, and other essential parts of your roofing system.
With home addition roofing, you have the weight of two roofs to worry about. And without proper planning, the point where these two roofs can be improperly balanced. When this happens, it can lead to extra weight being put on one of your roofs, which can lead to roof sagging and, over time, massive structural damage.
Picking the Best Home Addition Roofers in Florida
Above are just a few of the things that can go wrong with home addition roofing. That’s why it’s essential that you pick experienced contractors who know how to avoid these issues and deliver a high-quality, new roof.
Now, let’s cover some of the things to look for when choosing your Florida roofing contractors!
Material Options
One of the biggest advantages of home addition roofing is getting to pick out exactly what you want. So why limit your choices by picking roofers with limited experience and roofing options? At PITCH, we have the experience and know-how to plan and install a wide variety of roofs for your home addition, including:
- Asphalt and synthetic shingles
- Clay and concrete roofing tiles
- Standing seam and corrugated metal roofs
- Flat roofs like TPO and modified bitumen
With all of these different options, we can get you exactly the roof that you want. Whether your main concern is budget, protection, aesthetics, or a combination of all three, we’ll help you find a roofing material that you’re excited to have on your home.
Local Roofing Experience
As you’ve seen in the list above, a lot can go wrong with home addition roofing. But it’s not up to chance or luck. Whether or not you have a successful new roof addition on your home comes down to who you choose to do the job. And when picking roofers, nothing is more important than local experience.
Local roots guarantee you two things when picking roofers. First, they know the local climate and can prepare your roof for a long life by getting it ready for the worst that Florida has to offer. And second, they’re not going anywhere. With storm chasers, there is often nobody to hold accountable for shoddy work because they’ve left the state by the time you start having issues.
That’s not how we work. PITCH is proudly based right here in Pinellas County, and we don’t plan on moving anytime soon. So in the unlikely event that there’s a problem with your roof, we’ll be here to help and be accountable for the quality of our workmanship!
Positive Roofing Reviews
Every roofer will tell you that they’re the best. But what are their customers saying? Looking at customer reviews is the best way to see what real people in your area think of the roofing companies you’re considering.
Be wary of roofers with very few or low average reviews. Home addition roofing is no joke, so you don’t just need okay roofers — you need the best. If you see many complaints about workmanship or long-term results in the reviews, that could be an indicator that you should consider other roofers.
At PITCH, we proudly display our great roofing reviews. As local roofers, our reputation is everything. We keep ourselves in great standing with our community by delivering on quality workmanship and customer service. The best part? You don’t have to take our word for it, because our customers are happy to talk about the excellent services we’ve provided!
Get Your Free Home Addition Roofing Estimate
When comparing roofers, the best thing you can do is start collecting estimates. Not only will you be able to get a sense for who’s offering a good deal, but the content of the estimates will tell you a lot about those roofers. Detailed, thorough estimates are a great sign, whereas vague, informal estimates can tell you something about those roofers’ work ethic.
At PITCH, our estimates are detailed and thorough, with itemized prices so you know exactly what you’re paying for. See for yourself and get your free, no-obligation estimate by calling us at 727-677-4824 or scheduling your estimate online!
Home addition roofing is a serious investment in your property. At PITCH, we take this investment just as seriously as you do. Give us a chance to earn your business, and you’ll quickly see why we’re Florida’s favorite crew of local roofers!
Heather Ware is an In-House Roofing Specialist at PITCH Roofing. Working daily alongside our internal roofing teams, she translates complex Florida building codes and roofing techniques into clear, actionable advice for homeowners. With 4 years of experience in the Florida roofing industry, her goal is to ensure property owners have the exact facts they need to protect their investments.
