(618) Roofing
Roofing, Today's Homeowner by Danny Lipford
In this episode we tell you when its time for a new roof, where to start and walk you through the roofing process.
Just as you might head to a showroom to get ideas for your kitchen or bathroom remodel these homeowners headed to a roofing design center to find out what was available in the world of roofing and to purchase their new roof. While roofing design centers are few and far between this one gave the homeowners the opportunity to see different types and colors of roofing material on their home using a digital image of their home and some computer software. The best part - the design center did all the work, from taking the digital image, to using the software to visualize the new roof, to tearing off the old roof and putting on a new one.
After removing the old roofing material and felt beneath the roof decking was cleaned and inspected for damaged. Large sections of decking were removed and replaced as needed before re-roofing began with dimensional asphalt shingles.
We also had a chance to check out various other roofing materials both in the showroom and out on the job. The alternative materials available today offer a variety of looks to compliment different architectural styles, but one of the most attractive things about them is their durability. For instance, one recycled rubber and plastic roofing material, which mimicked slate came with a 50 year warranty. Metal is another popular roofing option, especially in areas prone to high winds. One such roofing material by Decra looked like a traditional shingled roof but was actually a system of interlocking metal panels with a stone chip coating to protect the surface and make it look just like shingles.
If you don’t have a roofing design center in your neck of the woods, finding a roofer by word of mouth may be your best bet. For your protection look for a roofer who has both general liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance. You’ll also want to ask if they have any certifications from the manufacturer of the products they install. This is a good sign that the work will be done right. Finally, ask for references from their past customers and look at the work they’ve done.
Right away, I know many of you are wondering where you can find a roof design center. I hope more of these will begin popping up nationwide, but it’s fairly new in the wide scope of retail shops. The good news is they are continuing to grow in popularity as more people are finding out how convenient they are. Right now they have eight locations scattered in Florida (Daytona, Tampa, Orlando, Hudson, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Clearwater, Ft. Myers), and one in Mobile, AL. However, in the next year they will be expanding into Raleigh, NC in March of 2007. If you are wondering what the plans are for future development, shoot an email to eric@roofdesigncenter.com.
When it comes to roofing, one of the most common questions I have been asked is if it is advisable to install roofing over an existing roof. Certainly, this has been a common practice since about 1970, but usually only to asphalt shingle roofs or rolled roofing. But the fact that it CAN be done has nothing to do with whether or not it SHOULD be done. My experience has proved that the only benefit is saving money in the up front cost. You won’t have to pay for the old shingles to be removed or disposed of, but that’s the one and only benefit. Personally, I think the practice of re-roofing should be banned. There are far too many problems that can result and they greatly outweigh the cost of removal and disposal of existing shingles. For example, if the existing shingles are cupped or curled, the new shingles are going to be influenced by the shape of the roof beneath them. Your new shingle roof will look very rough. Even though longer nails have to be used for a re-roof job, the old shingles have a tendency to expand and contract with changing weather and can easily cause a “nail pop” to occur. This means the nail will literally be pushed up and through the new shingles, which is a guaranteed roof leak. Take some friendly advice, and always have the existing roof removed before ever installing a new layer of shingles.
A final word of advice on cleaning your roof. You can drive down practically any street in the United States and spot a roof that has ugly black stains and streaks all over it. Black staining is caused by the growth of algae and fungus spores that land on your roof. These spores need three things to grow: heat, moisture and some kind of nutrient. The nutrient comes from dirt and the shingle itself, primarily the limestone filler used in manufacturing the granules. Typically, the politically correct advice is to have a professional roof cleaner take care of it. I will follow the same political correctness by making that recommendation. But now that the web censors are gone….I would always tackle this job myself and save a lot of money. The important thing to remember is safety first. Any time you are on a roof, there is the risk of falling. A good boot, like Cougar Paws (http://www.cougarpaws.com), is a smart thing to wear to avoid slipping. The cleaning process is fairly simple. You can purchase a roof cleaner at a home center, but be careful. Many of these cleaners will contain harmful chemicals. Never, ever use lye or a chlorine bleach product, even if a roofer said it was okay. He’s not very informed if he tells you that. Aside from being harmful to the plants and your gutters, chlorine bleach will erode your shingles stripping them of years of service. Do some research on the internet for an environmentally friendly product. Check out the ingredients and ask for references. A good place to start is http://www.roofraider.com. They have some good photo examples and a toll free number to call and ask questions.
