Roof – Carlson Exteriors Inc.

Which Shingle Should You Put On Your House?

April 19, 2022by carlsonexteriorsLeave a comment

These are all Weathered Wood – you can see the color differences in each line

It’s time to replace the roof on your home, which shingle should you pick? Many contractors present you with a “Good, Better, Best” scenario but that is a generalized comparison of the shingles. The specific details are what will help you make your decision. Carlson Exteriors quotes CertainTeed Landmark, Landmark Pro, and Northgate shingles for roof replacement options. There are more options but these 3 really cover the basics for a homeowner wanting to replace the roof.

Mastic white siding, white trim, black windows, CertainTeed Pewter grey roof, Black garage doors with not windows

Landmark

Landmark is our standard shingle and is our most popular roof for replacements and new construction. It is a great quality shingles. The shingle weighs 220lb per 100 sq foot. It is available in 12 different colors. Compared to the Landmark Pro and Northgate, the Landmark is more unified in color. It use to be considered a 30 year shingles but is now called a limited lifetime shingles. We generally see this shingles lasting around 20 years plus or minus a few years. If you get a roof replaced by Carlson Exteriors we do register your roof for a 4-star roof warranty with Certainteed. This is a 50 year non prorated warranty that will increase with inflation. You can transfer this roof warranty once within the first 12 years to a new homeowner. Click here to read more about the roof warranty Carlson Exteriors offers. If you are unsure how long you will be living in your current home, this will likely be the shingle for you.

landmark-brocure-included-2022-changes Download

Landmark Pro

The Landmark Pro shingle is the most likely upgrade for roof replacements. This shingle weighs 240 lb per 100 sq foot. There are 14 colors available in this line; each color has lighter lights and darker darks to provide more variation and texture in the overall look. The Pro shingles has a 5 year longer warranty against algae growth. The granules are made with copper which helps fight against algae growth. If part of your roof gets little sun or is covered by mature trees the Landmark Pro might be the shingles for you. For a little more money, you get a heavier shingle, a shingle more resistant to algae growth, and a shingle with more color variations.

landmark-pro-brochure-including-2022-additions Download

Northgate

Northgate is a great option if you are looking at upgraded shingles. This shingle weighs 320 lb per 100 sq foot – that is 100 lbs more than the Landmark. The Northgate comes in 11 colors. The colors have a higher contrast (like the Landmark Pro) but it is a more defined shadow mark. This gives a better allusion to a shaker style roof. The Northgate is also SBS Modified shingle; this makes it more flexible to withstand hail, expansion, and contraction. We generally see this roof lasting closer to 30 years since the shingle is overall more durable shingle. Since the Northgate shingles is a Class 4 Impact Resistant shingle, you should check with your home insurance to see what discounts you might qualify for. The Northgate shingle is really ideal for the homeowner who knows they will live in their home a long time and can get the return on a higher quality shingle.

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northgate-cliamte-flex-shingle-brochure-1 Download

New Design Service

August 23, 2019September 4, 2019by carlsonexteriors1 Comment

Have you ever thought about making changes to the exterior of your home, but not sure where to start? If it is difficult for you to envision what your house could look like, you may be interested in one of our new services called Hover. The process is easy, pictures are taken of your home and you will end up with a complete 3D rendering. After that, any combination of exterior products can be added to your house. You will be able to see different colors and materials. If you have wondered what your house could look like, take advantage of this service! If you end up using Carlson Exteriors as your contractor, the design fee is credited to your invoice total!

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Roofer

July 24, 2018July 24, 2018by carlsonexteriors1 Comment

Project Manager Nick Coyle has been in the roofing industry practically his whole life. He currently manages the roofing crews, meets with homeowners to provide estimates on roof replacements, roof repairs, and stop tricky roof leaks. I sat down with Nick to find out the most popular questions from homeowners but more importantly the questions homeowners should be asking before hiring a roofer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you licensed and insured?

Nick said this is almost every homeowner’s first question. Most roofers say yes but many homeowners fail to ask for proof. A quality roofer should proudly display this documentation and make it easy for a homeowner to verify. Nick leaves a copy of Carlson Exteriors Inc Roofing License and current insurance with the homeowners that he meets with.

