A roofer in Downers Grove works on existing buildings and buildings under construction. In the case of a building under construction the roofer will do the job completely, using the shingles specified by the architect or general contractor. If the roofer is called to an older building it will usually be to make repairs, if the building is older than 20 or 25 years it may be that the roof needs replacing.
Perhaps the most difficult of all the tasks a roofer can face it is replacing it. The old roof has to be completely removed, this is a time consuming and dirty job and often, once the roof surface has been removed the roofer will find that it is necessary to replace structural components due to rot.
A roofer in Downers Grove is usually skilled in working with all kinds of roof surfaces. The most common roofing materials are asphalt shingles, rubber shingles, metal and wood shakes. Slate and copper are also excellent roofing materials but due to the cost of material and the need for specialized installation skills, they are rarely used anymore. A roofer must have no fear of heights but he must be constantly aware of the dangers associated with the job.
Depending on the job, the roofer may be part of the team that constructs the house in its entirety while in other cases the roofer may own or work for an independent company that does nothing but roofing.
Due to the construction of the roof, commercial roofing is considerably different than residential roofing. Traditionally, a residential home has a pitched roof; it uses overlapping shingles of one type or another. A commercial building normally has a flat roof or one which has very little slope.
The covering used on a commercial roof consists of a membrane which is laid in rolls or large sheets, the seams are closed and the entire surface is coated with tar and aggregate. Repairing a commercial roof takes different skills again; the process is quite different than simply replacing a missing shingle.
Although a roofer in Downers Grove has all the skills necessary to install the roof surface, periodically he has to do some carpentry as well. This is often the case when the roofer is repairing or replacing a roof on an older home, the wooden joists and rafters frequently rotted. If the damage is too great, a general contractor may be called in to completely replace the roof structure.
If the roof on your home or commercial building is damaged or needs replacing then you will need a skilled roofer in Downers Grove to do the work correctly. You are invited to contact Showalter Roofing Service, Inc for details.