Asphalt Roof Shingles Green Bay & Appleton WI
Residential Roofing Experts

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are all these people knocking on my door?

The roofing industry has a segment of contractors who travel to follow storms. “Stormies” in Wisconsin come from as far away as Texas and Florida.

They often show up within 24-hours after a storm event, and leave when early work has been signed up, but not necessarily conducted.

The goal of many who knock on your door is, sadly, to get you to sign a contract, right on the spot. Their main sales pitch is they can get you a “free” roof. Be careful. You can’t be sure this is true or legal.

No one who knocks on your door, unsolicited, should ever pressure you to sign anything.

What licenses does Security-Luebke hold?

Wis. Dept. of Commerce (held by Jon Goodman) #12492
Wis. Div. of Safety & Buildings #12491

How do I compare your bid to other roofers I don’t know?

Ask to see their required licenses
Especially their Wis. Dept. of Commerce Dwelling Contractor Qualifier Certification. This requires ongoing education and licensing.

Examine the contractor’s local reputation (even those who come from out of state).
A good company should have full-time office staff instead of just a cell phone or an answering machine. A good company should provide a written workmanship warranty in addition to material warranties. A good company should have an extensive list of local customers from the past 5-yrs.; contact those customers for references.

Visit the workshop of each roofing contractor
A good company will have a local office and shop. Observe the cleanliness of their shop (they’ll typically treat your home the way they treat their own facility). Determine if they are in permanent facilities or just quickly rented space.

How bad does hail really damage my roof?

Less than ½” hail (pea size) usually causes no damage.

½” to 1″ hail (marble size) may damage the roof; this is usually not an emergency. You have time to call a local roofing contractor to come and inspect.

Hail over 1” (golf ball size) certainly can cause damage, and on occasion a leak. You will need a qualified contractor to look at your house.

Be patient. You usually have at least a year to complete the process. Do not be rushed into any snap decision.

Be prudent. Use all your good sense and judgment when dealing with insurance companies, adjusters, and contractors. Be as cautious as you would be for any other major purchase.

Be wise. Even though your insurance company may pay for the damage, it is still your home. Don’t settle for contractors with whom you wouldn’t spend your own money. (read choosing your next contractor)

Be proactive. Call your insurance agent and report the possibility of damage. They will instruct you to call a contractor like Security-Luebke Roofing to come and inspect your roof. When you call someone reliable, you may need to be patient. Good local contractors are worth the wait.

What if my insurance company just won’t cooperate?

Your only expectation should be full compliance with your policy. But if you have doubts, speak directly with a regional manager of the insurance company. Your insurance agent does not settle claims, but is very interested in keeping you satisfied. Your agent will gladly provide the manager’s contact information. The insurance company’s regional or district office is where claim decisions are made. Politely communicate your position to the regional manager. Be sure to get that person’s name.

What can I do when my insurance is not offering enough money?

You have the right to challenge not only the dollar value, but also the accuracy of the adjustor’s report and measurements. A quote from a respected company, such as Security-Luebke Roofing, establishes a fair market value by virtue of our 50+ years of service in N.E. Wisconsin.

When you authorize us to speak with your adjustor we are very successful at closing the gap between the true cost of replacing your roof and the amount your insurance company initially states.

Why should I consider steel shingles?

Value. Installing a steel shingle adds immediate value to your home, much like replacing vinyl siding with brick. Also, consider life cycle cost (total cost of ownership divided by number of years of effective use). Steel shingles have the lowest lifecycle cost of all roofing products. Simply put, this is the last roof the house will need for over 100 yrs. Your neighbors who just bought an asphalt roof will be buying another one while yours will still perform well and look good as new (see FAQ on shingle warranties).

Appearance. Stone coated steel shingles, using the same steel, glue and stones, is embossed to replicate many types of attractive (and more pricey) roofing products such as cedar, slate, tile, shake and clay. Also, many people find the look of a painted metal roof to be too shiny and industrial looking. Steel that is instead covered in stone is naturally more visually appealing.

Durability. Stone coated steel is rated highest for wind, rain, and hail. Steel is stronger than asphalt. Stone is stronger than paint. It just adds up! Also, most customers experience a discount from their insurance company because of their steel shingles.

Do you give free estimates?

Yes! Click here for a free estimate.

Estimates for roofing projects are free. We schedule a time to send out an estimator to look at the roof, discuss with you your needs and interests, calculate any costs and present you with a written and detailed proposal for you to consider.

We don’t play the discount game. We will give you the best price up front. It will be the best price to do the job right and provide you with the service you expect from hiring an experienced contractor.

If you think you need a repair instead of a full roof, we are happy to send one of our Service Technicians to your home. This does include a diagnostic charge, but it is applied to the service if you proceed with any repairs.