Do I have storm damage?

The best any roofer can do is to give his professional opinion. Nick takes photos when he is inspects roofs to bring down and explain what he sees to homeowners. Nick can provide his opinion whether the roof looks storm, wind, or hail damaged but ultimately the decision lies with your insurance company. When homeowners contact insurance about potential storm damage, they start a claim which has the potential to raise your rates. Nick advises homeowners to familiarize themselves with their current plan, know their deductible, and to see if it’s worth potentially having higher rates. Example- If it’s a small repair that barely exceeds a homeowner’s deductible; it might not be worth making a claim.

Hail damage shows up as pock-marks.

Before – Shingles are loose and missing from a storm in Bloomington IL

Brittle shingles crack easier

What’s the difference between synthetic felt and regular felt?

Synthetic felt has grown with popularity amongst roofing companies. It’s easier/safer for crews to walk on and it has a higher resistance to ripping in the wind. Regular 15lb or 30lb felt rips very easy in the hands, while synthetic felt is practically impossible to rip. Some shingle manufacturers require synthetic felt to qualify for warranties. Carlson Exteriors only uses synthetic felt. Click here to read more about synthetic felt.

What’s the difference between the Landmark shingles and the Landmark Pro Shingle?

This question usually comes after Nick presents the estimate to homeowners. Landmark is the standard shingle and Landmark Pro is a slight upgrade. Both are manufactured by CertainTeed and both qualify for the Unconditional Roof Warranty. Aesthetically, Landmark Pros have a wider selection of color choices and the shingles are Max Def. Max Def means the lights are lighter and the darks are darker giving each shingle a higher contrast. Landmark Pros have a 15 year algae warranty to protect your roof from getting streaky. Nick advices homeowners with many mature trees to select the Landmark Pros because of the 15 year algae warranty. Landmark Pros can have a higher wind rating than the Landmarks; this is dependent upon your contractor. Landmarks and Landmark Pros both can meet the max wind rating of 130 mph if shingle starter is also applied up the roof rakes. Carlson Exteriors uses starter up the rakes to ensure max protection for every homeowner.

Faux Stucco style two story home, keystone accents in windows and garage doors, black roof

This home features CertainTeed’s Landmark Pro shingle in Max Def Morire Black

roof-replacement-bloomington-il-certainteed-landmark-pro-in-maxdef-pewter

Landmark Pro Driftwood roof replacement in bloomington il

Ridge vent vs Box vents – Is one better than the other?

As long as the roof is adequately vented ridge vents and box vents are equal. Currently the trend is to go with ridge vents because it provides a cleaner look on the roof. Nick advises homeowners who are thinking about putting the house on the market to select ridge vent because of the current housing trend. When replacing the roof, there is no price difference between using box vents or ridge vents. Every roof Carlson Exteriors replaces, Nick does an inspection to make sure it has enough ventilation. If a home does not have much ridge line, Nick advises box vents.

Example of a box vent on a roof

Example of ridge vent on a roof

Questions Homeowners Should Be Asking Roofers

Can you be more detailed about the products you are using, how you use them, and why you use them?

Nick says many roofers only provide a price for roof replacement with minimal supporting information. Nick gives every homeowner a packet of information that includes:

Summary of roof replacement process/ what to expect
Roof selection guide
Warranty information
Letter from Carlson Exteriors Bank
Letter from Carlson Exteriors Supplier
Information sheet about synthetic felt
Information sheet about ridge vent
A copy of Carlson Exteriors Roofing license
A copy of Carlson Exteriors current insurance
Information sheet about protection from ice dams
A customer reference list with contact information (Upon request)

All of this falls into gauging a roofer’s professionalism. If a contractor just provides a homeowner with a slip of paper with the cost it’s essentially the same as someone expecting to sell a used vehicle on craigslist with no listed mileage, information on condition quality, and not allowing a test drive. Click here to read more about gauging contractor professionalism.

Upon comparing two estimates that are $500-1000 different, what am I getting or not getting?

