Latest / Designing and Building the Midwest One Community at a Time / Designing and Building Mid-West featuring Blake Middleton

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Designing and Building Mid-West featuring Blake Middleton · Designing and Building the Midwest One Community at a Time

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, welcome to designing and building the Midwest one community at a time.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Chris Hartsuok with Big Dog Construction, your local window depot.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm Caitlin.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_04: This is the show where we bring you real insights, expert input, and a lot of entertainment along the way.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_04: It's the podcast you didn't know you needed.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, every week, our main focus is bringing you the best advice on home improvement, remodeling, and how to take care of your biggest investment.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: But we don't stop at the property line.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_04: Exactly! We also dive into our realtor segment to cover the ins and outs of buying and selling locally.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_04: And our community segment where we talk about giving back charity and what's really happening across the Midwest.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: Plus, we regularly sit down with some fantastic guests from all walks of life to hear their unique stories and perspectives.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_04: Whether we're talking blueprints or community roots, we've got you covered.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_04: Let's get into today's episode.
• 0:47
  unknown: Big dog!
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_07: In the military, there's no such thing as good enough.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_07: You either do the job the right way or you don't do it at all.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_07: I'm Blake Middleton of Elite Roofing Professionals and Exteriors.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_07: I'm a veteran, and I brought the same mission first mindset back to Illinois.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_07: While others talk about the way it's always been done, my team focuses on the technical precision of how a roof should be built.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_07: We use the best materials, the best technology, and a level of communication you won't find anywhere else.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_07: Your home isn't just a job, it's a commitment.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_07: Elite roofing, high standards, zero compromise, clear communication.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_07: Give us a call today.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, welcome back to Zonny Building the Midwest one community at a time.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_02: I'm your host, Chris Hartshook with Big Dog Construction, your local window depot.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: And as usual, we have our lovely Caitlin Borgini with us today.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_04: Hello.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, this podcast is more than construction.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's about the people, businesses, and partnerships that help build stronger homes and stronger communities throughout the Midwest.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: Today we are highlighting one of our 10x partners, a company that works on one of the most important parts of protecting your home.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_02: That is your roof.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_02: Joining me today is Blake Middleton, the owner.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_02: The Blake Middleton, the owner of Elite Roofing Professionals.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, today we're going to be talking to Blake about his company, the roofing and the exterior services they provide, and a product that he offers called Elite Roof Shield.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: And we're also going to talk about something homeowners need to be thinking about right now.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_02: We're going into the colder part of the year in the Midwest, and people often wonder what they can still have done right now.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_02: What should they be checking before winter?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: And how can they start preparing their homes for the coming year?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: So, and because we're heading toward 2027, we'll also talk about what Elite Roofing Professionals is doing to prepare for the year ahead.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: So, Blake, welcome to the show.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you for having me.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_04: We need like a clapping thing, I feel like.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_02: This is our our 10x partner here.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_02: This is our OG.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_04: I'm feeling like we should have rolled the red carpet out for you.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: The goat.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: I did.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: I gave him a Kleenex.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: Hey.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: The white carpet.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_02: You know what?
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: This the white carpet.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, Blake, I'm glad to have you here.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: Let's start with your story and how elite roofing professionals came to be.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_02: I know we talked about a long time ago, but we're going to start with that.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: But before we do that, I need to pay the bills.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_02: So, hey, today pay the bills segment is a little different because we are highlighting our 10x partner in-house elite roofing professionals.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: They help homeowners protect and improve their properties with roofing, guttering, gutter guards, and siding services.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: Your roof does a lot more than make your house look good.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: It helps protect the structure, the interior, and everything you've invested into your home.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: And when something goes wrong with your roof or exterior, putting off problems can allow it to become more serious.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: If you notice missing shingles, damaged gutters, signs of leaks, or other exterior concerns, it's worth having a qualified professional evaluate the situation.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: You can contact elite roofing professionals at 217-851-3836 or visit them on that beautiful interweb at Eliteroofing Professionals.com because elite roofing professionals, when quality counts, they're on top.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_02: Now let's bring Blake back into the conversation.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_02: So we'll do that.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_02: And just for our listeners to know, our big dog bite is protecting your home starts with paying attention before a small problem becomes a big one.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: As a construction company owner, I see how important it is to take care of your entire property, not just the parts we see every day.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: A roof can look fine from the driveway, but that doesn't necessarily tell you everything you need to know about its condition.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_02: And with the Midwest weather, we're dealing with heat, cold, wind, rain, snow, and everything in between.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: So today we're going to talk about what homers should know, what they should be looking for, and how to make smarter decisions about protecting their homes.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: Blake, let's start with the basics.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: Tell us about how you came to be, who you are, and elite roofing professionals.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, absolutely.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_07: In a nutshell, dude.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_07: In a nutshell.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_07: I guess I was saying we could have a whole conversation on that.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_02: Heck yeah.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_07: So just recap, been in the industry since uh the beginning of 2017.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_07: Came in coaching baseball against another roofing owner and needed some money after having a secondary plan since I was joining the Marine Corps later on and just basically went up to him and said, Hey, let me tear off some roofs.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_07: And uh he said, Well, I like your personality.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_07: Why don't you come sell?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_07: So we were able to do that.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_07: He taught me a little basically all the integration of everything and how all that, you know, kind of sales point, account manager point kind of went.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_07: Wasn't really diverse too much in commercial roofing, had an opportunity with the 2017 storms to sell a commercial roof in Troy.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_07: Ended up connecting with an old teacher whose son worked for a roofing company in Missouri.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_07: Went to him, said, Hey, why don't you split this job with me?
