Front of building 
working on the box gutter 
rear mansard, on a 40′ ladder. No thanks- not me.
This week, we started work on repairing the mansards on Mintwood. I actually evaluated several different solutions, ranging from full slate replacement (too expensive) to metal roof/ simulated slate, to architectural grade shingles. In the end, we chose GAF Designer Series shingles- but not for the reason one might think. The overall bid from this company was actually the most expensive of all of the bids. However, they we also the only ones who were willing to do a *complete* job. All of the bids included a full tear off of the slate, replacement of the flashing, and installing new shingles. The winning bid, though, also included relining the box gutters, some additional repairs to the dormers, and also painting all of the trim on the front of the house. This was not the least expensive bid – in fact, it was the most expensive, despite the fact that their materials costs were lower than some of the other proposals. However, the completeness of the project was what won me over.
One thing I’m really impressed with already is the professionalism of the team lead. I met with him when we started the job and walked through what was to be done. (Also, highlighted that they need to keep the site tidy, and not dump any debris on the neighbors’ yards.) He paid attention and understood my concerns, and has made sure the crew follows through on that. He’s already consulted with me on a couple of different aspects of the repairs, to make sure the team is delivering what I expect. Today, we had a sudden downpour while I was away from the job site. After they cleaned up and packed up, he called to let me know that there is a little bit of water in the building. It wasn’t a big deal, but it was great that (1) he noticed, and (2) he took the extra time to let me know. Communication is usually the key to keeping things on track. I’m excited about this work, and looking forward to getting it wrapped up so we can finally wrap up the rough interior work and get on to insulation and drywall.
Entropy Properties LLC 