So many homeowners think all roof quotes are created equal and the cheapest is best. Nothing could be furthest from the truth. The easiest way to find out why the cost difference is to call the more expensive roofer and see what they are providing above and beyond the lower estimate. Usually it is because of a better warranty, higher quality products, not re-using certain products (drip edge, flashing, etc), better reputation, better customer service, or more stable company. More stable companies have an office and don’t work out of their house, they have office hours where customers can walk in. Stable companies pay their employees with checks and not cash.

Small turret with tan hard board siding and CertainTeed Weathered Wood Roof

Newport Bay Blue can become very vibrant when placed next to white and grey

Landmark Pewter grey roof

Nick concluded our conversation by saying he wished homeowners did more research on roofers and the owners of the company. Information, good or bad, is so easily found online; it’s ashamed that many homeowners don’t utilize this resource. He recommended homeowners to read “How To Find a Contractor You Can’t Live Without” and “Why does a 30 year shingle not last for 30 years?” to better educate themselves on products and finding contractors.

If you are in need of a professional opinion of your roof, need a roof replacement, or have a roof leak and want Nick Coyle to inspect – Contact Carlson Exteriors.

Liberate Yourself From Bad Contractors

July 4, 2018July 3, 2018by carlsonexteriorsLeave a comment

Unfortunately, the construction industry is abound with poor principle. How do you begin to find a contractor that’s trustworthy? I suggest thinking of contractors as employees you are interviewing to potentially work for you/your company. It may seem silly at first, but that mindset will give you the confidence you need to feel like you can ask the right questions. To find a contractor with good character, you start with their references. We recommend looking into 3 references.

1- Bank Letter

A Bank letter solidifies the company’s financial status. It gives insight to the company’s cash flow. It also lets you know the company isn’t running the finances through the

Notes to help understand what to look for in bank letters

owner’s personal finances. The example bank letter has been marked with what to look for.

Make sure the letter is addresses to the company (not the owner). It reenforces that the company has it’s own account.

Look for some clues to how long the financial institution has known your potential contractor. The longer the better.

Having a company that has decent cash flow actually ensures the company has higher skilled employees. If a company needs your job to pay employees for last week’s work, good employees won’t stick around at a company that may or may not pay. If a company asks for half upfront, that money may be used to pay employees or to buy materials for your job because there isn’t enough money in the account to buy materials without your deposit. That’s not a good sign of a good company.

Weathered wood shingles, chestnut brown shakes, latte tan siding, tan gutters

2- Supplier Letter

Getting a letter from your potential contractor’s supplier ensures they have a great business relationship. This letter lets you know the contractor pays their bills. The last thing you want is a lean placed on your home because your contractor did not pay their material bills. Yes that does happen!

Mastic Russet red vertical siding, white trim, natural clay shake siding, certainteed moire black shingles in canton il.JPG — Mastic Russet red vertical siding, white trim, natural clay shake siding, certainteed moire black shingles in canton il

3- Customer References

This is very different than testimonials or good reviews. Customer references is a list of customers with addresses and contact information (given with permission). You can call any or all of the previous customers and ask them what it was like working with the contractor. A few example questions to ask homeowners:

Did they arrive on time to perform the work?
How was the daily clean up?
Did you run into any issues? How did the contractor handle those issues?
Were the employees polite and professional? Any specific interactions?
Did your neighbors like the crews while they worked on your house?

Carlson exteriors Crew member cuts Royal Celect Siding

Forman Brian hangs Royal Celect Siding on Bloomington IL House

Carlson Exteriors Named 2nd Roofer in State of Illinois

May 23, 2018May 15, 2018by carlsonexteriorsLeave a comment

CertainTeed names the Nations top 20 Roofers - Carlson Exteriors was 16th in the Nation and 2nd in State of Illinois — CertainTeed names the Nations top 20 Roofers – Carlson Exteriors was 16th in the Nation and 2nd in State of Illinois

In April, we happily received this letter stating that we were ranked the 16th roofer in the nation and the 2nd roofer in the State of Illinois in registering roof warranties. So many roofing companies out there promise warranties they cannot deliver. Carlson Exteriors is not one of those. For every roof we install, we register it in the homeowner’s name(s) with CertainTeed, a leading shingle manufacturer. We actually pay for this warranty but pass it on to our customers for free. Why? Because purchasing a roof with a solid warranties, no loop holes and no prorating, should be demanded from by homeowners.

