Since your roof is one of the most important structural elements of your house, you will want an experienced roofing contractor to do the work. If it is not done properly, product warranties may be voided and significant damages could occur. A roofer can usually give an estimated completion date quickly so that you can plan your schedule around it. The company’s current workload and number of available roofers will affect the time frame. It will also be affected by the type of roofing material that is being installed. Some types take longer than others. The size of your house and the removal of the existing roof are also factors. Generally, you can expect an estimate of several days to two weeks or slightly longer.

A time estimate cannot be absolute since there are several potential problems beyond the contractor’s control that can slow down the process. You should try to be flexible if possible and make considerations for this in your plans. One very common issue is interference from Mother Nature. Unexpected rain, snow or other inclement weather may occur during the work schedule. It is best not to schedule the work at a time when weather problems are likely. Sometimes, after the project has started, roofers may come across damage that was not obvious at the initial inspection. The additional work needed to correct this may also cost extra time.

If you are unhappy with the completion date from one contractor, consider giving one of their competitors a call. If they have more roofers available, you might get a shorter time estimate. Above all, remember that quality workmanship is the most important thing. You don’t want the work to be rushed. If a company says they can do the work in two days with a very limited staff when others have told you it will take two weeks, this is reason to be suspicious. Superior work is worth the time when it comes to the structural stability and value of your home.

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The Benefits

It’s important to clean your roof gutters every six months because the gutter can hold leaves and other debris that lead to water backing up onto your roof and washing down the outer walls of your home. When water enters a gutter filled with leaves, the most common problem is that the leaves are compacted into the downspout causing water to backup and overflow onto the outer walls and the roof of your home. In extreme cases where water can’t flow out of the downspout, foundation damage to your home is possible.

You may also experience ceiling damage when your gutters become backed up by leaves as the water is pushed back onto the roof of your home. In most cases, spotting the damage early is impossible because the water begins to destroy your home in hidden areas, such as the basement, under the home, or in the attic crawlspace. When considering why it’s important to clean your roof gutters every six months, you will also want to think about preventing pest infestations in the home. When a gutter is backed up, the water can stagnate and breed mosquitoes and other pests easily.

Gutter Cleaning

It’s important to clean your roof gutters every six months to reduce the need to paint the exterior of your home. Gutter cleaning can prevent termite infestations, as well, since the exterior of your home can be weakened and prone to termites as a result of water damage. Cleaning the gutters is usually a simple task that can be completed in a couple of hours by a professional team, or you can opt for cleaning the gutters yourself over a weekend.

If you do opt to clean your gutters yourself, make sure that you have someone to assist you while you are on the ladder. You will also want to be careful not to bend the gutters or downspout with your ladder while you are working. You can usually use a small shovel to scoop out old leaves and twigs, but you may need to work a little more to remove any dried on dirt. You will also want to remember to rinse the gutters thoroughly with a water hose after you have removed all the debris. Flushing the gutters will ensure they are ready for the next six months of rain by removing any small leaves and dust particles left over after cleaning.

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Inspect Shingles

The first thing you will want to do if possible is get up on top of the roof and inspect the shingles. Safety is paramount here: if the roof is very steep or you have concerns about its safety, get a professional to inspect the roof. Once up on the roof, take a close look at the shingle surfaces. Hail impacts create circular dents or “dimples” in the granular material that tops the shingles. If you find these on one shingle, continue looking at others and check for similar denting. These dents can allow water to seep through the shingles and can worsen over time.

Check Flashing and Vent Pipes for Granules

Another area to check if you are able to get up on the roof (or are having a handyman do it) is the flashing areas around vent pipes, chimneys, in valleys where roofs meet, around skylights, and so on. As hail hits, it tends to knock an inordinate amount of shingle granules off and these end up in the areas just mentioned. Finding a lot of granules on the flashing is one of the best ways to identify hail damage.

Check Gutters

You can also check to see if these granules have ended up in gutters that run along the edge of the roof. Caution is especially in order here, and you may even want to use a ladder and inspect gutters from a standing position on the ladder rather than going to the roof edge from on the roof.