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_07: I got the uh homeowner on the hook.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_07: And he said, Only if you come over and help me out with the uh the major storms that hit the uh Madison County area.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_07: So in St.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_07: Clair.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, it was Collinsville, Troy, Edwardsville, everything got smoked in 2017.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_07: Yes.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_07: It was uh it was pretty fun.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_07: Fast forward, I won't go deep diving into too much, but left back from the Marine Corps, was gone a couple years, came back, worked for a company out of Missouri, learned the ins and outs on the sales side, and took a risk on real estate, failed epically.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_07: And as in selling real estate or buying real estate to own.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_07: So both.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_07: So whole wholesaling is kind of what is what the proper term was.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_07: So what that kind of consists of is you find a deal off market and then you flip it to somebody else for a little bit of money, and you kind of either close both sides or you do what they call a wholesale, which is essentially buyer C, which and an ABC contract pays the funds to pay A and you or B, so you get the difference in between.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_07: So find a house for 30 grand, sell it for 40, you make the$10,000 in a nutshell in between.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_04: So I've never heard of that in my life.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, so that's I mean a whole other business that was fun, but then I went in a couple deals trying to learn how to do real estate.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_07: And one point I owned the mortgage on something, and the guy I was with owned the deed, and we uh we lost a bunch of money there.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_07: So I went back to what I love and what I know, and that that's roofing.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_07: So it kind of started a little probably I don't want to say improper, but just kind of crazy.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_07: Where it was a Facebook post in January.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_07: And from there, you know, well, that Facebook post was made a couple months later, Chatham got hit by a storm and I did what I know best, so that's sell.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_07: Was able to pay back all my real estate stuff, and you know, that I, like I said, had failed and got into and went went from there.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, fast forward we went from myself doing everything and being capped at what I could do on my own.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_07: And right now, I mean, we're at a team, we got five salesmen, you know, a couple people in the office.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_07: We're in two locations, two different states, and we've exceeded that five million dollar mark the last couple of years, which your average roof's only 12 grand, so you can do the math there.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_07: It's uh it's been a blessing.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_04: Everywhere I turn, I mean I'm all over McCopin County and beyond.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_04: And I uh everywhere I turn, it's like it just you know, it's like a magnet.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_04: I see the elite.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: That's 416 roofs.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, I'm not surprised on average.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: On average, yeah.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, just saying 416 roofs.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_02: So, so again, you went from just you just out there grinding it, setting things up, selling the roofs, getting the crews lined up, making it happen, and you're like, I think I can make a go of this, right?
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: And so then the elite roofing professionals was born out of all of that.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_07: And you know, and that's kind of what it came down to.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, you kind of you see we've been fortunate with storms in the last few years, and then this year kind of came and you know, shot everybody for a surprise with minimal storms in the area.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_07: And that's what kind of goes, and probably the most important piece that you know is new to the industry, but also one of the more proactive things that you can do.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_07: And that's essentially why we came out with this maintenance program that allows us to talk about a little bit more, yeah.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it just is a gap there.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely, and it allows the homeowner kind of to budget and preserve and you know, with everything else going up in the world and the expensive, I mean, this nature of everything, this allows you to get an extra couple years out of your roof.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, if you got a I just told you the average roof is 12 grand.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_07: So that investment that's not easy for anybody, including myself, to just pay for right away.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_07: So for me, it's like it's one of those things if you can go from two years or one year to five or six years on a maintenance program and prepare for that a little bit more, it's gonna be a little bit more feasible.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_07: Correct.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um, down the road.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_02: No, that's awesome.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_02: So one thing I think homeowners sometimes overlook is that the roof is part of a larger system, right?
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: You've got water moving off that roof into the gutters and away from the house.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_02: You've got siding, flashing, and other areas where water needs to be managed properly, right?
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_02: Why is it important to look at the whole exterior instead of just focusing on one component of it?
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: And when you visit a home for an inspection or an estimate, what are some of the things that you're looking for?
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, absolutely.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_07: I think it starts with our system being a fully integrated roof system and not just shingles going on top of a on wood.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_07: And I think with that to kind of bounce off and reiterate maybe a little bit of what you said, like when you're looking at the roof condition itself, you know, there's a lot of roofs.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_07: Roof's supposed to last you, they say limited lifetime, but you know, we say 20 to 30 years with proper ventilation and proper maintenance, too.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_07: Installation and maintenance and everything.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_07: So I think when you're going up there and you're looking at it, you know, a common thing is is you know, oh just lay it over.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_07: You know, Illinois allows two layers, you know, and we've seen up well, we just had a roof today that was four layers.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_04: So it happens, but so they don't take remove them off.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_02: Correct.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: I've had five layers is the max I've been on.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_02: The bottom layer with shake shingles.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's like what is that?
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_04: What is that?
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_02: In the state of Illinois, you legally, per the license they hold, you legally can have two layers of shingles on your roof, right?
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: So if someone comes in and says I need a new roof and they already have two layers, it's automatic, it's a tear off down to barewood and go back.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_04: So but what okay, so if there was five layers, just humor me, because remember I'm the one that doesn't know.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_04: So if there was five layers, what would that what detriment would that have to a home?
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_07: Just yeah, great question.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, thank you, Mike.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_07: It's A, it probably doesn't have proper ventilation.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_07: B the weight of the shingles itself excess weight on the on the decking and everything else is not good for your home.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: And the trusses that's supporting it, yeah.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_07: Between the two of us, we see crazy stuff.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_07: But today with the four layers, for instance, not only did it have rotted decking, nothing.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_04: That's what I was gonna ask.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_07: But it also had three trusses that were cracked, which, you know, thankfully, it was an exterior or a detached building from the house.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_07: But if you I mean you're thinking of if that's above your kids or if that's above, you know, family member, etc.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: I mean you get a foot of snow on it.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_04: And had they known at all?
