Cross Bay Roofing

Roofing contractors around Tampa Bay

Most of the difference between two roofing quotes is not the shingle. It is what happens underneath it, and what happens if the decking turns out to be soft.

What separates a complete quote from a cheap one

  • Flashing — replaced, or re-used and sealed? Re-using it is the most common reason a new roof leaks in its first year.
  • Decking — what is the price per sheet, and how many sheets are assumed? Nobody knows the real number until the old roof is off.
  • Underlayment — does ice-and-water shield go at the eaves and in the valleys, or only where code requires it?
  • Ventilation — corrected, or simply reinstalled? A hot attic shortens the life of whatever goes on top of it.
  • Warranty — the manufacturer covers the material; the contractor covers the labour. The second is worth more.
A roof here rarely fails where you can see it. It fails underneath, and at the metal. Six of them, numbered. Five are places where the roof meets something else.
Garage Point 1 — ridge caps 1 Ridge caps — full sun, no shade, ever Point 2 — the field of the roof 2 The field — shingle, or tile on felt Point 3 — valleys 3 Two slopes drain through one line, every afternoon Point 4 — flashing 4 Flashing — the metal salt air finds long before the shingle Point 5 — vent boot 5 Vent boot Point 6 — eaves and ice dams 6 Eaves — where the Florida room ties in

The work

Why roofs fail in this region

Two materials, one climate. Asphalt shingle ages from the surface down under sun that runs all year; concrete tile outlives its own underlayment and fails invisibly from beneath. Add attics that trap heat and condense moisture off air-conditioned ductwork, low-slope additions that need a membrane rather than shingle, and salt working on every piece of metal near the water. Most of what gets reported here is predictable.

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