HomeOwner
roof replacement
Answer from pro:
Hello Rayne and Domenic. I hope this response finds you well. I regret that you feel that there was a disconnect between us as I really went out of my way to discuss every detail of your 100 year old home that had 4 layers of original roofing on it with your husband as well as list all aspects of your estimated scope of work on our contract before we started the job in a very detailed form including the high probability of extra carpentry and structural work that may have be needed. I too shared in being frustrated as well. We take great pride in educating our clients with proper building code compliant procedures and protocols but we are at the mercy of the home owners budget and as so try our best to find price friendly options to save money where we can and to work with property owners in a positive way. To recap the events that took place, I was asked to come and provide a flat roof quote by your husband in the late fall of 2016 which was a pleasure considering we worked together on your lower second floor flat roof previously and all went well. While I was there at your home discussing the work I advised Domenic to please do not do any finish ceiling work other than the demo and clean up until the flat roof was torn off so we could determine if structural carpentry work was needed on top and possibly do the extra work as well and not displace the new interior finish work. I also advised that in order to get more head room that rebuilding and going up two ft higher would be a nice option but much more costly and that would solve the low ceiling issues as well as provide a deeper cavity for thicker amounts of insulation. That option was denied due to costs. As you know your old ceiling was sagging in certain areas which is a tell tale sign of underlying issues and I mentioned that an engineer may have to be brought in if major reinforcing or rebuilding was required plus permits would also be needed from the City of Toronto. I was advised that your father was helping out on site and that he was a professional engineer as well. I was a little surprised that when the ceilings were removed and framing and beams exposed that they were not dealt with then by others as Canadian Roofing Company didn't arrive until a month later. With the winter weather being unstable we waited until March to start the job as finding 3 consecutive days of dry weather was challenging. The first day we started we tore off the flat roofing materials down to the original roof decking which was over 3.5" thick. At that point we confirmed that the roof had indeed sunken in in the middle and that extra framing work was needed to create a 1% slope to effectively dry the roof off and provide stability. I was instructed by my foreman who has over 20 years experience of the extra work and costs. He too also discussed the extra framing work with your husband Domenic while on site and gave him a break down of what was needed. We also discovered by going inside your home that the ceilings had all been finished which we advised against earlier and that the only way extra framing or beam support could happen now would be to remove your new finished work to access these areas. Once hearing this, I immediately called and advised your husband what we believed the right thing to do was and extra costs associated with that. We tarped and secured the roof and allowed you guys time to discuss budget options. We again were instructed that it was not in the budget to re frame the roof and to carry on with the original quoted job which we did. We advised that there may be a ponding water in a few areas of the flat roof as a result of the sagging but we would try and adjust and shim up the ridgid insulation to minimize this at no extra costs. This helped but was not a perfect solution. We also discovered that the brick parapet walls were quite poor once old roofing was removed and needed masonry work which would have added extra $2500 plus to the job but we opted to wrap the walls in plywood to support them as this provided a more budget friendly option to save money. Once all work was completed we met for a walk through and a discussion which was approximately 2 1/2 weeks later and you expressed your concerns over a nominal amount of water on the flat roof plus rear dormers that were not part of the original contract and a eaves trough that was pulling away on the front of your house which was also not part of our contract. As good will gesture I took it upon myself to clean out your eaves troughs, renail and secure them and sweep your lower roof of your extra demolition debris. I also offered to do the smaller rear dormer flat roofs for free but also added that they needed carpentry and rebuilding as they had structural issues as well and that although I'd do the roofing for free the carpentry, insulation and aluminum trim would be extra. Again this was not part of my contract. As an acting manager of Canadian Roofing Company it is my duty and responsibility to to make sure clients are informed of all the steps along the way and that we conclude our business dealings in a positive way. I feel I went above and beyond in discussing the work details and want to conclude by saying my offer still stands at doing those dormer roofs for you at no extra costs. Thank you and all the best Canadian Roofing Company Ltd.
Reply created 11 Dec 2019