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, they were actually it was a younger couple that had just bought it.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_04: Ah, that's what I'm saying.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_04: They didn't know, thank God for you.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_07: Which without I could go on 10 different angles here.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_07: So that's why the importance of getting an inspection done, and I don't know if you know this, but in the state of Illinois, a home inspector is not required to get on your roof.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_07: So what if they do get on your roof, kudos to them.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_07: But also, I don't I personally don't know a home inspector that's actually a licensed roofer as well.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_06: Correct.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_07: And that's why when they write the report, they say, have a you know, professional inspect this, hail damage may be here, deterioration may be here, and they vaguely give you a little bit of concern on it.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_07: But at the end of the day, if I'm inspecting your house, to me, the roof is one of the most important pieces.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_07: 100% have to look at it.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_07: They just they can take pictures from the ground, and if there's no visual leaks inside the attic or inside the you know the drywall, then you know, roof's fine.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_07: Check.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_02: And and also I'm glad you brought this out.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: If a roof or a home inspector does happen to at least set a ladder up and look, a lot of times when they put extra layers on a roof, they would put drip edge, new drip edge, over the old layers of looks like one layer of shingles.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_04: I see what you mean.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: They'll hide it andor it needs to try to help direct the water over those other layers so it doesn't wick up or seep back up between the layers of shingles or into your.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_04: But still, I feel like that would still happen, like you said, all the rot.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: So a lot of a lot of people, correct me if I'm wrong, Blake, a lot of people will do a layover and a layover and a layover, which is basically just a band-aid if they have an issue with the roof already.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_07: You see it all the time.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_02: Proper ventil improper ventilation means those shingles are baking and curling and cracking.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: That means your next one's gonna do the same thing.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_02: It's just pointless.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_02: So gotta have those inspections.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_04: I'm glad you said that though, that about the home inspector too.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, because I don't think a lot of people realize that.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so that's a great starting point.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_02: Now let's talk about something homeowners often don't think about until the weather turns bad.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_02: Protecting the home before the problems show up.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: And so, what are some red flags that homeowners should be looking for when it comes to the condition of the roof?
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I I say this all the time, but if you got trees growing out of your gutters, that's the number one telltale sign up.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_07: You got gutters you think.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_07: Yes, gutters are the most important piece, in my opinion, to preserving a roof.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_07: Um, it's good for your foundation, it's good for your roofs.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, to last longer, ice dams.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, the second big piece is if you see anywhere on your roof that's tar.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_07: So, you know, as somebody who does not believe in tar, period, um, there's flashings designed for chimneys and everything else.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_07: Not everybody uses the same practices that we do.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_07: And it's one of those things that you know, tar over time, dry rots, it expands and contracts with the weather, just like concrete, piece of wood.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_07: Eventually it cracks, it finds a weak point, water's gonna get in.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_07: Um, and then some of the obvious stuff, if you got a missing shingle up there, if you notice some trees on top of your roof with that, if you if anything looks out of place, I mean it all of us in the area do free inspections.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_07: And I think, you know, I'll call I'll come out there five, six, seven, eight times as peace of mind.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_07: And that's where, again, going back to the maintenance program, like we've kind of created the needs and the wants of what we've seen in our clients.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_07: And anytime we have a repair, we're pushing this maintenance program because repairing something for four or five, six hundred dollars on a twenty thousand dollar roof or a ten thousand dollar roof can preserve the roof for another 10 years, can preserve the roof for another three or four years.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_07: So depending on condition and age and that, it's just it really comes together.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_07: I get really passionate about it, I can ramble on it.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_07: But like for me, it's like so many people neglect the most important piece of their home, which in my opinion is the roof for what reason.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_07: It it's the starting point.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_07: If your roof's leaking, nothing else below its kid.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_07: Or it's gonna or not gonna be.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_07: It's gonna correct, yeah.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_07: Um, so you know, for me, I just I kind of and that's you know, going back to kind of how I got into it, that's I think that's why I continue to wake up every day and I love what I do is every situation's different.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_07: Problem solving is kind of like my favorite thing to do, and my favorite people to talk to are people that question the standard or search the internet of what needs to be done or this and that.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_07: And I a fun fact, did you know Elite Roofing, 20 mile radius of Litchfield, is the only preferred contractor through Owens Corning, which is the number one shingle sold in the county.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_07: Also, we're the only IKO Craftsman Premier Contractor and about a 40 mile radius.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_07: So nice.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_07: The important is yes, you know, it checks the ego box, but also We gotta check that.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_04: I mean trying to do that every day, buddy.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_07: But I think also what people don't understand is the roofing, like you don't get a warranty through the manufacturer if it's not registered.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_07: And the only way that these extended warranties are registered and like what the package actually says is if you have a preferred contractor installing it.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_07: Owen's Corning requires three products plus the shingles, so Ridge Cap, starter, or underlayment, or ridge cap starter, ice and water, right?
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_07: You gotta have those three products.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_07: IKO requires uh two plus the third one.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_07: So it's one of those things that like when you when you look at these lifetime warranties and what does that mean?
