Exactly, certifications are helpful guidelines but they're not bulletproof. I've inspected countless roofs where the materials were premium grade, yet simple oversights—like improper flashing or inadequate sealing around vents—caused major headaches. Skill and meticulousness really make the difference in the end.
Totally agree—I've seen some pretty wild stuff too. Ever seen a roof that looked great from the street, but when you got up there, it was like someone played connect-the-dots with caulking? Premium shingles, top-tier underlayment, and then the flashing was slapped on like an afterthought. Makes you wonder, did they run out of coffee halfway through the job or something?
But seriously, certifications are nice and all, but I'd rather have a roofer who's picky about details than one who just waves around a bunch of fancy papers. Like, have you ever noticed how some of the best roofers are the ones who obsess over tiny things most folks wouldn't even notice? The guys who triple-check their nail patterns or spend extra time sealing around chimneys... those are the real MVPs.
Haha, yeah, I've climbed up on roofs that looked awesome from the curb but turned into a horror show once I got up there. Had one last summer—beautiful shingles, perfect alignment, then boom...flashing installed backwards around the chimney. Like how do you even pull that off? Agree 100% though, the best roofers are always the ones who sweat the small stuff. Certifications are cool, but attention to detail beats paperwork any day.
Haha, backwards flashing...that's a new one for me. But honestly, I'd push back a bit on dismissing certifications entirely. True, paperwork doesn't guarantee skill, but solid certifications usually mean the roofer at least knows what the small stuff is supposed to look like. Had a guy once who was super detail-oriented—measured everything twice—but still installed vents upside down because he didn't know better. Sometimes, having both that paperwork and attention to detail saves you from those "wait...what?" moments on the roof.
"Had a guy once who was super detail-oriented—measured everything twice—but still installed vents upside down because he didn't know better."
Haha, upside-down vents...been there! Had a similar experience with a roofer who swore by his "years of experience" but somehow missed sealing around the chimney properly. Certifications aren't everything, true, but they can at least filter out some of the basics. I'd say it's about balance—paperwork plus real-world know-how usually keeps those facepalm moments to a minimum.
