31 Oct Buyer Beware: Roofing Horror Stories
Horror stories aren’t just reserved for creepy houses or thriller movies. Real life horror stories happen every day in a wide variety of situations. Including when repairing a roof. When you trust someone to take care of your roof, you’re essentially trusting them with your entire home. Your roof is the first line of defense you have against the elements. Without it, or without it installed properly, a myriad of issues can turn your warm, comfortable home into an expensive horror story you tell people as a caution for their next roof replacement. Just in time for Halloween, when everyone’s in the mood for a scary story, we put together a list of some of the scariest roofing stories we’ve found from real people around the world. Read these stories and make sure they never happen to you!
Up and Vanished: The Tale of the Missing Roof
Imagine hunkering down for a severe storm…without a roof. This family found themselves staring down a wind storm without a roof all because of an address mistake by a roofing company. After receiving a call from her son asking why she didn’t mention roof work happening that day, Jennifer Campbell rushed home to find their home in a state of total despair. The roofing company accidentally removed their roof, instead of the roof they were supposed to replace three doors down. The roofing company said they would give Jennifer a great price to replace the roof. After many phone calls with the insurance company and police, the Campbell family finally found a roofing company they trusted to do the replacement. So word to the wise – always let family members know when work is taking place, and make sure everyone knows to never let anyone up on the roof without documentation.
Disappearing Act: When Contractors Don’t Come Back
The next story comes out of Siouxland, Iowa. After a hailstorm hit the town, roofing contractors came to town offering their contracting services. One company, in particular, promised many residents in the area swift work to repair roofs damaged by hail. After paying the company and using insurance funds to cover the costs, the roofing company never came back to make the repairs. Not only did they leave town, but the owner of the company also hasn’t responded to any calls or communications from clients or staff. Now almost a year later, the work has not been done and the homeowners are out of patience and out of money. Be very cautious when out of town contractors knock on your door. In many cases, it’s best to go with a local company with testimonials from the community. It’s much easier to disappear from a town where no one knows you than your own community.
One Bad Thing Leads To Another: The Tale of The Moldy Roof
Our next story comes from a family in Michigan who did get roof repair, but say the repairs left the roof worse than how the contractors found it. The bad repair job left them with leaks, moss, and mold in the house coming through the roof. This poor job didn’t result in an unseen issue, when the contractors left the home, they left a bucket to collect the leaking water. With the amount of snow and wet weather in Michigan, the roof continues to worsen as time goes on. The job was set up through the graciousness of a community action group, but unfortunately the job is leaving more costly repairs than the initial repair. The wrong team, miscommunication, and a lack of follow through are always things to look out for when dealing with a roofing contractor. Make sure you establish clear lines of communication from the beginning and don’t trust someone because they say they have experience. Do your homework and be sure for yourself.
Bad roofing horror stories happen all across the country and the world. Unfortunately, some people take advantage of people in need of repairs for their most important investment, their home. This Halloween season, take heed and learn something from these terrifying tales and make sure you do everything you can to not become one of these stories. If you need help getting started, or need to know what your roof needs from a third-party inspector before contractors come in and give you a quote, contact our professionals to help you find the right repairs for your roof.