Check Downspouts for Dents and Dings

Checking downspouts is something you can do from down on the ground. Check the mouth of the downspout and the ground around it for shingle granules. If you find an inordinate amount this can indicate hail damage, since granules that have been knocked off get washed into gutters and then down the downspouts.

Inspect interior Ceilings for Leaks

One of the main functions of a roof is to protect against water leaking into a house. If sufficient hail damage has occurred, leaks can be the result. It is a good idea to try and find these leaks, especially if there are other indicators of hail damage. Check the roof from inside the house by looking between rafters and along the soffits. If you feel any moistness or see droplets you definitely have a leak. Also check ceilings of the top floor for staining that is the precursor to full fledged leaks that can damage ceilings, walls, and floors. These leaks should be taken care of immediately to avoid further damage to the house.

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The long life (10-30 years) of a built-up roof likely makes it the most economical. With this application, there are several layers of roofing felt impregnate with tar. Each layer is coated with hot tar, using mops. After several layers of felt and tar are applied, the roof is held in place with crushed gravel. The crushed gravel also serves as protection from the sun. The biggest problem with this application, is if it leaks – good luck locating the leak! The gravel essentially hides the problem area making it virtually impossible to patch.

Lasting no more than 10 years, the most common roof on garages and sheds is a roll asphalt roof. This is a single layer of asphalt impregnated felt. The felt is fastened down with galvanized nails and roofing cement. Much like the built-up roof, crushed gravel is the final layer on the roll asphalt type construction. Although this is likely the easiest do-it-yourself flat roof, it will have the same problems as the built-up system as far a finding and fixing leaks.

The remaining flat roofs are the single membrane and the sprayed polyurethane foam (SPF) roofs. Both of these require professional installation and special tools. The single membrane roof will last 10-15 years and is made in one piece from thermoplastic or thermoset membrane. The SPF is a two layer system consisting of the foam and a protective membrane. The single membrane roof is probably the easiest to locate problems and repair, as the roof is one piece. The material is UV resistant and the contractor ‘welds’ any seams together. Repairs are simple with patches and glue. The down side to either the SPF or single membrane is expense, because each must be installed by a professional.

All flat roofs require routine maintenance. It is important to remove any debris or leaves from the roof surface as well as the gutters and downspouts. Areas where flashing was used require inspection on a regular basis to prevent water infiltration. One major concern around flat roofs is fireworks. Especially with SPF materials which are highly flammable. In other words, if there is even a remote possibility that fireworks will land on your flat roof – don’t light them!

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The Benefits of Zinc Roofing

Zinc roofing makes an extremely wise investment, as it is capable of resisting corrosion through the natural development of its own patina–a dense layer of self-forming zinc carbonate. Through the protection provided by this patina, the durability and longevity of zinc far surpasses that of any other roofing material on today’s market. It is possible for a zinc roof to stay functionally intact for up to 50 years in an urban environment and 100 years in a rural environment. This extraordinary lifespan is approximately fours times that of a traditional steel roof.

In addition, its patina works like a self repair tool, and allows zinc roofing to correct scratches and imperfections, thus eliminating the need for the standard maintenance other roofs require on a regular basis. Zinc roofing is very malleable and can be molded into any type of complex shape, including low radius designs, which is impossible to accomplish with other roofing materials. Initially, it is a bit more expensive; however, most homeowners would agree that given its extraordinary longevity, it makes an extremely cost-effective investment.

Environmental Advantages

When used as a roofing material, zinc offers homeowners many environmental advantages. One such benefit is due to the fact that the amount of energy necessary to produce zinc is substantially lower than all other similar metals. When zinc is produced from recycled materials, the energy consumption required decreases even more than when it is produced from new materials.

Additionally, Zinc is 100 percent recyclable. When recycled, 95 percent of the zinc retains its initial energy content. This means that by the end of its functional life, 100 percent of the zinc can be recycled without losing its initial properties or degrading. Because of its light weight, it also costs much less to ship zinc than brick or stone and this can help to offset its initial cost.

Installation of Zinc Roofing

Although it is easy to install a zinc roof, as the material is generally sold in the form of zinc roofing strips, different areas require certain licenses in order for one to complete major home improvement projects without hiring a contractor. It is also necessary to get a roof inspection prior to the installation, for the purpose of checking for physicochemical compatibility and structural conformity. If one does not comply with such regulations serious damage can result. With this in mind, it is best to employ the services of a professional roofing company.

