Do you think quality matters when purchasing roofing accessories? Does the quality of the ACCESSORIES make a difference in the quality of the finished roof and are these products meeting code?

When you buy a roofing product, you look for a good quality shingle, tile or metal product. Do you ever really consider though, the differences in the accessories that you purchase such as flashings, underlayments and felts, fasteners and coatings? Do you think these items make a difference in the quality of the finished roof and are these products meeting code?

I always consider the accessories as important as the roof itself. I have seen wood shingles put on with cheap plain nails and be completely rusted away in just 5 to 10 years. I have seen .016 alum valleys ripped to shreds from expansion. I had to remove and replace a slate roof that had cheap electro-plated nails that rotted away. Even pipe flashing's on a slate roof should be able to last as long as the roof so I make my own.

Quality is why I buy American, or Welsh slates. There is no good long term track record, that I've personally seen, with the fake slate, nor the CHinese slates.

Yes! The correct flashing on a single ply membrane roof can make or destroy the system. If you have roofed long enough, you should know that 8 of 10 leaks occur around or near a protrusion. As a larger single ply membrane roofing contractor, we rely on roofing accessories either purchased through the manufacturers or from a fabricator (acmecone.com) to provide us the correct size and dimension. As far as warranty goes...the material these accessories are made of is the same as the field membrane. As long as there is correct overlaps, there should not be issues and the accessories lifespan should be the same as the field membrane.

In residential 2nd rate shingles are a problem. Some of the jacks around here use them to underbid everyone and lots of these roofs are defective within 10 yrs or less. Also i've seen some of the bigger companies buy loads of over saturated felt paper real cheap. Some of it to the point where when you try to roll out the felt it sticks and rips. Some of the roofs they applied it to have wrinkles in the felt in the early morning hours that don't smooth out until the afternoon. lol The 3-n-1 plastic, aluminum or metal pipe collars wear out before the roof and cause a leak. Its the rubber piece that wears out not the base flashing. Using lead pipe collars eliminates that problem from ever occuring. Heavy gauge pre-painted aluminum flashings for chimneys, wall flashing, valley flashing, etc.. are much better but not cheap. Also the local suppliers do not carry aluminum making this a problem with getting it to the job conveniently. Not to mention that the homeowners want the most cost effective roof they can get. The way we combat this problem is by offering a base roofing system ( and price ) and upgrades from there. They choose their own upgrades. If any. Homeowners like this as they have control over their own price and choices. We just give them the information they need to make the decisions.

We install complete roof systems, using manufacturer recommended starter, cap shingles, underlayment (I&W/felt), quality flashings and color matched drip edge. Use color matched low slope roofing if needed. The quality of the accessories certainley contributes to the quality and appearance of the finished product. . . .

. . . . and also adds to the real VALUE of the product being sold to the homeowner. Speaks especially well to the pride of ownership which many customers key on.

now that's a proper pipe flashing copperman!

As we like to say here, The Devil is in the Details. Except for TPO degredation, most of the roof failures I see are not material failures, they are detailing failures. Yes, it matters. It matters a LOT!

When it comes to material, I buy the best. I don't use 15lb felt for example. I use 30# when drying in a roof. Costs me twice as much, but I save tons of time in installation. It doesn't tear as easily as 15# felt, doesn't break as easily when being fastened, can be cut way faster and can be thrown around (doesn't have to be babied).

Quality products (whether they cost more or not) will save you money.

Luckily my supplier is great with me. Whenever I receive a drop with damaged bundles, they'll send me the replacement bundles for free. Sometimes, they'll toss on the replacement bundles while their loading me. They know I'll bring that stuff right back and go elsewhere if they send me garbage. So it took a while to train them, but we have an understanding now. Give me exactly what I pay for and I'll keep doing business with you even if it costs me $3./sq more.

I've worked for contractors who'd get bad stock and use it anyway on jobs they were charging premium for. Turned my stomach to be involved with cheats like that. There are always reasonable uses for damaged stock where their being damaged won't matter.

It's my experience that it's better to have more than you need and not need it and to need it and not have it. Choosing the best materials (+ accessories, etc...) speaks volumes of the installer. I'm the same with everything else (tools, administrative equipment, gear [boots, jeans,...], etc...).

All accessories should out perform the main roof membrane. We don't replace aluminum vents if in good shape. Some things last and don't need to be replaced cause they are old. A clean up and paint works fine. Don't fill landfills swith good stuff. Most soil pipe boots should be replaced. Lead boots can be reused if not puctured