Living under an attached roof system

By Emma Peterson. 

Tips for homeowners and HOA members on navigating the complexities of attached roof systems. 

If you look at pretty much any residential community, from duplexes to condos to apartments, you are also probably looking at an attached roof system. This term can be used in a variety of ways, but homeowners are most likely to see it in reference to any building with multiple units or households that are all under the same roof. Attached roof systems are common and necessary to keep these types of buildings structurally sound, but they can also bring in drama when it comes time for repairs or even replacement. In this episode of the AskARoofer Podcast, Megan Ellsworth and Lauren White sat down with Kyle Nurminen of Total Roofing System and Dynamic Metals to discuss what homeowners should do to make living under an attached roof system as painless as possible. 

First, Kyle highlighted that, if possible, homeowners should do some reconnaissance before moving into a complex with an attached roof system, especially if there’s a homeowner's association (HOA) involved. He explained, “Talk to the neighbors. If you're looking to buy in a community, there are people roaming around that neighborhood that'd be happy to tell you about all the drama that goes on their board. And then there are the ones who can tell you all the good stuff too. If there's a good community, you could talk to anybody in that community, and they'll be happy to tell you.” 

Oftentimes it is these HOAs that end up determining what happens to an attached roof system, even if the homeowners are still footing the bill. And, from the other perspective, Kyle had some advice for HOA members trying to hire a consultant or contractor to work on an attached roof system. He shared, “An HOA may hire a certain consultant to handle a project, but you have to keep in mind that even consultants have their own connections with their manufacturers and contractors. So, if you are on a board with a community and they've already decided on their consultant, but you have another roofer that's really good and isn’t what the consultant is recommending, you still want to consider that!” Overall, Kyle recommends that both homeowners and HOA members ask plenty of questions and make sure they have a clear picture before making any decisions about attached roof systems.  

Read the transcript or Listen to the conversation to learn more about attached roof systems, HOAs, consultants and where homeowners fit into all of that!