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Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt shingles are the most common form of roofing shingle in use today. They are also known as composition shingles and are reinforced with fiberglass or paper.

Wood Shake & Shingles

Wood shakes & shingles are generally manufactured from cedar, spruce or treated pine. Wood shingles are machine cut and smooth on both sides while hand split shakes are generally rough on the front and smooth on the back.

Slate Shingles

Slate shingles are basically shingle like slivers of rock. Slate is an option you will often see on more upscale properties and adds a very natural look to the home.

Metal Shingles

Metal roofing shingles are very much coming back into style. They are generally made from steel, aluminum, tin or copper.

Clay Tile Shingles

Clay tiles overlap and interlock on the roof. They do not absorb as much heat as many other roofing options so are a good choice for homes in warmer climates.

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The most eco-friendly roofing option is installing solar roof shingles. These shingles are composed of photovoltaic cells that transform the energy of the sun into electricity to power your home. These solar roof shingles are installed on the south side of the roof to get the maximum exposure to sunlight. They then provide a completely silent, infinitely renewable, completely green source of energy. Homeowners that install solar roofing shingles are eligible for government subsidies to help defray the costs of ownership. Getting these subsidies is really the only way to make this option cost-effective right now. However, the costs of photovoltaic technology are falling at the rate of 5.5 percent every year, which means that they will be in line with the price of grid electricity within the next ten years or so.

For plant lovers, installing a green roof takes on a literal connotation. Green roofs are a roofing option that involves covering the roof of your house with plants. These plants help decrease the loss of green space in urban areas, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reduce the heat building gain of buildings, and help restore natural habitat for animals. In addition, perhaps there best feature is their ability to control storm water runoff. Green roofs have the ability to absorb between 50 to 95 % of all of the rainwater they receive.

There are two versions of green roofs available, extensive and intensive. Extensive green roofs have a shallow soil environment that is planted with succulents, herbs, grasses and alpines. They are then left alone to develop naturally, and are not accessible for use.

Intensive green roofs are more expensive, but they are also more beneficial to the environment. They have a deep soil environment that has the ability to support a much wider variety of plants, including large plants like trees. They are designed to be interactive environments, so that users can enjoy recreation activities on them.

Eco-friendly roofing options are helping to solve the problem of the hot spots that the modern urban environment creates. Instead of heat-absorbing concrete and waste heat from buildings that typical buildings have, eco-friendly roofing options reduce the hot spots by capturing sunlight and transforming it to energy. Whether this is done with photovoltaic cells or green plants, it is a wonderful way to reduce the damage to the environment that cities typically inflict.

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Copper roofing comes in many different forms, these include standing seam where the copper is laid as a continuous covering which was pre-measured and cut to size in the factory. Smaller copper panels that are held together with clips or rivets, or even in shingle or tile form which are laid just like asphalt. In all cases, your copper roof will be highly durable and long lasting.

The longevity of copper roofing is unsurpassed, a well installed and cared for copper roof can last for hundreds of years. All it needs from the owner is occasional cleaning using a brush and a solution made out of lemon juice, vinegar and salt. As the roof ages it will move through a deep brown stage and finally acquire a deep green patina which will set in after a few years.

Far and away the biggest downside to copper roofing is the cost. Because of the scarcity of copper you could be looking at about $15 per square foot as opposed to around $1 if using asphalt shingles. If you are building for the long term this cost isn’t such a big deal however since once installed, you are never going to need to replace it, asphalt shingles on the other hand will need to be replaced much more frequently.

Due to the long lasting and reusable nature of copper, a copper roof is actually a very environmentally friendly option. The copper on your roof may well have been reclaimed from a previous use and once it is no longer needed to shelter you from the rain, it can be sold and reused as another properties roof or for any number of other purposes.

A copper roof is a great choice for beauty, durability and longevity. It may not be for everybody but is definitely a roofing option worth considering.