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_07: Like at the end of the day, I love what I do, but I could fall off the roof tomorrow.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_07: And if that happens, you know, elite roofing's in a tough position, you know.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_07: I I feel confident that we could be able to sustain for a while with our processes and people, but you know, at the end of the day, I'm the head of that ship.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_07: And I think having the credibility and the confidence that the manufacturer is backing you up who's been around for the last hundred years, people don't ask those questions.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_07: And that not only helps you if there's a defect in the shingle, a color defect, but being a preferred contractor as well with OC, I can pay, you can pay for their it's not called platinum, but it's their uh their top warranty.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_07: The name's drawing the blank right now, that essentially covers labor as well.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_07: So at the end of the day, even if I went out of business tomorrow, my warranty is still good on a 15-year labor, and it's a 50-year manufacturer warranty.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_07: Um, you're not getting that.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_07: And I know for a fact, like if you go to the Owens Corney website and you look up preferred contractors near me, Elite Roofing is the only one popping up in our zip code, which is fantastic.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_04: Well, that's kind of that's that's um awesome because that isn't that kind of how you are with the windows, Chris.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_04: So I love that.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_04: I'm just sitting here with two real gems, you know.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_04: I got I got a my window manufacturer, shingle manufacturer.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_04: I gotta say something funny real quick.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_04: Going back, I've been wanting to say it for like five minutes.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_04: You know, people don't think about their roof because you it's not like within eye level.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_06: Absolutely.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_04: Think of it for you, it kind of is.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_04: You know, life's so tall.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_04: So that's why he's loved roofs his whole life.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_04: But I'm just saying, we've got to have advocates like this.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_04: I'm not trying to be like weird, but I never I don't care about, I would never even think about my roof.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_04: You know me, I'm all about beauty.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_04: So it's just like, but then you learn all this stuff, and like I was at another business this morning, they're gutters, awful.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_04: They need to get on your plan.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_04: And they were even saying it.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_02: So I mean tell them go ahead.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_02: So it it's it is the platinum protection limited warranty.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's yes, it covers both materials and installation.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the platinum.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_02: I I Platinum, yes, sir.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yep, you were right.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you were like that's so awesome.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_02: Man, you were on it.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: You're a very good speaker.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_02: We're getting deeper into fall now and winter isn't far away.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_02: What should homeowners be checking around their roofs and gutters before winter weather arrives, besides trees growing out of them, right?
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, are there certain problems that are especially important to address before temperatures drop?
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_07: So the and there's a couple different variations on this, but your average shingle needs to be nailed and sealed during 45 degree temperatures or above.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, okay, okay, okay.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_07: So 45 degrees or above.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_07: Once it gets below that, you can tear off in the morning, but you're not supposed to start nailing until at least it rises to 45 degrees.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_07: So that the self-adhering strip can actually seal.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_07: Makes sense.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_07: Yes.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_07: So with that, you know, being said, it's just it's one of those things like looking around, like, you know, you're joking, what are they looking for?
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_07: You know, like I said, the missing chingos is up.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_07: But honestly, getting somebody out there just to make sure that there's nothing it's hard to see from the ground.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_07: Caitlin's making a great point.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_07: You're not looking at, even if you look up, you're like, hey, what am I looking at?
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_04: But you don't see the top, you don't see the top of it.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_04: Even if you look up, you'd have to get a drone.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_02: Not everybody's most correct me if wrong, most ranch homes are 612 to 412.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_02: They're a lower pitch.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_02: So you're not going to be able to see if it was a 1212 pitch.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_02: You'll be able to see more of that from the further you step back.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: Lower pitch, you don't see and I think I have a lower pitch.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_02: You can't the further you go back, the further you drop, the less you see.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_04: You can't see.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: And you're not advocating homeowners to get on their roofs.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_07: Correct.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_07: I think uh free inspections, guys.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_07: Come on.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_07: Free inspections, Christmas lights.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_07: You know, Carlinville just won, you know.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Mario's Christmas.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_04: You're doing Christmas lights?
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_07: We do Christmas lights.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, they do them.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_07: Uh we've done that every year.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_07: We've probably done about 500 the last three or four years.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_07: So we'll do the permanent, we'll do the go uh the goby lights, and then we'll uh hang somebody else's lights and do their ornaments in the yard and stuff.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_02: So permanent lights.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_07: What do you mean permanent lights?
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_07: So permanent the GOVI lights.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_07: Um they're the ones that actually screw up underneath into the soffit.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_07: Um and you can they're installed one time, a little bit more expensive up front.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_07: You can have them all year round.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_07: Halloween, you can have orange lights, right?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_07: You can change them by a remote.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_04: Stop now.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_04: I need those.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_04: I even like them year-round because I think that looks cute.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_04: Like on a porch, like underneath.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_04: Oh Blake.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna be talking to you about these prices.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_07: Oh yeah.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_07: They're uh they're fun.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_07: They're like I said, they're tedious, they take some time, they cost a little bit more.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_07: But you never have to touch them again.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_02: Because they'll get the control module and all that.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_04: But to change the color with the remote, that's top tier.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_02: Red and blue, that's right.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_07: Christmas, red, green, white.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Blake, let's talk about one of the things I specifically wanted to talk about.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_02: We crushed on a little bit so far, but let's talk about the roof shield product.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, and and start with the most basic question.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: What exactly is Elite Roof Shield?
