Anyone who has hired Diamond Roofing over the past 39 years knows that Dave Mikulski is the type of owner who is committed to excellence, from the honesty he shows customers to the way his crews treat the jobsite and ultimately to the fine workmanship that goes into every project. What people don’t know is that he has operated the same way since he was 13 years old, when he founded his first business.
A go-getter from a young age, his mother had asked him around that time what he wanted for Christmas, and his list included several high-priced items like designer jeans and the latest pair of Nikes.
“She laughed at me and told me I better get a job,” Mikulski recalls. “Instead of getting a job, I started my first business cutting people’s lawns. My uncle made up flyers and I delivered them around the sub community I lived in. Before I knew it, I was cutting the whole neighborhood’s lawn.”
That entrepreneurial spirit never left Mikulski, who entered the construction industry a few years later and learned the ins and outs of exterior work, including roofing, siding and framing. He became so proficient that he built his own house in Shamong—where he still lives today—and eventually went out on his own in 1986, first as a general contractor before deciding to specialize in roofing in 1993.
Today, Diamond Roofing is certified by GAF and a preferred contractor by Owens Corning—the two biggest shingle manufacturers in the country—and offers roofing repair and replacement, gutters, skylights and attic fans for residential and commercial customers. Mikulski spoke to South Jersey Magazine to provide tips for homeowners looking for the right contractor to address their needs.
What are some signs that it might be time for a new roof?
The shingles start curling, the granules are wearing off the shingles and you see them in the gutters, and of course if there are leaks occurring.
How do you help someone decide between repair and replacement?
Basically, by the age of the roof. Even if it’s close, it might be a waste of money to do repairs now if you’re just going to put on a new roof next year. But if you can’t afford it now, then you can start saving up and we can do it whenever you’re financially ready. I don’t push the issue too much with homeowners because I have no idea what their financial background is. I’m just honest with them and recommend that they should do it sooner than later, for a couple of reasons. First, the price is going to be better now—as long as I’ve been in business, I have never seen the shingle prices go down. And second, it’s better to have a new roof than one that has Band-Aids all over it.
How do you work within a customer’s budget?
No. 1, we’ll give them financing options, and No. 2, if they show me another estimate of someone doing it cheaper than me, then I can also go that low. I have my own dumpsters and dumpster truck, so I haul my own debris to the landfill and I recycle everything. I save money that way, and I also buy everything in bulk, so I get a better price on it and I can pass the savings on to the customers.
Why should homeowners be wary of “storm chasers” who show up after a hale storm, for example?
Because most of them are fraudulent. They’ll ask for your insurance paperwork and take it from there, so the homeowner loses control over the insurance settlement and never knows how much the insurance company is getting charged, and it’s ridiculously high. The storm chasers are also never going to come back for repairs if there’s an issue—they’re usually from at least an hour away, and they’re not going to make that drive each way without making any money. You’re better off dealing with a reputable local contractor who will stand behind their reputation, instead of a no-name storm chaser who is promising you everything will get done for free.
Do you just work with shingles or do you get into alternative options?
We do all types of roofs. We also offer metal roofing, cedar shake roofing and flat roofing along with shingles. Some people like the look of metal and it will last 50 years, but now the shingles are lasting 50 years. So basically, it’s based on the design of the home and personal preference.
Why do you think your customer testimonials commonly praise the work of your crews?
My employees are all trained well and they know exactly what the next step is. Most of the homeowners tell me that they didn’t even see them stopping for lunch, and that’s because they take their lunch breaks in shifts so that someone is always working. They’re very courteous and very clean. It’s a dirty job, but a lot of times, we leave the jobsite cleaner than when we got there. We take pride in that.
Diamond Roofing
Shamong
(609) 268-9200
DiamondRoofing-NJ.com