Lets run through a hypothetical scenario:

Jan needs a new roof. Her neighbor Stan also needs a new roof. Both Jan and Stan call 3 roofers to compare estimates. Jan decides she wants to go with Carlson Exteriors because of the Sure Start Roof Warranty. Stan decided to go with Chuck in a Truck Roofing Company because they were the cheapest. Jan and Stan have similar roofs and are both getting CertainTeed Landmarks (shingle); Jan paid $10,000 and Stan paid $9,000. Jan gets the roof registered in her name with a certificate as proof. Stan gets the standard Limited Warranty on the shingles. In 11 years, both Jan and Stan realize that their shingles are curling on the edges like potato chips. The asphalt shingles are very brittle. The roof is failing not because of how the shingles were installed or because of any hailstorms; the shingles just malfunctioned. Roofers come out and say it will now cost $12,434 to replace the roof. Even though nothing has changed to the roof, inflation has raised the cost of the roof replacement. Jan’s annoyed but not worried because she has her 4-Star warranty. Stan is mad but knows he has some kind of warranty. Jan places a claim with CertainTeed, they issue her $12,434 to have the roof replaced. This includes the tear-off of the bad shingles, dumpster fees, permit fees, roofing labor, and new shingles. Jan is happy. Stan places a claim with CertainTeed, they explain that since he only has the Limited Warranty they cannot fully cover the roof replacement; they issue Stan $3,233. Stan is responsible for the other $9,201. Stan is mad that his “50 year shingle” only lasted him 11 years.

All of Carlson Exterior’s roof replacement customers are Jan. They get this 4-star Warranty register in their names. They don’t have to worry if their shingle will last 50 years, because if it doesn’t – CertainTeed will cover them.

unconditional-roof-warranty-example-certificate — Example Warranty Certificate of what every replacement roof customer of Carlson Exteriors receives

New Roof: Tear Off Or Layover Shingles?

March 29, 2018September 11, 2018by carlsonexteriorsLeave a comment

When looking to purchase a new roof for their home, many homeowners debate laying new shingles over the existing shingles or just start fresh by tearing off the old shingles. Usually homeowners think about laying over to save some money – but is it worth the saved bucks?

Most cases – no. Its worth tearing off your shingles for the following reasons:

Inspect Condition of Roof Decking

Without tearing the shingles off and actually seeing the roof deck, one can only speculate the condition of the OSB. Obviously, if sections of your roof are rather soft to walk on the wood is bad and will need replaced. However, you can have smaller sections of wood rot and not know it until the shingles are torn off.

Roof Warranty

Many shingle manufacturers have rather poor warranties for roofs that have been laid over. Best case scenario you will get a 10 year limited life warranty – it will be pro-rated. If the shingle fails within the first year after your roof lay over, you will have to pay some money out of pocket. The best thing about a Carlson Exteriors roof replacement is the roof warranty. Any roof we replace will get a 50 year, non prorated warranty that is transferrable one time. It actually increases with inflation so you don’t have to pay anything out of pocket! Woohoo!

Example Warranty Certificate of what every replacement roof customer of Carlson Exteriors receives

Overall Roof Appearance

If your old shingles have warping or curled up edges, the new shingles that you lay over will take on the look of the old shingles. The new shingles may look wrinkly or bumpy. The new roof will look terrible from day one.

Shortened Roof Life

If a new roof is laid over, it will have a shorter roof life. The shorter lifespan is due to a couple reasons. First, not nailing directly into the roof decking can lower your roof’s resistance to high winds. The nails might not be driven as deeply or as securely into the plywood as they should be. On the other hand, some nails may be overdriven thanks to the old shingles “cushion” . When nails are overdriven, it can pierce directly through the new shingle and not provide any security at all. Some home insurances provide better rates if your shingles are nailed directly into the OSB. Secondly, the moisture trapped between the two layers of shingles will increase the speed of asphalt deterioration. The second layer of shingles will increase heat and moisture retention, especially if your roof is not ventilated properly.

