I live in the foothills of Los Angeles and with the wildfire of 2008 I was evacuated when the flames got to the edge of the sub-division.
I spent days holed up at a friend's house worrying whether or not my home was going to make it through the blaze.
Luckily the winds shifted and my home was spared.
After the fire I started looking for roof companies that could provide protection from future Southern California wildfires.
Many people believe that roof companies can only do roof repairs.
That is what I used to think, but realized that wasn't the case after I decided to start looking into the options available to protect my home.
Not only did several roof companies point out some great options for fire protection, they also help me take advantage of great tax credits.
I ended up replacing my roof with a metal roof that is environmentally friendly and was also on the Federal Government's list of Energy Star compliant roofing materials.
For materials to qualify for this list they have to help consumers save on their utility costs.
The metal roof has some kind of heat resistant roof coating that helps to reduce utility costs.
Because of this roof coating, the material qualified for a special tax credit offered by the Federal Government to homeowner's that use energy saving materials on their home.
Between the tax credit and the energy savings I'm going to save a considerable amount of money.
At first I was originally just looking for roof companies to find out a way to protect my home from future wildfires.
All of the roofing companies I contacted were so professional and knowledgeable about more than just roof repairs.
When I started to look for roof companies I started by checking out the State of California's website regarding contractors.
There are a few things that you should know when looking for roof companies to give you a roofing estimate.
First, get at least three roof companies to give you a bid.
And make sure that each of the roof companies gives you at least three references for other projects that they have done.
You should go and look at each of them; if you're brave you can even go ask the homeowners about how well the roofing companies treated them.
After you have decided on which of the roof companies' roofing estimate to go with then it is time to sign a contract with them.
If any of the roof companies want more than ten percent to start the job, they might not be the best choice for your job.
The state's website recommends that people only pay ten percent of the total cost of the job as a deposit and to never pay more for work that has not yet been done.
I now have a beautiful metal roof that is not only fire resistant but also allowed me to take advantage of some great tax credits for being energy efficient.
And with a little bit of research, you can too.
I spent days holed up at a friend's house worrying whether or not my home was going to make it through the blaze.
Luckily the winds shifted and my home was spared.
After the fire I started looking for roof companies that could provide protection from future Southern California wildfires.
Many people believe that roof companies can only do roof repairs.
That is what I used to think, but realized that wasn't the case after I decided to start looking into the options available to protect my home.
Not only did several roof companies point out some great options for fire protection, they also help me take advantage of great tax credits.
I ended up replacing my roof with a metal roof that is environmentally friendly and was also on the Federal Government's list of Energy Star compliant roofing materials.
For materials to qualify for this list they have to help consumers save on their utility costs.
The metal roof has some kind of heat resistant roof coating that helps to reduce utility costs.
Because of this roof coating, the material qualified for a special tax credit offered by the Federal Government to homeowner's that use energy saving materials on their home.
Between the tax credit and the energy savings I'm going to save a considerable amount of money.
At first I was originally just looking for roof companies to find out a way to protect my home from future wildfires.
All of the roofing companies I contacted were so professional and knowledgeable about more than just roof repairs.
When I started to look for roof companies I started by checking out the State of California's website regarding contractors.
There are a few things that you should know when looking for roof companies to give you a roofing estimate.
First, get at least three roof companies to give you a bid.
And make sure that each of the roof companies gives you at least three references for other projects that they have done.
You should go and look at each of them; if you're brave you can even go ask the homeowners about how well the roofing companies treated them.
After you have decided on which of the roof companies' roofing estimate to go with then it is time to sign a contract with them.
If any of the roof companies want more than ten percent to start the job, they might not be the best choice for your job.
The state's website recommends that people only pay ten percent of the total cost of the job as a deposit and to never pay more for work that has not yet been done.
I now have a beautiful metal roof that is not only fire resistant but also allowed me to take advantage of some great tax credits for being energy efficient.
And with a little bit of research, you can too.
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