Everything a roofer points at, in plain English. Photos of every material, the tools we actually carry up the ladder, and the vocabulary you'll hear in your estimate.
Seven systems cover virtually every roof in the Albuquerque metro. Pictures, lifespans, and our honest take on each.
The hand tools, power tools, safety gear, and diagnostic kit a real roofing crew carries to every job.
Hammer with a built-in gauge to space shingles and a hatchet edge to score and cut.
Long flat bar with a notched head for pulling nails and lifting shingles during tear-off.
Hand shears for cutting flashing, drip edge, and metal panels — straight, left, and right cut variants.
Hook-blade knife for slicing through asphalt shingles cleanly without snagging.
Chalked string snapped against the deck to keep shingle and panel courses dead straight.
Hand roller used to press TPO and EPDM seams flat after heat-welding or adhesive.
For sealants around flashing, pitch pockets, and penetrations.
Wide blade with a serrated edge and built-in fulcrum for ripping off old shingles fast.
Air-powered nailer that drives coil-loaded roofing nails — the workhorse of any shingle install.
Handheld blower that fuses TPO or PVC membrane seams without flame.
Used to torch-down modified bitumen rolls — adheres the membrane as it melts the underside.
Clears debris from valleys, scuppers, and gutters as the crew works.
For driving deck screws, fastening metal panels, and securing flashing.
OSHA-required fall protection above 6 ft — anchored to the structure, never to a vent.
Mandatory ground-side gear when crews are tearing off above.
Metal brackets nailed into rafters that hold a 2x6 plank for footing on steep slopes.
Wheeled magnet rolled across lawns and driveways after the job to pick up every dropped nail.
Heavy tarps over landscaping, A/C units, and pools during tear-off to catch debris.
Flies the roof for a high-res orthomosaic — measure area, count penetrations, flag damage without walking fragile surfaces.
After sundown, wet insulation glows differently than dry — finds trapped moisture under flat roofs.
Probes through the membrane or scans the surface to confirm moisture readings from thermal imaging.
We video every inspection — drone above, GoPro on the crew lead — so you see what we see.
Pocket tool that reads roof pitch in inches-per-foot, used to spec underlayment and warranty material.
Waterproof sheet under the visible roofing — the real waterproof layer on tile, metal, and shingle roofs.
Self-adhered rubberized membrane at eaves, valleys, and around penetrations.
Metal trim along the roof edge that directs water into the gutter, not behind the fascia.
Pre-formed rubber or lead collars that seal where plumbing vents and exhaust pipes penetrate the roof.
The words your roofer uses on estimates and invoices — defined without jargon.
Call us — we genuinely like talking shop and we don't charge for explanations.
