ROOFING RESOURCES

Understand the roof before deciding what to do with it

A residential roof is a water-management system.

REPAIR
MAINTAIN
IMPROVE
MONITOR
REPLACE

We do not sell replacement roofs.

A RESIDENTIAL ROOF

A water-management system.

The visible shingles, metal panels, or membrane are only part of that system. Roof decking, underlayment,
flashing, valleys, penetrations, fasteners, ventilation, gutters, drainage, and transitions all affect how the roof performs.

A stain on a ceiling does not necessarily mean the shingles have failed.

A deteriorated pipe boot can leak while the surrounding roof remains serviceable.

A flashing defect can cause repeated leakage even after shingles have been replaced.

An older roof can remain functional, while a much newer roof can develop problems because of installation defects.

The purpose of this page is to explain the systems, components, terminology, and common conditions we encounter on residential roofs in West Georgia.

The Roof Guy of Georgia inspects existing roofing systems, diagnoses problems, documents conditions, then recommends one of five practical actions: Repair — Maintain — Improve — Monitor — Replace.

WE DO NOT SELL REPLACEMENT ROOFS.

ROOF INSPECTION & CONSULTATION PRICING

Complimentary digital roof review

If you already have information about the roof, send it to us before scheduling a physical inspection.

Useful information includes:

Home inspection reports
Contractor estimates
Roof photographs
Roofing proposals
Drone photographs
Seller disclosures
Photographs of interior water staining
Previous repair documentation

We review the information provided, identify roofing items that deserve attention, then explain what can reasonably be determined from the available documentation.

The result may be:

No additional evaluation recommended
Monitor the condition
Repair or maintenance evaluation recommended
Physical Roof Consultation recommended
Detailed Roof Inspection recommended
Replacement Consultation recommended

A digital review is limited by the information provided. Photographs or reports cannot always establish the physical condition
of roofing materials, flashing, fasteners, decking, penetrations, or previous repairs.

When physical inspection would provide greater certainty, we will explain why.

The Complimentary Digital Roof Review is intended to determine whether you actually
need a paid inspection before asking you to purchase one.

FOCUSED PHYSICAL EVALUATION

Roof consultation | $135

A Roof Consultation is intended for a specific roofing question or condition.

The $135 service includes:

Roof access when conditions permit
Physical examination of the identified concern
Photographs when useful
Professional roofing opinion
Explanation of the condition
Repair, maintenance, improvement, monitoring, or replacement recommendation
Repair estimate when applicable

REAL FIELD CONDITION

There is no separate roof-access charge followed by another charge to explain what we found.

Typical roof consultation requests include:

Leak diagnosis
Home inspection report follow-up
Missing or damaged shingles
Lifted shingles
Pipe boot deterioration
Flashing concerns
Chimney leakage
Skylight concerns
Interior water staining
Questionable previous repairs
Metal-roof fastener problems
Roof-to-wall concerns
Second opinions on proposed repairs
Second opinions before roof replacement

Sometimes the result is confirmation that a condition does not currently justify repair or replacement.
That is still an answer.

WHOLE-ROOF EVALUATION

Detailed roof inspection

The Detailed Roof Inspection evaluates the roofing system as a whole rather than investigating one isolated concern.

$225 — Standard residential roof

For a conventional residential roof with reasonably straightforward geometry and access.

$275 — Complex residential roof

For roofs involving factors such as:

Multiple elevations
Metal roofing
Steep slopes
Numerous penetrations
Complex roof geometry
Large roof areas
Difficult access
Multiple roofing systems

Depending upon the roof type and accessibility, the inspection may include:

Primary roofing material

Roof deck where visible

Underlayment where visible

Starter material

Hip and ridge material

Valleys

Flashing

Roof-to-wall transitions

Chimneys

Plumbing vents

Pipe boots

Skylights

Other roof penetrations

Drip edge

Fasteners

Sealants

Ventilation components

Gutters

Drainage

Previous repairs

Installation defects

Maintenance conditions

Repairable defects

Conditions requiring monitoring

Overall serviceability

Photographs and documented findings are included.