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Solar laminating panels were created by Uni-Solar. They are still the leader in the photovoltaic industry. Uni-Solar’s materials allow for various options to install them. The materials also provide great benefits for both residential homes and office buildings. These laminate materials are enduring, versatile, and lightweight. They are only four millimeters thick and weigh a mere pound per square foot. The best part about them is that they are easily implemented into both existing and new roofs. The solar material itself is practically unbreakable and simply installed on top of that. An easy peel and stick application is all that is necessary. These photovoltaic laminates may also be put on to porches, carports, and shade structures, which makes them practical financially and efficient for setting up a solar energy system.

Another option for solar roofing is Solar Tiles. Roof tiles made out of clay have proven to be popular and heavily utilized by many home and office building owners over the years. In the past, installing solar panels that had to be mounted on a roof proved to be very difficult because of various installation and design challenges. This has all changed thanks to the joint venture of SRS Energy and U.S. Tile. U.S. Tile is the country’s biggest manufacturer of clay tiles, and together the two companies now supply a solar tile that approximates the design and shape of the typically curved clay tiles. Because of this cutting edged design feature, the solar materials are able to camouflage perfectly with the clay tile roof design.

A third choice in solar roofing options is the Solar Standing Seam Metal. These standing seam metal types of roofs prove to be popular because of their appearance, resistance to impact, and durability. The manufacturers have created products that merge the beloved elements of the standing seam type metal roofs along with the versatility and technology inherent in laminate photovoltaics. This thin filmed laminate material turns out to be simple to install on the metal panels by utilizing the easy peel and stick application. Either on the job site or at the factory, these laminate materials can be installed on to the metal panels. This permits a variety of installation and design choices. Now, the owners of buildings that possess standing seam type metal roofs are simply capable of installing these solar laminates on to pre-existing roofs. This offers a financially practical and effective means of putting solar energy technology on to buildings and homes.

Perhaps the most current tremendous advance in solar roofing technology proves to be the new solar shingle that is installed and appears like a traditional asphalt shingle. October of 2009 saw the introduction of the Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingle, which was released to huge acclaim and was named among the fifty best inventions of the year by Time Magazine. These shingles are somewhere between ten and fifteen percent less expensive. They can be installed faster and cheaper than the old roof mounted solar panels. Such solar shingles are commonly installed at the same time as traditional asphalt shingles are. They typically are placed on the west or south facing part of the home or building.

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Snow guards are brilliant small angle brackets. They function as little “fingers” that hold snow and ice securely in place until they finally melt and disperse naturally. They come in a wide range of sizes, colors, and styles, allowing these snow guards to camouflage with any style of roof. They can not be seen by a person standing on the street. A great number of these roof snow guards are made from weather resistance and high strength compounds designed out of polycarbonate materials. These are fixed in place using a powerful bonding agent. Where the climates are more severe and a greater amount of snow or ice is possible, snow barricades or bars have additionally been installed around the roof in order to hold on to larger amounts of snow and ice.

Metal snow guards are commonly made out of stainless steel, aluminum, or copper. They can be utilized on other types of roofing surfaces like slate roofs or even asphalt shingled roofs. These roof snow guards are not expensive and blend right into the roof for a pleasing appearance.

In the middle and southern parts of the United States, both building owners and contractors alike have called into question the need for installing snow guards at all. This can prove to be an expensive decision, since even small amounts of ice and snow can ruin gutters and panels as the cold substances melt and slide down. As an example, in 2007 Tulsa, Oklahoma suffered from a fierce ice storm. The resulting ice breakages from roofs led to a significant amount of major damage to utilities, cars, and trees, Any items that lay in striking distance of the ice that was sliding off became a victim. Even HVAC units were destroyed when large ice flows fell off of industrial building roofs. Many insurance policies do not cover this kind of damage, resulting in owners having to cover the costs themselves. Since severe winter weather occasionally extends even down into Texas, these roof snow guards should not be overlooked in most states, aside from maybe Florida, Hawaii, and southern California.

As roof snow guards require only a tiny investment, their protection more than pays for itself. Putting them in correctly saves the owner from any liability and damage that may happen as a result of snow and ice. Only people who live south of Dallas, Texas, in what is known as Temperature Zone 7, are exempt from the need to install roof snow guards. They could be worth more than their weight in gold, should a bad ice storm or snowstorm hit.

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