Time to be Thankful

I am sitting in my home office thinking about the year we are about to leave. What a crazy year for Christian Roofing and Remodeling here in Athens. We have been busy and we have worked hard. The guys are tremendous. We have been blessed. God has been faithful. Last year at this time we were wondering what 2010 would bring.
It has been a great year. Kevin and Matt are new dads. John is a new husband. I am cancer free. The business is profitable. Christian Roofing and Remodeling made the list of the UGA Bulldog 100.
Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year. Bring on 2011.

Green Roofs

We've put on a number of green roofs in the past.  My favorite green roof in Athens is the one we did for Mr. Spratlin. When I told him "Sorry, the only sample I have is this ugly green one".  You already know that that is the color he wanted.  So I took my foot out of my mouth, again, and installed a green architectural roof on his house.  It is gorgeous. What a great color choice.

Now Green means something different.  Green is eco-friendly.  We have green cars, green water bottles, and green light bulbs.  Each costs more than the traditional option, but it makes us feel better.  When we're talking about Green roofs, though, the purchasers are slow to pay the extra money.

Here's my question.  Would you be willing to pay extra for a roof that saves resources but will probably never save enough to make up for the difference in price?  They make solar roof shingles that are installed right onto your roof and produce energy.  Are you willing to pay more for them? How much more, 20%, 50%, more?

Help us get better

If I don't communicate in a way that helps you understand what I am saying then it doesn't count. It is my fault. If I come out to look at designing an addition or remodeling a kitchen and I am speaking a foreign language to you, please stop me. Hit me on the head. Tell me to read my own blog and learn some communication skills. I would hate to leave an appointment with you having more questions than before the appointment.

So here is the question, why, as a customer, would you help a remodeler learn how to communicate properly? I don't know. I just know that people will usually help when asked, so I'm asking. I want to get better. I want our company to get better.

We also send out surveys after the project's completion. Please fill it out and mail it to us. We're paying the postage. Thanks

What's next?

I really don't know much about politics. I do know I would rather pay less taxes than more taxes. I also know that I like a strong national defense, and someone has to pay for that.

Here's what else I know. If you do what you say, stand behind your work, keep your promises, charge just enough but not too much....If you do the right thing, your business will outlive this administration and the next and the next.

We at Christian Roofing and Remodeling have been doing that for three generations. I don't know how many Democrat or Republican administrations that is, and I don't know what the next election will bring, but I do plan on keeping this business around for the next generation.

That's Gonna cause a leak

Maybe not the best pictures, but I was recently on a roof in Athens, GA and found what was causing their leak. I think I remember the lyrics to a song from when I was a kid; "what goes up (duh duh) must come down / Spinning wheel...."

Thought I'd share this Mythbuters-type post. CONFIRMED . If you shoot a gun towards the sky, the bullet will come down.

This beautiful rain

What a wet last couple of days here in Athens. Thank God. The water is beautiful. Our grass needs it. Our shrubs need it. Our Businesses needs it. I guess, really, my business needs it. If there isn't rain who really needs a roof?

Our phone has been ringing and I was thinking what a blessing that sound is. We've heard from some people in the Athens area who have leaking roofs. A couple have even been under warranty. Then I thought of another blessing: to be able to service past customers and to remain in business to honor their warranties.

If you need a roof, (or a furnace, or a refrigerator, or a water heater) be sure and call someone who will be there on the rainy days as well as the sunny days.

Couldn't have said it better myself

Below is a reprint from Online Athens. I didn't add anything and as you can see by the dead links and weird ad, I didn't take anything away.

Colmans: Be wary of roof damage scams

Athens Banner-Herald

Published Sunday, April 11, 2010

Buzz up!

There was a knock on my door last week. This guy and his "Girl Friday" were there to tell me that I might have roof damage from recent hailstorms. His company is working "in our neighborhood repairing a roof" and we could get a free roof inspection to see if we have damage, too.

David Colmans

more Colmans columns...

Just this week, I saw a sign in front of a house a few blocks away from my office. It read, "Want a free roof?" Of course, it was a roofing company trolling for business.

This situation is not confined to Central and North Georgia. These "free roof" guys are on the move and now reported to be active in South Carolina and Alabama.

Just a few days ago, there was a story in a Birmingham, Ala., newspaper about Tuscaloosa police warning area residents about this particular scam.

What does "a free roof" really mean? Here's how this approach works. The roofer or contractor tells the homeowner there is hail damage from a recent storm, and says his company will waive the cost of the deductible the homeowner will pay his or her insurance company. That means the individual gets a "free roof."

