Apex Exteriors, Inc.

Description Of Work: 

Our 33 year old house has had 2 roofs on it, the original plus a second layer about 10 years ago.   The second layer was deteriorating badly and there were some leaks this spring so I knew I needed a tear-off and a replacement.   At the same time two chimneys needed repairs and some of the cedar siding on the East side was badly cracked and sunburned.   I like to do my own repairs but this was too big for me so I looked on Angie's list and in the Yellow pages and called for estimates.

Member Comments: 

APEX was more expensive than the others but I chose to go with them because of prior Angie's List reports and the estimator looked at the whole problem which is my roof.   This included dealing with design problems built into the house (misplaced valley's) and damaged siding (cedar) and trim (aluminum),  a chimney that was no longer needed,  leaks (from this spring), and at least one buckle in the plywood sub-roof.

They explained what was needed and why, what was wrong with the roof, made recommendations, and listened to what I wanted done.   They did not pressure me to do anything I didn't want done.  Advice:   Listen carefully.   There is a lot of information they will share.  Ask questions if you didn't understand it the first time.   They will take the time to make sure you really do understand.  

Then they did exactly what they said they would.  All the way through they made sure I knew who I could talk to.  Everyone from the office staff to the guys nailing the shingles was courteous and caring.   They kept me posted on when they would be starting and where I was in the queue.   It was a rainy spring so there were often delays but they were logical and reasonable.  

The foreman reached out to me a couple of days ahead of time to make sure the driveway would be clear for the crew when they arrived.   Then they showed up promptly, set up pylons around their equipment in the street and got to work. They were fast, efficient, and cleaned up after themselves every day.  They were safe, courteous and friendly and allowed me up on the roof with them, making sure I saw what was being done.   As part of the quote I was billed separately for certain materials.   They were careful to let me see the damaged wood that was being replaced so I knew I wasn't being cheated. 

Afterward they also gave me photos of specific problem areas when they were opened up. The 30 year old exhaust fans were replaced with new ones which had humidity controls as well as temperature.   As part of the original quote I was responsible for the associated electrical connections.   (I'm an Electrical Engineer.)   They let me up on the roof while they worked so I could do the wiring from outside rather than after the roof was closed.   This was a lot better than doing it later when it would be an oven inside.

A side note on setting the thermostats.  The manufacturer recommends a setting of 65% humidity and 110F temp.  I discovered on the first day that a slight dewy and damp morning will trigger these fans and (in our case) wake us up and use electricity.   I changed the setting to 75% & 120F.   I think 110F is a bit low and they ran so much I'm worried about the electric bill.

A 1/3 payment was due on acceptance of the contract before they started the job.   The balance was due on job completion.   They mean it.   Be ready to pay as soon as the city inspector signs off on the work!   They  were very careful to make sure I was satisfied with the work done and they do care about their reputation.   Even after I had paid, when I pointed out a damaged gutter to them as well as a couple of other things, they had a crew out there a couple of days later.   No questions asked.  They fixed it right even when I told them a simpler solution was acceptable.

The house is 33 years old and has cedar, not aluminum siding.   The siding has cracked and deteriorated in a number of places and where they were putting new flashing in the siding had to be replaced.  They didn't stop there.  When they found damaged sheathing and plywood underneath they showed me what they found and recommended the next steps.   They didn't do anything I didn't want and seemed to have fixed things right.  I'm waiting for the next downpour to see but I'm pretty confident it will be fine.  They know a leak means a call and it's better to do it right the first time.

I was having the house painted later this summer so all they did was prime the new siding.   Just one examp

le of the quality of their work:   When they primed, they did 2 coats, front, back and ends.  The original siding wasn't primed before it went on.   If that could last 33 years there is every reason to believe that APEX's work will outlast me.

I asked for a couple of things that most people would not and they honored my requests.   They let me pull all the the lead, aluminum, and steel that came off the roof and keep it.   I recycled it all rather than letting it go to a landfill.   They also let me pick through all of the siding that came off.  Some of it is usable in smaller sections for repairs I know I will need to make in years to come.   I've cut it down into usable sections and put it in a dry place.  (Not the attic!)  The rest of the pieces will be kindling in the fireplace this fall.

Bottom line:  this company is courteous and efficient.   They do what they say and they listen to the customer. It was a bit on the pricy end but I think I got value for my buck.