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_02: Perfect.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_07: So Elite Roof Shield is essentially a preventative and proactive maintenance program that has two separate tiers to allow you to create longevity and transparency on your roof system and any exterior, any other exterior things that may occur.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_07: Uh so the basic package is essentially a one time annual inspection, um, a gutter inspection, basically making sure that you pro have proper drainage, making sure that you have no missing shingles, making sure you don't have any storm damage.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_07: Making sure all your flashings, everything looks good to go there.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_07: It's 35 bucks a month.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_07: Easy peasy.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_07: We come out, we document it.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_07: You know, we can have an entire segment on thoughts for insurance and why it's important to know the age of your roof.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_07: Because right now it is more important than ever in the aspect of if your roof's nine years old, your policy for most, obviously there's exceptions, is a completely different policy than when your roof hits ten years.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_07: And when it comes to a storm damage and what you're able to recoup back and what you're able to get and how your policy changes, I mean we're talking five to ten, fifteen thousand dollars on average for a claim on that.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_07: Again, I could nerd out on that all day.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_07: But I think the other side of that maintenance program for 65 bucks a month goes up ten dollars if there is if it's two stories, but sixty-five bucks a month, you get your inspection.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_07: You'll also get a free gutter cleaning included.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_07: So we'll go up there.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_07: Like I've been saying, gutter cleaning is one of the most important things that gets included.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_07: Uh you get 10% off all repairs, you get priority scheduling, you get uh a documented report to give to your insurance company, and then on top of it, we do a resealing of all penetrat uh all penetrations and any exposed nails.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_07: Because in your roof system, what no matter what, your ridge cap being the number one, there's going to be nails exposed on your roof.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_07: There's almost supposed to be every time.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_07: And then, you know, just around your box fence, around your chimneys and stuff.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_07: So we'll take basically two, two pipes, flu pipe, yeah, uh boots.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_07: Any boots, anything like that, any penetrations, they're all going to have something exposed as it gets sealed.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_07: Again, over time, that sealing dry rots, you know, it's designed, they say lifetime, 20 years, whatever.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_07: But at the end of the day, we all know that being touched up, human error occurs, and it's just a yearly thing, a yearly peace of mind.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_07: And then if you do get a the big one is if you do have a leak, if you're in that nine to 15 year range with a roof, this is where it's perfect.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_07: That's a good uh target audience.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_07: Is we're able to, if it leaks, as free tarping.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_07: So you call us 24-7, two in the morning, it's pouring down rain.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_07: We're gonna come out and tarp your roof completely free.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_07: So you don't have to pay for that.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_07: And then with it, the biggest, biggest factor out of everything, after year one, 80% of what you pay is a credit towards your future roof.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a savings account for your roof job.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_07: So if you pay$780 a year, which is$65 a month,$650 is going towards your future roof.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_07: So you think you have this maintenance program for five years, that's four years of savings.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_07: That's$2,600 you just put towards your deductible if there's a storm, or$2,600 you just put as a down payment towards your future roof.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_02: Right now, average roofs are$12,000.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_04: I have so much to say about this.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, this is so amazing.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_04: And I I want to bring in our realtor segment to this.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_04: When people are selling a house, if they would have if they have been on your maintenance plan, your Elite Shield, they have all that documented to give right to the buyer.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_07: Yep.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_07: Year after year.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_04: And I just feel like that would help them sell the house.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_07: And on top of it, what's the number one kickback on a real on your realtor segment?
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_07: Ask it, what's your number one kickback?
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_07: HFACs, roofs, right?
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_07: Well, she talks about the roofs all the time.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_07: All the time, right?
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_07: So what you do is your seller pays.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_07: So if you pay a year at a time, it's$650.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_07: You save 20%.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_07: What you do is you have your you have your seller pay the$650 for the buyer for the first year.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_07: So then in year two, when he picks it up, every dollar that buyer's paid is automatically 80% going towards a credit.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_04: Dude, you and Lisa got to hook up.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_04: Yep.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_07: So it's it's one of those things.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_07: I've saved two deals in the last 30 days.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_07: Um shout out to Mark Roberts for really he's utilized this a lot with me.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_07: Um, we've inspected about five, three of them couldn't qualify for the maintenance.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_07: They just had too many interior leaks that needed to be a replacement.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_07: So the ideal target is roofs that are older that don't have leaks that we know are going to be replaced.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_07: Underwriting is killing more deals right now on the real estate side than inspections.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_07: So the inspectors, everything's good, and then underwriting's coming back, especially on your FHA loans and stuff, and just hammering it or VA loans as well.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_07: So, like with that, I write the report as a licensed contractor stating that the roof is in solid condition, it has more than three to five years left of integrity.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_07: This maintenance program is now boosting that, and everything's documented.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_07: We do a full 17-point inspection, and I've I mean I'm two for two on getting underwriting to approve it.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_07: So not only has it made money to the realtor, right?
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_07: It's also provided, you know, security for the seller, and now the buyer has security as well.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_04: I was just gonna say that.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_07: Now they have confidence, and on top of it, that relationship for us is we're growing together.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_07: So our target next year is to get about 200 clients on the maintenance program.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_07: Uh we're at around 10 right now.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_07: And I mean, it's just rolled it out.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_07: We just rolled it out.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, we just rolled it out.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_04: I knew it was, but yeah, have you had to go somewhere at 2 a.m.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_04: with a tarp yet?
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_07: No.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_04: 1 a.m.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_07: I think but also I don't know.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, but yeah, others you have, yeah.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_07: Oh yeah.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, okay, okay.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_07: Anytime it storms, my my phone's on loud and I sleep on the couch because I know that there's a good chance.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, we've, you know, before I started my own company, that was my favorite thing to do.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_07: Was there's no better time to sell roosting in the rain when it's water's chipping in.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_07: That's right.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_04: You're right, because disparity.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_04: They're like, we don't care, take our money, just fix it.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_02: So, Blake, are there any misconceptions about the elite roof shield that you'd like to clear up?
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I think the biggest misconception is honestly, it's it's it's not a win and only me.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_07: I'm not the only one winning.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_07: It's a win-win because you are retaining essentially after the first year 80% of what you're paying.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_07: And I think the biggest thing, if any realtors are listening to this or anybody thinking about selling your house, this does not eliminate the fact that I'm not going to come out and do a free inspection.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_07: I'm not charging you for an inspection.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_07: My inspection's still completely free.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_07: I'm still going to give you that same report.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_07: What this does is it's a peace of mind to where if you have just bought a home or you're planning to sell a home and you want to start creating that file, or you just want to, you know what, I have to pay to get my goaties clean every year, but I'm making a Facebook post and you know, who it changes every year.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_07: A high school kid goes off to college or whatever.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, right.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_07: This allows somebody who's not only A, comfortable being on a roof, but B has the processes and the team in place to have the convenience button.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_07: So if you're designed to look, if you're looking, if your brain's designed to have convenience, which I feel like we all pay for convenience in some factor, this is what that's for.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_07: It's not to uh, you know, quote unquote, I say like get rich quick or scam somebody.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_07: It's literally a relationship started ahead of time so that when you do have that big investment, yeah, it's peace of mind.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_02: It's yeah, it's convenience.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I always think it's important for homeowners to understand exactly what they're buying.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: So when someone is considering your elite roof shield, what information should they ask you for regarding its expected benefits, compatibility with their roof warranty coverage, and any conditions that apply?