Remember the old saying "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is?" The fact is, just because a roofer or building contractor says there is damage, it will be up to the insurance company adjuster to determine if there is damage at all; if that damage is caused by a severe enough hailstorm; or if there is damage that is "manufactured" through fraudulent means. There's no such thing as a "free roof."

The homeowner should be aware that a storm with large enough hail to cause damage is a matter of record by the National Weather Service and by private weather information gathering businesses that insurers and others count on for detailed information on storm location, movement and severity that includes the size of the hail in a given storm.

Here are other issues to consider.

► If there are no water stains on the ceilings in your home and you have inspected your attic (if that's possible), there might not be any roof damage. Similarly, if there has been no damage to other parts of your property, then there might not have been any roof damage. Any dents in your air conditioner or damaged plants? Hail doesn't just hit roofs.

► Homeowners insurance is not intended to simply provide a new roof. The homeowner obtains a policy to insure against the risk of damage from the weather, fire or other calamities as described in the insurance policy.

► It is up to the homeowner to replace the roof that has worn out over a period of years through natural wear and tear.

► A door-to-door solicitor should be a concern to a homeowner when there is a vague assertion that one's roof might have hail damage.

It always is a good idea to check with the local Better Business Bureau before engaging a soliciting contractor as opposed to one you contact and know about regarding the firm's reputation.

• David Colmans is the executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him at (770) 565-3806 or dcolmans@giis.org.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Sunday, April 11, 2010

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How much does it Cost?

We had a guy call into the office indicating that he had a roof leak and wanted to know how much a repair would cost. Simple enough question. We all want to know the cost before we agree to purchase an item or service. Grocery stores tell us that every Sunday in the newspaper. Coke 12 packs cost $2.99. How frustrating is it though really, when you check out and the nice person tells you they really cost $4.50 because you don't have a card, or you didn't buy the secret item, or you missed the fine print?

Back to the guy with the leak. He didn't want us to look at the leak. He didn't want us to diagnose the problem and implement a solution. He wanted to know the cost. We wanted to look at the problem area to give a thorough proposal with an unambiguous price that he would pay us for our service. By not allowing us to do our job he was setting the table for us to be like the grocery store. "we know we told you this price, but it is going to cost more because..."

There is nothing wrong with requesting a free estimate. Certainly know the cost before you agree to have any work done. Get it in writing. Get it in writing, please. Be assured that the work was done to agreement. Then pay the contractor. This should make the experience pleasant.

That guy

Last night I was sitting around with friends. One of them asked if I had a recommendation for a carpet guy. Before I told who I would suggest, I wound up telling who I wouldn't. I told of a guy who substituted inferior products from the ones shown. I related how he would quote one price and invoice another, higher price. I said how the workmanship was second rate. As I was about to go on, another friend related an experience with the same guy. He knew who I was talking about and I hadn't mentioned a name yet.

Two themes were present. We don't want our friends, or anyone else, to get less than they pay for. We also don't want this guy to get a sale since the more sales he gets the longer he stays in business. The longer he stays in business the more people he shorts through his poor service. Every job he gets, keeps a legitimate company from giving a customer a good experience. The less revenue legitimate companies earn, the tougher it is on them. In the marketplace we reward companies by giving them our money. Let's stop rewarding the bad ones.

I'll give you a name of a good carpet company, if you ask. If you need a name for a good mechanic, I've got one of those too. I know a restaurant with a pretty-good chicken sandwich; but you probably love them already.

Is it the Shoes?

Here it is. My first blog. Apparently, you wont be a somebody until you blog. I don't really want to be a somebody. I just want people in the Athens area to not make mistakes when they have work done on their home. Boring blog. Interesting thought.

I've been doing this (roofing and remodeling) about 20 years now. I must have started at 19 because I will forever be 39. My hairline and belly say 39 was many years ago. So do my kids.

Ok, so I ask "why does having work done on your home need to be such a pain"? Is it because we, as consumers, choose the cheapest? The easiest? Prettiest? Is it the shoes? Do we secretly want the adventure? I know I don't. Life has enough adventure included without having to add some. I once read where a homeowner gave a guy a $50,000 deposit. $50,000 real dollars. As a deposit! Guess who never showed back up?

There are roofers flocking into town because a little hail fell. Whoa! Hail, for real? Guess I need a new "free" roof, right? That's what the guy with the out-of-town tags says; "you can get a free roof, just sign here". Will he do it right? Will he ever service it? Will he warrant it? Who cares, right? It's a free roof. Yea, that's right.

I want my adventure at the theme park, not on my roof.