When hiring a roofing contractor in Vancouver there are several ways of knowing how reliable they are. You could search the better business bureau, this is always a good way to eliminate the bad apples right off the bat. First impressions last so if you feel there is something funny about the roofer don't worry to much. There are over four hundred registered roofing companies in the greater Vancouver region and all will be more than happy to give you a estimate
In Vancouver a roofing contractor may offer many products but only one seems to predominate the region. This is laminate fibreglass shingles. although this is the most affordable product on the market it is also the strongest. If you have a Vancouver special then it is best to stick with the low slope products
The nasty stories I hear around Vancouver roofing contractors are constant and happen everyday, so don't panic if you think you wont find someone reliable. Ask the roofer if he has done work close to where you live and go see the homes he says he has done. Don't be shy to ask questions this is your home and it is your job to protect it. The roof is the only barrier between you and the rain, don't make that barrier weak because you are intimidated or nervous about a project you think is to big to understand. At the end of the day if you have a good feeling about the roofing contractor then you probably safe. Roofing contractors in Vancouver are generally professional and reliable. The best thing to do is research the BBB and get the phone numbers not to call
When you buy your home you are buying a certain piece of construction history. The average old house in the Vancouver region is about a hundred year old house which at that time cedar shake was the only viable roofing product. At the time asphalt which is the by-product of refined oil was not being used. Cedar was in the plenty in the pacific North West. What was amazing was this cedar was all old growth and as a result it would last for forty fifty years. When the Cedar shake started to finally expire asphalt had just hit the town of Vancouver in the fifties and was the hottest trend. You could cover the cedar shakes like a blanket and it would last at least two decades
At the time new construction was making multi family homes where shiplap decks purely for asphalt shingles. At the time it was a good idea but today we find shiplap and asphalt are not a good mix. between the early fifties and the late seventies cedar was not a common product being used. Even for new construction there was a limit of cedar. With demand in the US at this time for lumber as well as the basic trend here in British Columbia both had a something to do with the lack of Cedar shake roofing
Diamond and interlock shingles were the trend for the next fifty years on new and re-roofing with cedar shake making a comeback in the early 80's when there was another boom in new construction. This trend hasn't changed even until now where new construction gets a cedar roof and asphalt roofing gets to replace the cedar shake when it expires
The rules on how roofing should be done but the products have remained pretty much the same. Vancouver homes may all look the same but the designs and product in which the homes are made are unique to the pacific north west