Too Much Weight

If you already have two layers of shingles on your home, city code prohibits another layover. This is because of the unnecessary weight each layer of shingles add to your home. If you are outside of city limits and are not required to obey city codes, be mindful of how much weight and stress you add to your home’s structure

Montana suede dark brown shakes and siding and black roof in Bloomington IL

LP Smartside siding in Pewter with White trim and Black roof

Morton Landmark Pro shingles in Driftwood Roof replacement

Carlson Exteriors always tears off the existing shingles for these reasons. The money that homeowners would “save” by not tearing off old shingles is not worth it. A layover roof can be deemed more expensive due to poorer roof warranty, possibility of more leaks, and the damage that could be done to home’s structure. In this case, the cons outweigh the pros.

Behind the Scenes with CertainTeed

February 26, 2018February 7, 2018by carlsonexteriorsLeave a comment

This blog is part of a series. Search our site for “behind the scenes” to read other articles in the series.

CertainTeed is a nationwide known brand; and for good reason. They make great shingles and offer plenty of colors. But the reason Carlson Exteriors loves using CertainTeed is for the roofing warranty they provide to the homeowner.

This warranty is registered in homeowner’s names. The original is mailed to homeowners, a copy is mailed to Carlson Exteriors, and CertainTeed keeps a virtual copy. Unlike most warranties, CertainTeed’s has no loop holes and no fine print. To read more in detail about our Unconditional Roofs – Click here.

White long panel garage doors with mission window inserts in Bloomington IL

LP Smartside siding in Pewter with White trim and Black roof

grand two story house with cedar columns, brown brick, faux wood garage doors, dark siding and dark shakes

Weathered wood roof, Bronze trim, Mastic Misty shadow dark shakes and Mastic Misty Shadow dark siding in BLoomington IL

I was able to interview CertainTeed’s Territory Manager, Bob Eaton, to get his insider opinion.

I’ve worked for CertainTeed for 15 years now. I truly enjoy seeing my customers and I believe that will never change. I believe providing a true 50 years Peace of Mind Full replacement warranty for all homeowners is essential. I’m the point person for all claims and when a shingle does fail, I want to make sure the homeowners gets taken care of in all aspects. The only way to do that is to have the SureStart Plus Warranty on their home.

If you look at the chart below, the SureStart Plus warranty Bob is talking about, actually increases with inflation. The middle column is the usual warranty that most shingles come with. With the typical Limited Warranty, even in the first year the homeowner is still paying a decent chunk out of pocket. EVERY roof Carlson Exteriors installs, gets a SureStart Plus Warranty.

Now back to Bob:

I can’t ever remember CertainTeed not doing the right thing for the consumer. CertainTeed has always supported me in the field and that is critical to my success and to homeowner’s happiness.

Carlson Exteriors is a great partner. I truly enjoy working with everyone. You’re extremely organized from top to bottom. From my stand point, you do it right the first time.

Click here to get a roof replacement quote

Click here to visit CertainTeed’s website

Intro to “Behind the Scenes” Blog Series

February 12, 2018February 12, 2018by carlsonexteriorsLeave a comment

The brands a contractor uses should not be an arbitrary decision. Any product that’s new to the construction industry is not offered immediately by Carlson Exteriors Inc. We wait and watch for a few things:

Does the product do what it claims to do- without fail!
Are there warranty issues? If there are, how does the manufacturer handle it?
Does the manufacturer provide adequate training for contractors?
Is the product a safe bet for homeowners?

Why Am I Telling You This?

Carlson Exteriors Inc. spends a long time debating and researching a product before we ever think about adding it to our exterior services. Our siding carries purpose. Our shingles have a backbone. Our gutters will never let you down. We always insist that every product performs perfectly – zero exceptions. It’s worth talking about – so we will! With our ‘Behind the Scenes’ blog series, we will go over products Carlson Exteriors has chosen to use and why. We will discuss our relationships with siding, roofing, gutters, and garage door companies, we’ll talk with manufacturers directly, and we’ll show you, the homeowner, how you fit into the grand equation.