Other Tips From This Episode
Color Coding Chargers
Many of us have chargers for cell phones, tools and children’s electronic games and devices around our homes so it’s easy to get them mixed up. Take the confusion out of matching chargers to cell phones, tools and other devices by using strips of colored masking or electrical tape. Put a strip of the same color tape on both the device and the charger and you’ll never have to search by trial and error for your charger again.
Crescent RapidSlide Wrench
Whether you’re working on a plumbing project, making bike repairs, loosening a garden hose or assembling a grill or swing set - at some point you’ll need an adjustable wrench. A manual wrench might be just fine but it typically leaves little room for your hand to adjust the wrench in tight spaces, like behind sink pipes, and if you’re in a tight spot you probably can’t see well either which means you’ll be left guessing which direction opens or closes the wrench and then fumbling to manually adjust it. The RapidSlide Wrench from Crescent has a slide control in the handle that eliminates the guesswork. With the flick of a thumb you get the job done quickly and easily. Just slide forward to close or tighten and slide back to open or loosen the jaws. We found it available for around $14.
Lawn Aeration
If you’re making shortcuts across the lawn to the driveway, swing set, and shed those areas of the lawn will endure heavy foot traffic and the grass in those areas will suffer. If the informal paths in your yard are suffering from “brown-out,” you may be able to restore them with a simple hand-aerating technique. Simply thrust the tines of a garden fork 4- to 5-inches into the soil and then move the fork back and forth like a pump or jack handle. This will allow air and water to penetrate below the packed surface layer – without uprooting your lawn. Repeat this procedure at 6-inch intervals throughout the affected area.
July 28th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Another tip is to prevent the stains from coming back after you have invested the time and energy in cleaning the roof.
Roof Armor Protectant is a spray on, no-rinse stain preventative that can be applied each year, and stops ugly stains from returning.
Roof Armor can be found at http://www.cleanertoday.com along with a commercial QSE roof cleaner and homeowner roof cleaning Roof OX.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Hey i just had a new roof put on and some of the shingles are cupped, the roofer told me its normal and they will lie flat after a few weeks - is this true? or are they trying to pull a fast one?
Ben Erickson Says:October 19th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Steve,
Unless the problem is severe, heat from the sun should cause asphalt shingles to lay flat and seal themselves down over time. Of course if the roof is installed in cold weather, this could take a while, and if a windstorm occurred in the meantime, it could result in damage to the roofing. If you’re worried about the quality of the materials or workmanship, I’d explain your concerns to the roofing contractor and hold off on making the final payment for a few weeks to see if his prediction comes true. If it rains during that time, be sure to go up in the attic and check for leaks. Also, you should request that the roofing contractor provide a written warrenty to cover any installation problems for at least a year. Further information is available in our article on How to Hire a Roofer.
January 22nd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Steve, we also had a new roof put on 6 weeks ago and in the beginning almost all the shingles were cupped, now about 30% of the roof shingles are still cupped, we live in NW Indiana and we have had some 60 degrees days but shouldnt it be flat by now?? should I delay making final payment?
March 21st, 2008 at 12:31 am
steo by step instruction on how to build-up a commercial roof using ton&groove boards as roof decking what is the next step and what a products do you recommend
April 1st, 2008 at 9:47 am
The shingles on my garage are past their prime and are cupping and warping. Is it absolutely necessary to tear the old ones off, or is it possible to just scrape off some of loose areas and lay new shingles over the old ones?
June 6th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Allen,
Do you know of any product to clean bleed through stains or black pigment from the asphalt shingles? The varying lengths and spots of black streaks runnging down the roof are unsightly. The roof shingles are only 9 years old. Thanks! Gary - Mineral, VA.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Like Gary, I also would like to know how to clean bleed through stains from my shingles. My shingles are also only 9 years old. Help!
July 16th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Like Gary, I also would like to know how to clean bleed through stains from my shingles. My shingles are also only 9 years old. Help!