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_02: Really, it's breaking down the age of your roof, right?
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_02: That's probably one of the main things.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_07: Age, but also there's a target too for brand new roofs.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_07: So, I mean, it's honestly look, ask yourself, how many times in the last five years have you got on your roof?
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_07: How many times have you got a roof?
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_04: How many times have you not been ever been on my roof?
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, and how many times have I cleaned my gutters?
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_07: How many times?
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_07: What do we know?
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_07: We expect a roof to last 30 years.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_07: If I put it, if the realtor tells us, hey, it's a brand new roof, well, did you know was it a layover or was it a tear-off?
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_04: Right, right.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_07: That visual inspection relays that.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_07: And unfortunately, like I won't point any names, but we had a situation where here in Carlinville, roof got approved by insurance, but it was 85% of the roof.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_07: They didn't pay for the two flat roof sections.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_07: So we go out, we do the roof for the insurance, contract, everything's great.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_07: Homeowner sells the houses.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_07: We did the entire roof.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_07: Well, we did to a point, we did all the shingles.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_07: So homeowner has somebody come up there cleaning their gunners, all of a sudden they're cussing us out because the flat roof's 15 years old.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_07: Well, why wasn't the flat roof apparent?
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_07: Why wasn't it done?
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_07: It was stated when I bought the house that this roof was done.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_02: In the disclosures, that's what at least it functions.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_07: Yes, right.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_04: You gotta get if you disclose it.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_07: That's right.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_07: That's what I mean.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_07: That's right.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, that's right.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_07: And so it's stuff like that to where I recommend everybody that buying or selling a house, you should do it.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_07: You should get a professional roof inspection done.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_07: It's again, it's free and it's peace of mind because at the end of the day, the buyer's always gonna want a new roof, the seller's never gonna want to pay for it.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_07: Like it's just hands around how it is.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_07: So it just gives you kind of a battle.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_07: We come in as a neutral source and we're able to, you know, completely document and let that assessment come.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_07: Again, relating back to the maintenance program, I'm not pushing new roofs on every job.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_07: I don't want that.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_07: I want the roofs five years from now.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_07: I want those relationships established.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_07: It's a lot.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_07: It's something that I feel like if I'm in front of people, it's gonna be designed more when you but at the end of the day, who's ever heard of a roof maintenance program?
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_02: How how can they hey you're you're the founding father?
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_02: How can how can people find out more about Elite Roof Shield?
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, no, awesome.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_07: I think uh calling the office and setting an appointment, all of our sales guys have you know, we do weekly trainings on this, weekly roll calls.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_07: And the reason is is because it's a newer program, um, it's not new, it's not a new program, it's new to the area.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_07: Right, new to the Midwest.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, yeah.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_02: Correct.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_02: They they are they're national companies basically that that go out and do that.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_07: And if you think of it, how many people have have paid for or have had a home warranty when they're buying a house?
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_02: They're becoming more popular.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_02: All the time.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_07: Yes, it's all just included in every deal.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_07: Well, that's what I thought you had to.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_07: You either bought a house with a home warranty, you've either offered a home warranty when you sold a house, or you've acquired one and then just let it expire.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_07: Right.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_07: This is the same thing.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_07: Yes, and I know I kind of dumbfounded you when I said that.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_04: Well, no, because I thought it was included.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like thinking it is okay, and it's optional.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_07: Okay, 100%.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, well, then I was like, I don't know, I'm like everybody.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, and that's that's the big picture is how do you get everybody to want or expect a roof maintenance program with it?
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_07: Right, right.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_07: And it's just why I mean when you're buying a house, what's$650 typically?
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_07: Right pennies.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_07: Well, that's what I thought.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_04: And and I mean you you have your peace of mind, and again, you have it all documented for just a handover if you ever wanted to sell.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_02: Blake, I appreciate you breaking that down because the goal is to help homeowners understand their options, and that's what you're doing, and along through sales team, and make an informed decision, not just buying something because it sounds good, but people still will.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that sounds good.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_02: Here's my money, you know.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_02: But now let's talk about the time of year that we're in and what homeowners can realistically do before winter, right?
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we're recording this in late October, they're gonna hear it first of November.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_02: And in the Midwest, the seasons can change quickly, right?
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, we're 70 something today.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_04: 77, man.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_02: But next week we could be 37.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_02: It literally literally could could happen, right?
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, one week we're enjoying this some mild fall weather, next we're dealing with that freezing temps, right?
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_02: So, what's one question homeowners can have this time of year?
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_02: Can you still get roof work done late fall and winter?