DaVinci makes a polymer shake product that looks like real cedar shakes

Harbor Grey siding, white trim, deep granite board and batten in Normal il

Montana suede dark brown siding with Terra Bronze trim Weathered wood roof in Bloomington IL

Back porch with new Royal Celect siding and new trim around windows and doors

LP Smartside siding in Pewter with White trim and Black roof and Metal Roof accent

three single car garage wooden doors with arched windows

Dark Oak garage doors with arched stockton windows in Bloomington IL

EnviroDri on Apartments in Bloomington Il

royal-ironstone-dark-grey-siding-and-dark-grey-shakes-white-trim-certainteed-landmark-weathered-wood-roofing-in-morton-il

If you are interested in reading these articles, search “Behind the Scenes” on our website. It will show you all the articles that have been released.

Love the Wood Look? Hate the Wood Maintenance?

February 7, 2018September 6, 2019by carlsonexteriorsLeave a comment

You are not alone! Thankfully there are many home exterior products out there to satisfy your desires. Let’s celebrate those products by taking a closer look.

Garage Doors

wooden garage door with hardware and windows with vertical slates

Mahogany faux wood door with Madison window inserts and spade hardware

Faux wooden doors are not that much more than the same style in a solid color. Maintenance Free!

If refinishing your garage door every couple of years has kept you from purchasing a wooden garage door, CHI Accents line has come to your rescue. While these overhead garage doors look like real wood (even close up) they are metal doors made to look like wood. No maintenance at all! They over many styles and five different wood colors.

Click here to build your faux wood garage door online

Click here to look at CHI Accent Product Guide

Wooden Shakes or Wooden Shaker Style Siding

two story brown home with brown brick and brown garage door and white trim

Mastic Rugged Canyon dark brown siding, Variform teak hand split shakes in Bloomingotn IL

exteria-handsplit-shake-in-weathered-white-shake-corners-decorative-gable-accents-pebblestone-clay-trim-landmark-weatheredwood-shingles-bloomington-il-tipton-trails

two story blue house with cream and tan accents. Faux cedar skaes

The cameo vertical siding and faux cedar shakes make the blue siding pop. The tan colored windows wrapped in cameo casings help pull all the colors together

one story blue house with brick. stone ledger around house. brown garage doors and faux cedar shakes

This Normal IL house uses dark brown roof and trim to pull richer blue tones out of the siding. The faux cedar shakes help balance out the stone and brick.

Most people know that vinyl shakes come in a variety of colors but few seem to realize that vinyl can mimic natural wood if the homeowner so desires. Vinyl Manufacturers have started to variate colors on a single shake panel to really recreate cedar siding.

Cedar Siding

Hastings Home after the Chestnut brown siding was installed. Our crew also replaced 7 windows.

LP Smartside siding in Pewter with White trim and Black roof and Metal Roof accent

Ranch house with back patio sitting area and tan siding

Gualazzi’s home after in Mastic Quest Natural Cedar siding and Rugged Canyon trim

There are a few hard board sidings out there that do a fantastic job of looking like real wood siding. Some require more maintenance than others. These hard board sidings are LP Smartside, James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding, and Royal Celect Siding. Check out our earlier blog series on Comparing Hard Board Siding by click here to learn about them.

If hard board siding breaks the budget, consider a variegated vinyl siding panel. Mastic Quest siding has six colors that resemble cedar. The Gualazzi’s thought it was a good choice for them after deciding their current cedar siding was not working for them. Check out that amazing decision by clicking here.

Wood Shake Roof

DaVinci makes a polymer shake product that looks like real cedar shakes

There are a couple of companies out there that make a wood shake roofing product that’s made of a polymer blend. Two top these companies are DaVinci Roofscapes and Inspire Roofing Products. While these products will be close to the same price point as real wooden shakes, there is absolutely no maintenance with a polymer blend shake. These shakes may look slick but are easy to walk on (so you can hang Christmas lights!). They are considered “self-healing” shakes, which means if they get scuffed or scratched the sun will heat up the polymer and erase the scratch.

Want to talk more about one of these? Interested in a wood-look product not mentioned? Give Carlson Exteriors a shout.

Genflex Rubber Roof Training Day

January 26, 2018January 26, 2018by carlsonexteriorsLeave a comment

Carlson Exteriors Inc. Roofing Crew had an in house training day with Genflex. They learned how to install rubber roofing materials around bump outs, corners, properly overlapping seams, knowing how to patch holes the right way, and the correct way to apply adhesive.