Aerial photography may supplement physical inspection where it provides useful additional information.

OPTIONAL PROFESSIONAL DATA

Additional resources for paying inspection clients

Clients purchasing a Roof Consultation or Detailed Roof Inspection receive information after their service that allows them
to obtain two additional types of professional property data directly from established third-party providers.

Precise aerial roof measurement reports

Professional aerial measurement reports can provide detailed dimensional information without requiring someone to manually measure every roof plane.

Depending upon the report selected, information may include:

Total roof area

Individual roof-plane areas

Roof pitch

Ridge lengths

Hip lengths

Valley lengths

Eave lengths

Rake lengths

Roof diagrams

Other exterior measurements

These reports can be useful for material calculations, budgeting, comparing roofing proposals, planning future work, or maintaining property records.

The report is ordered directly from the independent provider.

Historical weather reports

Paying clients also receive information allowing them to obtain professional location-specific historical weather data covering the previous two years.

Depending upon available data and report type, information may include recorded:

Hail

High winds

Severe thunderstorms

Heavy rainfall

Other significant weather activity

Historical weather information can be useful when comparing an observed roofing condition with weather events that occurred near the property.

These third-party reports are optional.

We do not automatically include their cost in our inspection price because many customers will never need them.

FOR QUALIFYING REAL-ESTATE LISTINGS

Property marketing package for qualifying real-estate listings

Property marketing package at no additional charge

A Detailed Roof Inspection performed for a qualifying real-estate listing also includes a Property Marketing Package at no additional charge.

During the property visit, aerial and exterior photographs can be captured for the listing agent’s use.

Images may be useful for:

MLS listings

Property websites

Coming-soon marketing

Just-listed marketing

Social media

Seller communications

General property marketing

AERIAL AND EXTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS

The roof-condition documentation remains separate from the marketing imagery.

ROOFING SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS

The two major categories of roofing systems

Residential roofing can generally be divided into two broad categories:

Steep-slope roofing

Steep-slope systems primarily use overlapping
materials, roof pitch, and gravity to shed water.

Common systems include:

Asphalt shingles
Exposed-fastener metal
Standing-seam metal
Cedar shingles or shakes

Synthetic slate or shake
Natural slate
Clay tile
Concrete tile

Low-slope roofing

Low-slope systems depend more heavily upon a continuous
waterproof membrane because water moves across
the roof more slowly.

Common systems include:

TPO
EPDM
Modified bitumen

Self-adhered membrane systems
Built-up roofing

A single house can contain both.

For example, a home may have architectural asphalt shingles over the main structure with modified bitumen or another membrane covering a low-slope porch or addition.

Roof pitch matters because roofing products are designed for specific slope ranges and installation methods.

STEEP-SLOPE ROOFING SYSTEMS

Asphalt shingles

Asphalt shingles are the most common steep-slope residential roofing material encountered throughout West Georgia.

A modern asphalt shingle generally consists of a fiberglass reinforcement mat coated with asphalt, then surfaced with mineral granules.

The granules provide color and protect the asphalt from ultraviolet exposure.

Three-tab shingles

Three-tab shingles have a relatively flat, uniform appearance with slots creating three exposed tabs.
They were widely installed on residential roofs for decades.
Many older homes still have three-tab roofing.

Being three-tab does not by itself mean a roof requires replacement. Actual material condition, fastening, flashing, repairability, and overall performance matter more than the style alone.

Architectural shingles

Architectural shingles are also called:

Dimensional shingles
Laminated shingles

They use laminated construction to produce additional thickness and a dimensional appearance.
This is the asphalt-shingle type most commonly encountered on newer residential roofs.

Some manufacturer or product names you might recognize or have heard include:

GAF Timberline
CertainTeed — Landmark
Owens Corning — Duration
TAMKO — Heritage
Atlas Pinnacle Pristine

Manufacturer identification can be useful when evaluating an existing roof or attempting to match repair material.
The manufacturer’s name alone does not determine whether a roof is good or bad.
Installation quality matters considerably.

