BUFORD ROOFING RISES IN COST, BUT HOMEOWNERS CAN STILL SAVE

The cost of Buford roofing has increased since 2008, but homeowners can still save money by turning to energy efficient materials, say Buford roofers.

It’s happening. The price of everything is going up. Even though 80% of Georgia homeowners chose asphalt shingles for their last Buford roofing job, the price of asphalt shingles increased 57.5% from March 2008 to March 2009. Just from February to March 2009, the price went up 3.8%, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Last year’s culprit was increasing summer petroleum prices, which – considering asphalt comes from crude oil – was no real surprise. Yet, this year, the culprit is… roadwork?

Since the government is pushing for more construction, infrastructure and roadwork projects to get underway, March prices for Buford roofing materials inflated suddenly. “Due to the shortage of asphalt, it’s a little harder to come by,” says Bob Kersch of Brothers Roofing Supply in New York City. “They’re expecting a big rush on the asphalt because of the stimulus package and roadwork.” The demand for shingles also increases with the number of people calling Buford roofers with hail damage, hurricane damage and other freak weather events that destroyed their Buford roofing material suddenly.

Buford roofers are not insensitive to these price increases. Many worry about the economic impact on already cash-strapped homeowners. So what can they do? Some Buford roofers might switch to cheaper brands and materials to keep costs down, while other Buford roofing professionals may simply inform homeowners about other ways to save money on materials. For instance, along with the Reinvestment and Recovery Act, homeowners can save 30% of the cost of Buford roofing materials, up to $1,500, by choosing Energy Star reflective asphalt. GAF, CertainTeed and Owens Corning all have shingles that qualify for this special, limited-time tax credit.

Many people calling Buford roofers have no choice but to purchase their Buford roofing materials now. The hail storms and tornadoes that ravaged the Atlanta metro this spring were some of the worst in Georgia history. Last spring, former President Bush visited after Northern Georgia was declared “a disaster area.” Baseball sized hail went through windows, pelted rooftops and scraped granules off asphalt shingles. After this spring’s round of hail damage, homeowners can’t afford to wait any longer to call their insurance claims adjustors about repairing their homes. The good news is that homeowners will be able to choose from dozens of new colors and upgrade to the increasingly popular layered architectural shingles, compared to the old three-tab flats. This new Buford roofing is not only more appealing to look at, but also more durable.

To choose Buford roofers, homeowners are advised to choose companies who are licensed and insured. While this seems like it should be a standard thing in Buford roofing, it’s surprising how many contractors are not. Secondly, homeowners should also make sure the contractor has a permanent place of business listed on their website. So many fly-by-night operations cruise through towns where hail storms, hurricanes or other inclement weather presents ample work for opportunists. Getting several estimates in writing, asking for references and looking at the shingles in person can all improve one’s satisfaction with the Buford roofing job done.