Uh Oh

[helpless]

We have had so much ice and rain and yesterday, my kitchen ceiling was leaking, found out today that I need a new roof. I just don't know what I am going to do. I suppose that I can file a homeowners insurance claim, but I don't know how much they will cover. It will cost $5800 for a new roof. I don't know what I am going to do. Some days I just want to give up. Any suggestions?

[NASCAR20FAN]

Don't give up...

Does your state or local government have any programs you may be able to tap in to?
Do you attend church, maybe they can assist you?
Think outside the box for solutions

[BKOnce]

1. Have 3 estimates first

2) Call & submit/fax estimates to your insurer for approval

3) Ask for checks mailed to your name, don't send directly to contractors!

4) Monitor/inspect contractor final work to make sure their completed/good work before sign them checks.

I have my back fences blown by storm before, & that was how I did it.

[IN-DEBT]

ice damming?

Helpless,

Do you happen to live in the Midwest where the rains and snows piled up last week? I was wondering if you may just have an ice dam at the gutter line back. This is a major problem going on in the area I live and work. How old is your roof?

[SinkingFast]

We had a roof replaced once due to storm damage.

Get at least 3 estimates. Ask friends, family, who they know that does good work.

Roofing is one of the lessor reputable contractor type jobs. It's easy to get shoddy work and pay a high price for it. Also, might be a damming situation like In-Debt suggested. Clear your gutters, get the snow run off draining off your roof, and the situation could aleviate itself.

Also, contact your insurance agent. Your insurance company will send out someone to walk your roof. The insurance company will make the final call as to whether or not they will cover the repair/replacement.

If your insurance company does authorize payment, typically, they send a check to you made out to you and your mortgage Lender. You'll have to send the check to your mortgage Lender for them to sign. So you'll need to call your Lender to get the correct address to mail the check to. Once you get the check back from your Lender, then you can proceed with the repair/replacement.

[helpless]

I don't know what to think. I know that eventually the roof has to be replaced, but I also think that damming had alot to do with it. There has been no more leaking since husband removed ice Monday night and the roofer swept the remaining snow and ice from roof. My husband is going to go up there on Saturday and check it out. The roofer said the the ice had gotten up under the shingles in the valley and the whole valley needed to be replaced. I really don't want to turn it into my homeowners insurance because I am petrified that my rates would skyrocket and I can hardly afford them now, plus the difference between what they will pay and what I will have to pay, I just don't know where I would find the money. Heck, I couldn't afford the $500 deductible right now. I have turned it over the my husband, because I don't know what to think, I am already responsible for "fixing" all financial problems. I will let him have this one. I only have 17 months left and if I could hold off until then, it would be wonderful. Thought about refinancing out of 13, but I think that that would be a stupid move in the long run because our interest rate on our mortgage right now is 5.25%. Thanks for all the advice.

[quietsound]

don't you just love all these problems? When really you just want to live your life, have some peace, and just pay your plan on time and be done with everything.

[helpless]

Yes, especially since in the past month, I have had one son with cellulitis in his leg, another son who is diabetic broke his ankle in an intramural game in college and now they are deciding whether or not to put a pin in it and then I have a daughter who has been to the doctor twice in the past month. My insurance only pays 50% of retail cost on prescriptions, so I easily spend $300a month on my diabetic son and then with the other two sick this month, I have spent an additional $200 on prescriptions, not to mention the ER bill and all the $25 copay doctors visits. We use to have $15 prescriptions. Lord, just get me through this.

[tay666]

I agree with the advice given.
Get more estimates.
I've done roofing. I still do work with a subcontractor. So I know from first hand experience that contractors ethics, quality and pricing can vary widely.

Even if you can't afford to have work done now, get some more free estimates. With the information you get from each estimate, you can get a clearer picture of what the problems actually are. And how critical things really are.
Then you can form a plan of attack.

[Granny]

From the for what it's worth dept....I saw a TV show last week where they were testing 20 yr, 30 yr and 40 yr shingles and there was very little difference in the shingles ability to withstand extreme temperature changes but a big difference in price. It may not be worth the extra price for the higher priced, longer warranted shingles.

[SinkingFast]

Tay makes a good suggestion. Get more estimates. Could be you don't need a whole new roof now. Maybe just some work in the valley would tide you over for a while. And that could be something Hubby could do.

One thing I would suggest you do,.............. If you can,........... Get a fan up in the attic blowing air at the affected area. Help dry it out from the inside quicker.

I am so sorry about all your kids' health issues. Seems like when it rains it pours. No pun intended.