Baldpates General Contracting

If you’re looking at a roof replacement in Georgia, you might be wondering about these “GAF roofs” you keep hearing so much about. Perhaps the biggest question you might have is whether or not such a roof would increase the total overall resale value of your home. If you’re going to put an entire new roof on the house, you want something that will increase the home’s value, right? Well, there’s a lot to unbox regarding GAF roofs here. 

What a GAF Roof Is

A GAF roof is a “General Aniline and Film” roof. Aniline is a chemical compound of a liquid nature applied to a film to create a waterproof barrier. In Georgia, as is in other southern coastal states, a waterproof roof is quite desirable. It bears up under the torrential tropical rains and hurricane rains. Most roofs built after 2000 are GAF roofs already, with 1 of 5 roofs being GAF created. 

The film here is applied under standard roofing materials, so it’s not like the film is the entire roof itself. You will still have underlayment and support structures and the shingles or whatever other roofing material you choose to install over the GAF film. With commercial roofs, an additional layer of GAF may be “painted” over the top of the final roofing material for double the waterproofing protection.

The Extra Value of a GAF Roof

While a lot of buyers love the idea of extra waterproofing under a roof, it won’t change the overall value of your home much. That is because so many homes already have this type of roofing. It’s become so common that the only way it adds value to a house is if the roof is uncommonly old and needs to be replaced before a buyer is willing to make an offer. The real value of a GAF roof comes from the certified installer or certified contractor.

A GAF certified installer or contractor can do something no other roofer can. He or she has the ability to sell you a GAF roof with additional warranties and guarantees, which makes the value of your home go up. Your home would be appraised higher than if the GAF roof were installed by a non-certified roofer. What’s more, the GAF certified roofer may be willing to transfer these warranties or guaranties to the next owner, which is what increases the value of your home at the time of sale.

Choosing the GAF for Your Own Sense of Security

Understandably so, the installation of a GAF roof is more about personal sense of security against the wild storms that rage across Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida every year. If you have the GAF coating, you know that everything underneath it is going to stay dry, no matter what. That’s something buyers are willing to pay more for, even if it doesn’t cause your home’s appraisal to skyrocket.

Other things to consider is the cost of the GAF coating. If you hire the right contractor that is certified and can provide you with all of the perks of being a certified installer, then the price is quite reasonable. However, if you hire an installer that isn’t certified and cannot provide anything extra beyond applying the GAF coating, but is still charging the going rate for a certified installer, then you might not think it’s worth it.

You have to do your research, and you have to hire the right roofing contractor for this job. Don’t hire just any roofer that says they install GAF roofs. Only hire those that can prove they are certified and can offer the perks you are looking for in a GAF roof installation.

The Overall Answer to the Question About Value and GAF Roofing

Will a GAF roof increase the value of your home? The overall answer is yes and no. No, if you hire the wrong installer, and not really considering that this type of roof has become the standard and the norm, not the exception. Yes, if you hire the right installer with the certification and ability to provide extra perks with installation. Yes, if you want to promote the tough waterproofing needed to keep your home dry during the wettest seasons in Georgia, and yes, when buyers are super impressed with this sort of thing. 

To get a real sense of how this type of roof can benefit you, contact Baldpates General Contracting to request a consultation appointment. The contractor that comes out to check out the roof you have will be able to answer any and all of your other questions about GAF roofing.