Have you looked at your roof lately and thought “oh I’ll get around to that”? You don’t realize you’re going to have a problem until it’s inescapable. To that we say, the end of Summer/beginning of Fall is a great time to address these seemingly little fixes, that are pertinent in the effort of extending your roof’s life. A few services to consider: Cleaning the debris of gutters— It will become sludge, clog, water back up and create mold ad leakage inside your home. The seams of your gutters can become to split which can result in the necessity to need to completely replace the product itself. Missing and loose shingles— while the underlayment of your roof can survive exposed for a period of time because of how we secure the backing, but long standing exposure will cause damage to the structure of your roof and home. Roof cleaning— This is preventive for your roof. The more you do it — the longer your roof lasts. Caulking and Sealing — This is one of the most common problems we come across and easily overlooked. This can become a site of leakage issues around your skylights, windows and flashing (materials wrapped dormers, your chimney, valley seals). Without a proper check, water damage can become the result. If you’re not proactive attending to what seen like little fixes they can become long-lasting issues. Before you know its a whole re-roof project. So what’s to do when these issues arise? Fortunately it’s as easy as contacting our Service Division. Depending on the age of your roof, we may even suggest considering our Maintenance Program. You can count on quality, detailed workmanship as we determine what should be done so you can expect the maximum performance of your roof system. Call us today for a service check! 847-247-4400

After being in business for 40 years we have countless examples of crappy work done by other contractors here in the North Shore of Chicago. Sometimes it’s a matter of inexperience while others it is a question of ethics. Either way, it’s a giant buzz kill to find out the guy you hired a while back pulled a fast one and left you with a bad job. But in defense of good contractors in Chicago–and there are many of them–homeowners frequently bear some responsibility in this story because they cared more about low price than other factors. Yes, this is a case study about getting what you pay for. You hear it all the time. You get what you pay for. Well, yes and no. We all know it’s possible to pay a lot for crappy work and on rare occasion pay a little for excellent work. Still, it’s generally true that the ‘get-what-you-pay-for’ principle applies to residential contracting here in Illinois. If you receive an estimate from our competition that is substantially lower, the odds are they are including lower quality labor or materials, they plan on change-ordering you to death, they have figured out ways to cut corners during the job, or a combination of all the above. It’s normally not the case that the other company has decided to profit less from their work. They run a business, after all. In the case of Cedar Roofing Company, what you buy always aligns with what you spend because we jointly agree on your needs up front. Want to perform your work on a tight budget? Not a problem. Concerned mostly about the long-term performance of the work? Not a problem. The work we do for you-and what it costs-will depend on the needs you express while we are estimating your project.

Recently the Home Association for the Commons of Conway Farms hired us to re-roof 56 of their homes. While it was a big task, we thank them for trusting us with this considering undertaking! We’d like to share some remarks from the President of The Common’s HOA President— “We were very pleased with the level of professionalism, the quality of work by the crew and the respect for the properties and the homeowners. CRC completed the project on time and on budget. We were also impressed with how your supervisors were aware of the weather and worked around any inclement conditions. We also appreciated the the sites were cleaned up at the end of each work day. Your team did a fantastic job of orchestrating the entire project. From the bidding process, contract negotiations to the scheduling and execution of the work. We are so grateful!” Below see our work in progress and our grand finish! We’re thrilled how they turned out.

In April 2020, I met with homeowner to discuss a re-roof project on their home in Lake Forest. I showed them several different cedar products. They weren’t crazy about them so I brought up Alaskan Yellow CCA Tapersawn. I showed them some samples and explained that the roof is very yellow at first but turns a beautiful silver within a year. I have included before, final and 1 year later. Alaskan Yellow Cedar is found only on the Pacific coast of North America. Two characteristics that make Yellow Cedar shingles so popular are its strength and durability. Alaskan Yellow Cedar Shingles contain natural oils and tannins that fight against mold and decay, which means homeowners who buy Alaskan Yellow Cedar shingles can enjoy lasting value with little maintenance required. Before After What’, these natural tannins and oils release over time, which slightly changes the color of custom Yellow Cedar shingles from a pale yellow to a soft and silvery gray. One Year Later

A new customer in Wheaton contacted us to check on the condition of their old cedar shake roof. After the inspection CRC’s team determined that replacement would be the best way to move forward. After looking at many samples and going over the benefits the customer decided that a synthetic roof would be the best option for them. Our crews installed a Brava Shake Roof in the color Lake Forest Gray. In addition to the roof replacement they added the accessories of oversized aluminum gutters and downspouts, as well as snow guards, copper standing seams and gutter guards. Our team and the homeowner was thrilled with how the house turned out and happy they will no longer need to worry about annual repairs and cleaning! Below see our before and after. Note from the homeowner: “Thanks for helping us pick out a great roofing product and the crew is doing a fantastic job on it!”

Spring is around the corner and storm season is here. Along with these storms come the “Storm-Chasers”- roofing contractors that move from state to state to take advantage of storm victims. You need help right away and it is difficult to tell the good guys from the bad. Don’t get caught being a double victim, first from the from and then from a disreputable contractor. Instead, let our Storm Division be your first call. As an example, a client recently called us because a section of copper was loose on their roof after very heavy winds. Upon inspection we realized that the majority of their upper flat seam copper roof had blown off, leaving the area beneath exposed. We assembled an emergency crew and sent them to cut away the damaged material, ice and water shield and then tarp the area to prevent water damage with rain or snow (which could have been a serious issue otherwise). Below see how our client identified the damaged area and how we repaired their roof. Here are some things you can prepare yourself when it comes to storm damage: Stay calm and be patient. You want to be prompt in attending to your problem but do not rush the job. Avoid “knock on door” contractors or “Storm Chasers.” You want to avoid large upfront payments, it will usually be a scam! Check to make sure the contractor is properly licensed and do your research! Go local, always. Make sure that companies have real websites, certifications, and insurance. When in doubt, look up the roofer on the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any records or comments. We are a member in good standing with the National Roofing Contractors Association, have an A+ rating with the BBB and are compliant with OSHA’s safety standards. All workers are employed by CRC ad we don’t use any subcontractors. We’re fully insured, bonded and are HAAG Certified inspectors.