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I think very debatable question.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_07: Just smiling when I say now, if you go with a duration flex, which is an own corning class four, or you go with an IKO Nordic, you can install below 25 degrees and it'll still seal.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_07: So it's an upgraded product, gives you a little bit more discount on your insurance, you can still do it.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_07: But generically, and from a roofing perspective, it's not in our best interest once the weather starts breaking to install, just because you know, at the end of the day, if the seals don't work or they don't seal down and dust gets underneath of them, now you're gotten flapping shingles, and that's not a material defect, that's just the fact of installation issue.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_07: It's an installation issue, but the argument on that is gonna be if the manufacturer says it's able to be done and the integrity of the shingles not get increased, then it's flapping, it's not it's a wishy-wossy subject.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_07: Nobody likes to be in that position from contractor side or manufacturer side.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_04: It's better be safe than sorry, guys.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_04: Just gotta wait until you're gonna be able to do that.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_07: If you don't have a leak and you're signing roof contracts, we're still putting them on right now.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_07: But again, if the weather changes and it dips to 37, we'll basically we'll start that transition out of we'll pause and uh we'll recap in the spring.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_07: So, you know, as far as jumping on the horn or needing it done, I mean, we all know about the big storm last year in May.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_07: So you have two years from the data loss to get your work completed.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_07: So May 17th, for anybody who's made a claim that hasn't got the work done that was already approved, you know, you're really cutting it close because there's about two months.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_07: My siding.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_07: Now, the good thing about that is at least you can, you know, there's some controlled temperature mechanisms you can take to with siding.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_07: With siding to help.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_07: But it's you know, it's one of those things.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, I just don't you why why would you, you know, why would you put yourself in that position where you're gonna take a risk on an investment that, like I said, we all just$10,012,$20,000.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_07: Like it just doesn't make sense.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_07: So or$45,000 in my case on my siding.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_07: Exactly.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, it's and you we hold that back and yeah, we all pay insurance every month, we want to get the most out of it.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_07: We all make this big investment with our roofs, and at the end of the day, we all want to make sure that we can just provide you that quality product and maintain that.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_07: So it I would just say after you know November 15th, well, probably about December 1st, December 15th.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, like it's it's sketchy on if your roof skin.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_02: Because we can have days you can wake up and it's 30 degrees or 25 degrees, but that roof will heat up.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_02: The sun's really shining.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, correct.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_02: And so there's that varying degree where that heat that that roof may be 60 degrees and the air temp may be 40.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_02: Because that sun is baking that roof, andor just heating up the attic space and ventilate.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: But it's that it's but you guys are on the air on the side of hey, let's make sure you got a great solid installation because you're warranting it and you want to make sure it's good to go.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_02: I'm telling you, that January and February and even March, they say you may just have to do a small temporary repair if someone has an active leak.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_02: Small repair that area so they can get through the winter and then schedule for a roof repair replacement when they in the fall.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_02: Have you heard about the smart tarps?
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_02: Smart tarps, let's hear about them.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_02: So do you know about them?
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_02: I do not.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_05: Oh you're teaching, Chris.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_07: So I love it.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_07: We we just bought 150 smart tarps.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_07: They're 10 foot by 10-foot tarps, require no penetrations inside the tarp to secure.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_07: It's a mechanism, any degree, it's sub 20 degrees, I think, a negative 20 degrees.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_07: You take your foot to activate the seal, and it seals around it.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_07: Okay, so Elon Musk.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, actually, the guy that created it, I want to say is in Effingham.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, really?
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's cool.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_02: Cool.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_07: He downside, I could be wrong, but it from Illinois, from the area, sold a bunch to SRS.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_07: Yep.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_07: I invested in, like I said, it was 125 or 150 of them.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_07: So they're all getting dropped off at our office.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_07: But basically, what that's gonna allow is that's gonna allow our repair division to not have to any time of night 24-7.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_07: We're able to provide those tarts.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and that makes it so much easier.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_07: Correct.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_07: And when they go up there at night, you're not nailing or trying to slide up underneath the shingle, you're basically putting it down, sealing it, and then with your foot, rubbing it, and then dude, that's wild.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_04: That's so cool.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_04: And that's right in Effingham.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_07: It's uh yeah, I'm 99% sure it's Effingham.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_07: Is who the guy who actually patented the design and went public with it.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_02: But I love it.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of good stuff, and sounds like gearing up for 27.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, your sale team's strong, new, new uh smart tarps coming in, ready to go to help through.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_02: So, Blake, I'm gonna put you through the big dog rapid fire.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_02: I know last time you're here, you didn't get uh privy to this.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_04: Rapid fire spell.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_02: So here we go, rapid fire.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna go, I'm gonna throw a few questions at you, give me your first answer.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_02: Don't overthink it, just do it right.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: What's one word that best describes elite roofing professionals?
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_07: Integrity.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_02: What's the most overlooked part of a home's exterior?
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_07: Uh gutters.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: Gutters or gutter guards.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_02: Which homeowners understand better?
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_07: Gutter guards.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_02: What's one roofing myth you wish would disappear?
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_07: Uh a color references the attic heat.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_07: Black roofs do not create more heat in the attic.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_07: Gotcha.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_02: What's one sign that a homeowner should call a professional?
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_07: Active league, missing signals.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_07: Or if they have a roof.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_02: There for you?
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_07: I love it.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_02: Fall maintenance or spring maintenance, which gets overlooked more?
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_02: Uh fall maintenance.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_02: What's one thing homeowners should never do themselves on a roof?
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_07: Ooh, that's tough.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_04: Get on it.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_07: Get on it.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_07: That's what I was going to say.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_02: Get on it.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_02: That's good.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_02: What's one question everyone homeowner should ask a roofing contractor?
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_02: Are you licensed?
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_02: I knew I was going to say that.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_02: What's one thing you're most excited about headed into 2027?
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_07: The growth and the 10x platform that's going to be powered with leak roofing.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_02: What's your number one piece of advice for protecting a home's exterior?
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_02: Maintenance.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_02: Love it.
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, today's big dog challenge is simple.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_02: I want everyone listening to take 15 minutes this week and do a walk around, inspect their property.
