Commercial roofs almost never fail all at once. They fail at a clogged drain, a lifted lap, a curb flashing that somebody stepped on — small things that were visible for two years before the ceiling tile stained. A twice-yearly walk catches nearly all of it. Here’s the checklist we use, section by section, plus what to document so a
A natural slate roof lasts 75 to 100+ years, and plenty of them are still working at 150. The best synthetic slate lasts 40 to 50. But here’s the part that matters more than either number: on most slate roofs, the slate isn’t what fails. The nails, the flashing, and the valleys go first — often decades earlier. That distinction
A bay window roof is one of the smallest surfaces on your house and one of the most likely to leak. It’s low-slope, it has four or five direction changes in a few feet, and it dies into a wall at the top — three conditions shingles handle badly. Copper, flat-locked and soldered, is the right answer, and it can
Short answer: the actual install on a typical home takes 1 to 3 days for asphalt shingles — often just one. Metal runs about 4 to 6 days and tile 8 to 9. But the install is only the loud part. From signing the estimate to the final cleanup, the whole project usually spans a few weeks, mostly waiting on
Short answer: most Illinois homes with asphalt shingles need a new roof every 20 to 30 years — often closer to 20–25 given our freeze-thaw winters. Metal, tile, slate, and copper last far longer. But age is only half the story: the real rule is to replace when your roof reaches the end of its life or starts showing failure
Short answer: asphalt wins on upfront cost; metal wins on lifespan and Illinois winters. If you’re on a tighter budget or won’t be in the home long, quality architectural shingles are a smart buy. If you’re staying put and want a roof you buy once, standing seam metal is usually worth the premium. Here’s the honest side-by-side. Both materials work
Short answer: yes, roofers work through Chicago winters. Repairs and emergencies get handled year-round, and full replacements are doable in the cold with the right precautions — but some jobs are genuinely better left for warmer, drier weather. Here’s the honest breakdown of what can be done in January, what should wait, and why. Roofs don’t check the calendar before
Short answer Neutral colors add the most value — charcoal, gray, black, brown, and weathered wood. They appeal to the widest pool of buyers, pair with almost any exterior, and don’t look dated in five years. The color that turns heads at the paint store isn’t always the one that helps you at resale. Roof color is one of the
Roofing doesn’t change fast — but 2026 is a real inflection point. Metal is going mainstream, shingles are getting tougher, and “smart” materials are finally worth a second look. Here’s what’s actually new, and our honest read on what’s worth your money and what’s just marketing. We’ve been on Arlington Heights roofs since 2007, so we’ve watched plenty of “next
Short answer For most single-family homes in the Arlington Heights area, a full asphalt roof replacement runs roughly $9,000 to $16,000 — with smaller or simpler roofs coming in lower, and large, steep, or premium-material roofs going higher. But that’s a starting point, not a quote. A roof’s price comes down to its size, its pitch, the material you choose,
