Q. West suburbs preferred but any one will do. Thanks!

A. I am a natural slate roofing contractor located in south florida. i'm from michigan and i'm currently installing teak wood shingles in the bahamas for Art Wirtz Jr who's from chicago. i don't know of any good wood shingle guys in chicago off hand but i know of the perfect place to find one. you see the worst thing you could do is hire a shingle contractor for the job. those guys install cheap, temporary roofing and simply don't have the skills to properly install natural roofs. i belong to a nationwide community of slaters which has a great website. we have a message board where slaters talk to each other and homeowners go for great advise. there is also a list of contractors who haven't just paid their fees but have actually PROVEN themselves to be real craftsmen when it comes to roofs. i'll post the site below. good luck and great choice!!

Q. Since the roofing business deals with allot of insurance companies and my customers wont have to pay nothing for their new roofs i was thinking about "Free For All Roofing". or maybe something catchy that's rhymes like "Weather Proof Roofs". what do y'all think about my selection and do you have a name that's better then mine?

A. Safe and Sound Roofs Long Life Roofs Just In Time Roofs

Q. Since the roofing business deals with allot of insurance companies and my customers wont have to pay nothing for their new roofs i was thinking about "Free For All Roofing". or maybe something catchy that's rhymes like "Weather Proof Roofs". what do y'all think about my selection and do you have a name that's better then mine?

A. D*ck sucking loving roofs

A. You should not install asphalt shingles in cold weather as the adhesive strip in the shingle will not properly bond to the shingle below it. The result is you could lose a lot of shingles if you have a very windy day before it gets warm. HTH, Andrew Kester, PE Structural Engineer Florida

Q. We're thinking of replacing our shingle roof with a metal one. Where is the best place to search for a reliable roofing contractor? Thanks for your help!

A. $300+ per square [100 square feet] for asphalt shingles. Metal roofs have a much broader price range depending on quality and style. Contact your local Roofing union or builders association, and make sure they are both licensed and insured. Ask for a copy of their current coverage, and refuse work to them until it is provided.

Q. I am looking for a roofer who has specific extensive experience with flat roofs that you can recommend from personal experience.

A. It would help to know where you are located. You can call the local BBB for references for roofers. You can find smaller companies on the builder bulletin boards at places like Lowes or Home Depot. A roofing supplier will have one of these boards too. Most will not recommend any one company, hence the use of the board for their business cards. Make sure and check references of other customers they've done work for. Flat roofs can be tricky and will tend to leak if not done correctly. Good luck.

Q. Want to put gutter guards on the gutters but are expensive, any solutions?

A. I bought hardware cloth(1/4 in mesh galvanized steel mesh), and cut it 10 in wide, and slid it under the 2nd course of shingle, so that it extended over the gutters, and in 20 yrs, have had no problems.(you DO have to nail it in place) I do still have to deal with normal debris, like shingle wear and tear, but I have been very satisfied....

Q. I'm looking to buy a metal warehouse building. The walls and roof are dirty and need cleaning. While the structure is plenty sound, I'm wondering how safe it is to walk on the roof. I was wondering if all metal roofs are built strong enough to support a person walking on it. For other types of roofs in colder climates, building codes specify a load capacity to hold up under snow. Here in Houston, such support does not apply. As the roof itself is very light, it doesn't need to be very strong to shed off rain.

A. I've done a lot of work on metal roofs, and i have only came across 1 that was too thin to walk on. it wasn't that it wouldn't support me either, (230lbs) it just bent, and dented when i walked on it. this just simply made it look ugly... feel a corner or edge if you can find one. if you can bend it easily with your fingers, it's too thin, but if it's quite rigid, and you can't bend it without plyers, it should hold up to your boots! not sure where you are, but where i am, we are starting to get frost. take EXTRA care on those metal roofs during this coming winter season!