• 39:18
  SPEAKER_02: You don't need to climb onto that roof.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, please don't put yourself after this trying to inspect something from a damaged position.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_02: Instead, look from the ground, check for missing or visibly damaged shingles, gutters that appear loose, sagging, or clogged, or trees growing out of them.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_02: Downspouts that aren't directing water away from the house or missing downspouts, right?
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_02: Or the downspout extensions.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_02: I've got downspouts.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_02: Visible damage to the siding or exterior trim, water stains or signs of moisture inside the home, areas where water appeared to collect near the foundation, write down anything that concerns you.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_02: Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes unless you've got a mansion.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_02: If that's the case, elite's already been there.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_02: Then make a plan to have those issues evaluated by the appropriate professionals, right?
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_02: If it's exterior, elite roofing professionals can take care of most of that and you can contact them at 217-851-3836, right?
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_02: And if they've already known you need a roof replacement or major exterior work in 2027, don't wait until everyone else is calling at the same time.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_02: Start that conversation now.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_02: Get on their list, right?
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_02: So Blake, thanks for joining us today and sharing knowledge with our listeners, right?
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_02: I think one of the biggest takeaways today is that protecting your home isn't just about replacing a roof when it finally fails.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_04: Right?
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_02: It's about understanding the condition of your property, recognizing potential problems, and making informed decisions before a small concern becomes a major headache.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_02: And it's also about finding a professional who will explain your options, answer your questions, and help you determine what makes sense for your home.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_02: Whether you're looking at your roof replacement, gutters, siding, or learning more about elite roof shield, the first step is understanding what you have and what your property actually needs.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_02: And we move towards 2027.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_02: Now is a good time to start planning for those projects you know are coming.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_02: So if you've been putting it off looking at your roof or exterior, take this episode as your reminder to get ahead of it.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_02: Reach out to elite roofing professionals, discuss your roofing, guttering, gutter guard, or our siding needs.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_02: If you're curious about Elite Roof Shield, ask Blake directly what it is, how it works, whether it's appropriate for your roof, and what you should know before making a decision.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_02: Or one of his great sales teams, right?
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_06: Absolutely.
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_02: You can reach Elite Roofing Professionals again at 217-851-3836 or on that beautiful interweb at Eliteroofing Professionals.com.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_02: And if you find this episode helpful, share it with a homeowner who might be preparing for a winter or planning an exterior project for 2027 or is looking to sell their home soon.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_02: I picked up on that, right?
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_04: I'm serious.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_02: So, like, again, thanks for joining us and being one of our 10x partners.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_02: And thank you to everyone listening to Designing the Building, the Midwest, one community at a time.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_02: Remember, your home is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_02: Take care of it, ask questions, and build a plan that protects it for a long time.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_02: At Big Dog Construction Company, we just don't build houses.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_02: We help families build better lives inside them.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_02: We build relationships that last and we build stronger communities, one project, one family, and one community at a time.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Chris with Big Dog Construction and Caitlin Borgini with us.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_02: Until next time, plan smarter, build better, keep designing, keep building, and keep going 10X on everything you do.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_02: We'll see you next time on Designing the Building the Midwest, one community at a time.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_00: Bye! Hey there.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Lisa Miller, managing broker and owner of First Choice Realty Pros.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_00: We don't just help you find a house, we help you discover home.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_00: My team and I are passionate about taking care of your needs, making the process smooth, and ensuring you get the personalized attention you deserve.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_00: Ready for the next step?
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_00: Call us at 217-825-3999.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_00: With First Choice Realty Pros, you've got a team that's got your back.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, listeners and followers, we have something big coming out that'll be launching January 1st, 2027.
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I said 2027, it is upon us already.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_02: We're almost done with the third quarter rolling into the fourth.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_02: But we are rolling out the Big Dog Home Guardian program.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_02: It's a residential service and maintenance agreement.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_02: You ever have those the annoying beeping smoke alarm that's like, oh crap, I forgot to replace the battery in that, or it's too high, I don't have a ladder, I can't get up there safely, or that furnace filter that you're like, oh, I forgot to change the furnace filter.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_02: Gutters need cleaning, it's just a mess, whatever that is.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_02: We are gonna have that in our home dog, big dog.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_02: Home dog, what up, home dog?
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_02: The big dog home guardian program where we can take care of those things, or the little uh handyman stuff that you need to take care of, right?
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_02: The squeaking storm door, the squeaking bedroom door, squeaky loose floorboard, whatever that is, we can take care of you.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna have three tiers of service low, middle, and high.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_02: Each one of those will have their own things that we offer.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, the higher the tier, the quicker response time you'll get put on the schedule.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_02: Okay?
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_02: So stay tuned and be looking for more information on the Big Dog Home Guardian program.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_02: Until then, we'll catch you next time.
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, it's Ryan Cleman.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_03: And Lindy.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_01: We are the community partners for the Big Dog Podcast.
• 44:30
  SPEAKER_03: As the owners of SIPS Coffee Co., community is at the heart of everything we do.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_03: We want to support the people who make this area great.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_03: So if you are our local business or organization that would like to be featured right here on this podcast, or if you want to work together with us to make the Midwest the absolute best community it can be, please get a hold of us.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_01: Reach out today and let's build something great together.
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_04: And that wraps up another episode of Designing and Building the Midwest, one community at a time.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you so much for tuning in and listening with us today.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_02: We hope you walked away with some valuable insights to use in your home or neighborhood.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_02: If you enjoyed what you heard, make sure you hit that subscribe button so you never miss a weekly episode.
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_04: And be sure to follow us on Facebook and across all your favorite platforms to keep up with everything we're building.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_02: Until next time, I'm Chris.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm Caitlin.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks for hanging out with us, and we'll see you next time.
• 45:50
  unknown: Big Dog.
• 45:52
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• 45:58
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• 46:04
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for listening.