I have a leak, do I need a new roof?

Possibly. We will need to find the cause of the leak in order to properly advise you, and we are more than happy to do this. We will send out a Service Technician who will stop the leak and then assess your roof. If a full roof is recommended, we will send out an estimator to measure the roof and discuss the project with you.

Click here for a roofing service request.

Should I rake the snow off my roof?

If your home is prone to ice dams (and many of them are) then keeping the eaves clean does go a long way to help. Be sure the rake is roof-friendly and be gentle. Avoid scraping off the granules.

Do you install heat wires?

Yes, but only as a last resort. We prefer to solve ice dam problems at the source. They are most often caused by heat loss and/or poor attic ventilation. If that is the case, correcting that is preferred (and will save you money).

Sometimes the problem is architecture or the age of the house, and installing a heat wire can do the trick. They can keep things flowing at that sensitive part of your roof: the eaves and valleys.

If my shingles have a lifetime warranty why did they only last X years?

The sad truth is that, in the world of asphalt shingles, warranty DOES NOT EQUAL life span. The warranty is not written to protect you. It serves two purposes: protect the manufacturer and sell more shingles.

Most asphalt shingles carry an “out of the box” warranty that covers the material for 100% of the cost for 5-10 yrs (non-prorated period). It is important to know that those warranties DO NOT cover failure due to application error, which is actually how many roofs fail. After the non-prorated period is over, the warranty that remains is worth pennies on the dollar. If you paid $8,000 for your roof, and it failed in 15 yrs and it WAS due to material failure, you can expect a warranty settlement of between $800-$1,200. That will still leave you paying quite a large amount out-of-pocket when you replace the roof again. In 2010, all shingle manufacturers changed most of their warranties to “Lifetime” in an effort to increase sales. We believe this was incredibly deceiving to the homeowners who buy the roofs. They are left with a false sense of security.

At Security-Luebke Roofing, we use an up-front and honest approach when we talk to you about warranties. We want you to know the facts. We also counteract the sad truth about shingle warranties in two ways: we sell more and more steel shingles (with 100+ year lifespans, see FAQ about steel shingles), and we are an Owens Corning Platinum Contractor. Owens Corning invited Security-Luebke Roofing to be part of their select contractor network which provides our customers with Owens Corning’s Platinum Warranty protection which includes 50 years of non-prorated Labor, Material AND Workmanship protection. Owens Corning knows we do things the right way, so they stand behind their products

Owens Corning invited Security Luebke Roofing to be part of their select contractor network which provides our customers with Owens Corning’s Platinum Warranty protection which includes 50 years of non-prorated Labor, Material, and Workmanship protection. Owens Corning knows we do things the right way, so they stand behind our workmanship for 50 years. Now that is peace of mind.

Click here to learn more about Owens Corning warranties.

I have ICE on my Gutter Topper. Should I worry?

If you’re not experiencing a leak in your home, then you shouldn’t worry. Ice dams are a common sight in northeast Wisconsin. We just have to make sure your roof and gutter system are built to protect the home, not necessarily to prevent the dam.

Ice dams are caused by many factors, some of which can be improved (insulation and ventilation) and some that can’t (architecture, orientation to the sun, snowfall, temperature changes, and age of the home).

The important question to ask is, “Am I experiencing a leak?”

Gutter Topper does not cause ice dams, nor does it prevent them. If your home is prone to icy eaves (and MOST homes are) then the ice that you see is just on top of the gutter rather than in the gutter.

With Gutter Topper, you experience a sort of trade-off; the ice is no longer in the gutter, stressing the gutter and becoming harder to thaw, in exchange for moving the ice to a visible location on top of the Gutter Topper. This may also lead to experiencing icicles sooner as the ice does not have to wait for the gutter to fill up for it to overflow.

Gutter Topper and your gutters, once combined, can handle a significant amount of snow and ice. If the icicles are bothersome (dripping on a walkway for example) then knocking them off is certainly encouraged. Sometimes the ice will form a ‘bridge’ over the Gutter Topper opening and when the thaw starts, the melting water follows the bridge. This is the best time to knock off the icicles so your gutters can return to their intended function; draining the water away from the home.

If your Gutter Topper or your gutters (or your roof for that matter) require any attention that you are unable to provide, please contact us for a service request. We will be happy to send out a Service Technician to provide you an estimate for service.

Do I really have an emergency?

Wind that blows off roofing and damages the structure of your house is an emergency for which you need rapid service. Contact a company such as Security-Luebke Roofing. We have a 24-7 emergency hotline which is accessed through any of our normal telephone numbers:

Fox Valley – (920) 733-7635

Oshkosh – (920) 233-5070

Green Bay – (920) 494-7998