New roof: GAF v ShingleVent II, warranty, gutters?

soubriquet

Hi, all.

I'm new here...trying to be proactive about getting the project right. I need a new roof (the old sheathing is moldy and I want it gone, not just "remediated"). The house was built in 1995.

I've been doing much research online and have pretty much decided that, given that I'm in the Northeast, on a shady mountaintop, that going green is really about shingle life for me and not reflective roofing. We're going with GAF Timberline Prestique Lifetime, and all the Weather Stopper system components, and figure that we'll be green by buying a long life shingle, thus keeping excess from the waste stream by not having to replace the whole thing in 20 years (We hope).

However, the ridge vent I want is the Air Vent ShingleVent II (I watched the video). If I purchase this vent, GAF will not offer their Golden Pledge Warranty against materials and LABOR. It is a huge difference in coverage of warranty (10 years workmanship v 20 years from GAF). So the question is, would it be smarter for me to just accept the Snow Country vent and get the Golden Pledge warranty? Given that we had mold issues in the attic in the past, I'm quite eager to get a good air flow. Maybe it's not worth getting the warranty, if the attic could be more properly vented by Air Vent. We have clear soffit vents that have baffles and light coming through them for the whole length of the roof, the house is a raised ranch with one straight ridge. It seems rather basic, as roofs go.

Every roofer (6 of them, 4 of which were GAF Master Elite) who has come here has told me to put in additional PAVs. GAF says (on the phone) that we should NOT mix vents. I'm not going to add PAVs, as I fear that the PAV we've had in the attic all these years (installed by the A/C company in 1996) may have contributed (along with ice dams from lack of weather barrier, improper bathroom venting, and overstuffing of the attic) to the moisture condition up there.

Additionally, I'm concerned that the first roofer who came here said, "Don't let anyone tell you that you need to replace these gutters...They're in fine condition (13 years old), and can be reset after the roof is up" They do need to be lowered 1.25 inches, as they pitch one way down the full length of the house (50 ft.) into a dry well, per town code. The roofer I've been leaning toward using has told me (and is the only one who told me this...) I need to replace the gutters because they never come off right and will be damaged by removal. So, do I trust him and try to come up with another $800 for new gutters? I don't feel in my heart that I need them, but I'm not at all experienced.

I'm trying to get educated about all the options so I don't make another dumb mistake. I've already interviewed 4 mold remediators and decided to just take off the sheathing, rather than try to get the mold out. It's only on the plywood, as far as we can see, and they want thousands to fix it; the price of a new roof is almost the same! We'll replace all the exposed insulation, then I'll spray antimicrobial on the rest of the (visually unaffected) remaining parts of the attic as a precaution.

So...ShingleVent or GAF warranty? New gutters or reuse? And does this sound like a good plan overall?

Any input from a real pro is greatly appreciated.

MJW

Our experience with GAF hasn't been great. Their warranty is not worth a dime in most cases. These companies use this tactic to sell more products. Should not affect the warranty at all.

If they offer a 100% warranty materials and labor, in writing, then maybe.......They usually squirrel out of warranty more often than an insurance companies gets out of a claim.

I wouldn't worry about the warranty, and the gutters I would replace only if they are already ruined.

How steep is the roof?

Ed the Roofer

Although I personally feel that the Shingle Vent II is the top of the line, the Cobra Snow Country is as close to an identical knock-off product that I have seen and used one time by mistake due to a supplier sending it out inadvertently.

If you are getting the Master Elite Certified Contractor from their program along with the Materials and Labor Warranty, then I would switch to the GAF Cobra Snow Country to fulfill their warranty requirements just to have the additional protection for years to come, but not if they charged extra for it.

I don't believe that most roofing products warranties i9n the real world are worth the paper they are written on.

It is unrealistic to expect a man made product that has to endure the harshest environmental condition to live up to it's tauted life expectancy, so let your realistic gut instinct guide your decision.



Oh, just to add.....Seamless gutters on straight runs are very easy to remove and reinstall as long as new hangers and fasteners are used and spaced correctly.

Ed

__________________
Stay Tuned For Our New Informative And Helpful Web Site, Coming Soon

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

soubriquet

I really appreciate you taking your time to answer my question. You are so very generous with your time!

The whole moldy attic thing has had me knocking my head on the drywall. Even if we turn over the re-roofing to a contractor, the prospect of replacing all the insulation and cleaning the attic of any mold spores is daunting...Even cleaning out 15 years of possessions has been been daunting!

At least I feel a little better about using the ridge vent that has been lined up and keeping the gutters (though hubby thinks new gutters will be ever so much better looking...but I think too much money! We'll figure it out...).

Again, I'm so grateful for your input.

rjackson

Do you by any chance have bathroom vents venting directly into the attic?

seeyou

We're going with GAF Timberline Prestique Lifetime, and all the Weather Stopper system components, and figure that we'll be green by buying a long life shingle, thus keeping excess from the waste stream by not having to replace the whole thing in 20 years (We hope).

Good luck with that. I hope those long life shingles last as long as advertised. We'll know for sure in about 30 years.

If I purchase this vent, GAF will not offer their Golden Pledge Warranty against materials and LABOR. It is a huge difference in coverage of warranty (10 years workmanship v 20 years from GAF). So the question is, would it be smarter for me to just accept the Snow Country vent and get the Golden Pledge warranty?

I'd go with the GAF vent to maintain the warranty, although GAF is pretty much the last choice in my area due to quality and warranty weaseling. Since shingles are manufactured and represented regionally, they may be the best choice in your area.

Every roofer (6 of them, 4 of which were GAF Master Elite) who has come here has told me to put in additional PAVs. GAF says (on the phone) that we should NOT mix vents. I'm not going to add PAVs, as I fear that the PAV we've had in the attic all these years (installed by the A/C company in 1996) may have contributed (along with ice dams from lack of weather barrier, improper bathroom venting, and overstuffing of the attic) to the moisture condition up there.

Don't mix vents - use one or the other. I'd wager a guess that improper bathroom venting was a major contributor to your mold problem.

I'm concerned that the first roofer who came here said, "Don't let anyone tell you that you need to replace these gutters...They're in fine condition (13 years old), and can be reset after the roof is up" They do need to be lowered 1.25 inches, as they pitch one way down the full length of the house (50 ft.) into a dry well, per town code.

If the gutters are installed with hidden hangers, removing/re-installing should be no problem. Installed with spikes and ferrules, it's probably not worth the trouble.

Scuba_Dave

This thread is about a year old

seeyou

I wish I was more observant or you were a little quicker on the draw. Oh,well. I wonder how it worked out?

Scuba_Dave

I've answered so many threads that were old....
A few get bumped that are 2-3 years old
A person does a search in the Internet & finds them
....I guess they do not notice the date either

More opinions on a thread can't hurt