Premium or designer shingles

Premium asphalt products use heavier construction, distinctive patterns, enhanced color combinations, or profiles intended to resemble slate, cedar, or other specialty materials.
Repairs can become more complicated when an older designer product has been discontinued.

Useful identification information includes:

Manufacturer
Product line
Color
Exposure
Dimensions
Approximate installation date

Components of an asphalt shingle roofing system

An asphalt shingle roofing system includes the following components:

1
Roof Deck

The roof deck is the structural substrate beneath the roofing system.
Common residential decking:

OSB
Plywood
Wood planks or boards

Common deck conditions:

Rot
Delamination
Soft decking
Broken decking
Excessive board gaps
Water staining
Previous leak damage
Inadequate fastening

The roof covering can appear reasonably normal while deterioration exists beneath it.

Underlayment

Underlayment is installed between the roof deck and primary roofing material.
Types:

Asphalt-saturated felt
Synthetic underlayment

Underlayment provides secondary protection beneath the finished roof covering.

Self-Adhered
Waterproof Membrane

Also called:

Leak barrier
Ice and water membrane
Peel-and-stick membrane
Self-adhered underlayment

May be used at valleys, eaves, skylights, chimneys, penetrations, and roof transitions, depending on roof design, manufacturer instructions, and applicable requirements.

Starter Shingles

Starter shingles or starter strips are installed at roof perimeters beneath the first field course.

They help establish correct layout while providing an adhesive seal at vulnerable roof edges.

Field Shingles

Field shingles make up the primary visible roof covering.

They are installed in overlapping courses so water is continuously directed toward the lower roof edge.

Hip & Ridge Caps

Hips are exterior angled intersections between roof planes.
The ridge is generally the upper horizontal intersection between opposing roof slopes.
Special cap material covers these intersections.

Roofing Fasteners

A shingle roof contains thousands of fasteners. Correct placement matters.

Defects:

High nails
Low nails
Angled nails
Overdriven nails
Underdriven nails
Exposed nails
Missing fasteners
Fasteners that fail to adequately
engage the roof deck

Improper fastening can contribute to movement, wind damage, lifted shingles, exposed fasteners, and premature failure.

ROOF FLASHING

Water is managed at the details.

Flashing directs water around interruptions in the roofing system.

Many leaks blamed on ‘the roof’ actually originate at flashing, penetrations, or transitions rather than in the middle of the roofing material.

01 Drip edge

Drip edge is sheet-metal flashing installed along roof edges.
Typical locations include:
Eaves • Rakes
It helps direct runoff away from vulnerable decking and fascia.

02 Step flashing

Step flashing is used where a sloped shingle roof meets a vertical sidewall.
Individual flashing pieces overlap with successive shingle courses.

Common defects include:
Missing flashing • Improper overlap • Incorrect dimensions • Improper fastening • Damaged flashing • Poor siding integration • Excessive reliance on sealant

03 Headwall or apron flashing

Headwall flashing protects the intersection where the upper end of a sloped roof terminates against a vertical surface.
Common locations include:
Dormers • Additions • Chimneys • Porches • Changes in building elevation

04 Counterflashing

Counterflashing protects the upper edge of another flashing component.
It is frequently used at:
Chimneys • Masonry walls • Similar vertical transitions
Proper counterflashing reduces reliance upon exposed sealant as the primary water barrier.

05 Kickout flashing

Kickout flashing is located near the lower termination of a roof-to-wall flashing system.
It directs concentrated roof runoff away from the wall and toward the gutter.
A missing or ineffective kickout can allow water to travel behind siding or wall cladding.
The resulting deterioration may occur where it is not immediately visible.

06 Chimney flashing

A chimney flashing assembly may contain:
Step flashing • Counterflashing • Back pan • Porches • Cricket or saddle where applicable
Not every leak near a chimney is caused by roof flashing.
Other potential sources include:
Mortar joints • Masonry • Chimney crown • Chimney cap • Wall interfaces • Adjacent siding