As we brace for the remainder of winter, homeowners may address issues on the exterior of their homes, particularly the roof and siding. Dave Lyons, the owner behind DNA Roofing & Siding, has over 35 years of experience to ensure his clients get the best care when it comes to repairing their home.

House & Home spoke with Lyons about his company’s growing success and what homeowners should look out for when making repairs. 

What made you want to become a contractor in the roofing and siding business?
I kind of grew up in the construction business. My dad taught me the value of hard work and treating customers with respect from the time I was young. Having owned his own company, he showed me the importance of excellent craftsmanship and integrity. I wanted to work for myself so I could do the same.

When picking the right contractor, what are some things that homeowners should know?
When you’re picking a roofing contractor, or any contractor, there are several key things to consider. First, ensure that they have insurance including liability and workers’ comp insurance because there are contractors out there who don't have insurance. … They will be cheaper but also risky. Price isn’t necessarily everything. Also, you will want to choose a local contractor, someone who cares about the community and will be around to actually service your warranty. Additionally, you need to make sure the contract has the details of what’s going to happen during your project. There should be a thorough written contract and process for the project that will be completed. The last key thing to consider is customer service and communication. You want to work with a company that is actually going to get back to you and respond.

What are the positives and negatives to different siding and roofing materials?
Instead of installing vinyl siding, people are now upgrading to Hardie siding, which is a prefinished cement fiber board that looks like wood siding. It has a 15-year warranty on the finish and can be repainted but also requires a detailed installation process so you need to make sure your contractor follows the manufactured specs or else it will fail. Vinyl siding is a cheaper option but it is prone to fading and will expand and contract in the sunlight. However, it does have a longer lifespan than Hardie siding.

When it comes to roofing, there are many options including asphalt shingles and wood shake shingles. With asphalt shingles, there is no maintenance. If installed correctly you should get not only a 50-year shingle but the roof should last as long as well. But people tend to want a clean looking roof so they wash it with cleaner, which manufacturers do not recommend because the chemicals in the cleaner eat away at the asphalt. With wood shake shingles there are a lot of different grades, different thicknesses, different qualities, and they are kind of a hit or miss when it comes to their lifespan. You typically will not get a warranty on a wood shake roof unless you buy the top-of-the-line product.

What warranties does your company offer?
I am a certified CertainTeed Shingle Wizard which is their highest accreditation. That allows my company to be a CertainTeed authorized dealer that can offer their extended warranty. This makes it so I’m not the only one warranting it, they are as well. There are two different versions of warranties that we offer, the first one where you get 25 years of full coverage—which includes the labor, nails, felt paper, dumping and anything else involved—then after those years it will be prorated. Then there is a better one that is 50 years full coverage. So on year 49 if something happens to your roof and it’s a warranty issue, you get a new roof with no money out of your pocket.

What should homeowners expect from DNA Roofing & Siding?
Our customers should expect excellent quality installation services, communication throughout the project, the best warranties and overall satisfaction at a great price.

We recently opened a design center in Hockessin. Now our customers can see samples of front porches, siding and roofing material, Andersen Windows and more. Once you are interested in replacing your siding or roof it’s easier to come in and pick out what materials you want because you will be seeing a bigger sample size rather than a small 3-by-5-inch piece.

DNA Roofing & Siding
Newark, Del.
(302) 455-2180
DNARoofingSiding.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 20, Issue 8 (February 2020). 
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