Roof replacement in Greater Milwaukeethe Phoenix valley

Seven layers go on your house. You will only ever see one.

A roof is not a covering, it is a system. Each layer has a job that only matters on the day it is tested, and the layer you can see from the driveway is the least important of the seven.

Layer	What it does
1. Roof deck	The plywood or plank sheathing everything fastens to. If it is soft, nothing above it holds. This is the layer a homeowner almost never sees.
2. Ice and water shield	A self-adhering membrane at the eaves, in the valleys and around every penetration. It seals around each nail driven through it, which ordinary underlayment does not.
3. Drip edge	Metal at the eave, installed before the underlayment so runoff is thrown clear of the fascia. At the rake it goes on last, over the top. Getting this order backwards rots the fascia you just paid for.
4. Underlayment	Covers the remaining deck, each course lapping the one below. This is the layer that catches whatever the shingles let past.
5. Starter course	A sealed strip at the eave and rake. This is what actually holds the roof edge down in wind. A field shingle used as a starter puts the adhesive in the wrong place.
6. Field shingles	The visible roof, laid so each course covers the fasteners of the one beneath it.
7. Ridge vent and cap	Exhaust at the peak, balanced against intake at the soffit, capped in a shingle matching the field.

What happens on the day

Before anyone climbs

Beds, shrubs and any exposed deck or patio are tarped. Vehicles come off the driveway. If the attic is accessible we look at the underside of the deck and the ventilation before the tear-off begins, because that is often where the real story is.

Tear-off

Everything comes off down to the bare deck, including the old underlayment and the old flashing. Metal that has done fifteen years does not get another fifteen. This is the point where the deck is visible, and where we photograph every square of it.

Deck inspection

Soft, delaminated or poorly fastened sheathing is marked. You get the photographs and a price before any of it is covered. On most homes this is somewhere between zero and six sheets. Anyone who tells you the number before the roof is open is guessing.

Dry-in

Membrane at the eaves and valleys, drip edge at the eave, then underlayment up the slope. The house is watertight at this point, which is why we do not leave a roof open overnight.

Field and detail

Starter, then field shingles up the slope, then the detail work: step flashing at every wall course, new pipe boots, counter flashing at masonry, valley metal. Detail work is where roofs leak and where corners get cut.

Close

Ridge vent and cap, magnet sweep of the lawn, drive and beds, gutters cleared of debris, and a walkthrough with you before the truck leaves.

How to tell a thorough bid from a fast one

• Does it name the products? "Architectural shingles" is not a product. A brand and a line is.
• Does it price the flashing separately? Step flashing, counter flashing, pipe boots and valley metal should be line items, not assumed.
• Does it say what happens if the deck is bad? A per-sheet price agreed up front prevents an argument later.
• Does it mention ventilation? A roof with no intake at the soffit will cook from underneath regardless of what goes on top.
• Does it include the starter and the ridge cap? Both are frequently left out to make a number look competitive.