Archive for the ‘Rain & Water Damage’ Category
Alternatives to Wood Shake Roofs
Alternatives to Wood Shake Roofs
Wood shakes can make an attractive, interesting roof when installed on the right home. They are lightweight and can be installed on most homes and have excellent resistance to hail and wind damage. However, wood shake roofs have very poor fire ratings. Many wood shakes are not rated at all and some insurance companies will not insure a home with a wood shake roof. There are wood shakes on the market that have been treated with fire resistant chemicals, but the fire resistant properties only last a few years in most cases.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to wood shakes that can provide the look and texture of wood shakes without the problem of low fire resistance. Metal roofing is manufactured to look like many other roofing materials including wood shakes. Unlike wood shakes, metal roofing has excellent fire resistance along with the highest wind and impact ratings. The cost of a metal roof is comparable to the cost of a wood shake roof and the metal roof will last a lifetime.
Another alternative to wood shakes are laminated or architectural asphalt shingles. These asphalt shingles are designed to give a roof the texture and character of wood shakes with the advantages of asphalt shingles. They have very good wind and impact ratings and carry the highest possible fire ratings. Laminated asphalt shingles are durable and last about as long as a wood shake roof. They are also much less expensive than wood shakes or metal roofs.
Your local roofing professional can help you choose an excellent alternative to a wood shake roof.
Keeping your Gutters Clean
Keeping your Gutters Clean
Cleaning your gutters is not a job most people look forward to doing. It is important not only for your gutters, but also for your roof and your home. Your gutters do a vital job of gathering water running off of your roof and directing it away from your home’s foundation. Too much moisture around your foundation can cause all sorts of problems with erosion, basement and crawlspace leaks, mold and mildew growth and more. Suffice it to say that your gutters should be kept clear and in good condition.
Keeping your gutters clear is important for the health of the gutters themselves. Leaves, dirt and other debris that are allowed to accumulate in the gutters will hold moisture that will cause the gutter to rust out much more quickly. All that moisture in your gutters is bad for your roof too.
Moisture from the gutters can cause your eaves to rot and moisture to collect around the shingles at the lower edges of the roof. Moisture is one of the enemies of asphalt shingles. It promotes the growth of mold and mildew and the freeze/thaw cycle will destroy the shingles and cause roof leaks.
Keep the gutters clean and flowing freely by cleaning them at least two or three times a year or more often if you have a lot of trees around your home. Take the appropriate safety precautions and if you are not comfortable climbing a ladder, it is well worth it to contact a roofer or gutter cleaning company.
When you are cleaning the gutter, take a few minutes to look around at the condition of your roof. If you notice any missing, cracked or broken shingles, or other roof damage, be sure to have the roof inspected by a reputable local roofing contactor.
Why Is My Roof Leaking?
Why Is My Roof Leaking?
A roof leak can be a frustrating and expensive experience. They can cause serious damage to your walls, ceilings and floors. Even moderate amounts of moisture from a roof leak can lead to the growth of mold and mildew that can have a detrimental effect on your family’s health. Roof leaks can be hard to find and once they start, they tend to show up again and again. Many people have had the unpleasant experience of paying for a roof leak to be repaired, only to have the roof start leaking again in a few months.
Roof leaks can be cause by many different things, but number one reason for a roof leak is improper installation of the shingles. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to use an experienced reputable contractor for roof installations. A properly installed roof will provide many years of protection for your home and family, but a poorly installed asphalt shingle roof will be nothing but a source of constant aggravation.
Roof leaks occur anywhere that water can penetrate behind your shingles. Broken, split, missing or loose shingles are an obvious entry point for water, but loose flashing is also a common way that water finds its way into your home. Anything attached to the roof is a potential roof leak. Satellite dishes and roof mounted HVAC units can lead to roof leaks if they were not properly installed.
If you have a roof leak, it is very important to get it fixed as soon as possible. Once water gets under the shingles, it will start causing more damage that will make the leak worse. The sooner you get the leak fixed, the less damage you will have and the more likely the repair will be successful.
Watch Out For Roof Leaks From Your Satellite Dish
Watch Out For Roof Leaks From Your Satellite Dish
Roof leaks have been around as long as there have been roofs, but we always seem to come up with new ways to create roof leaks. One thing to watch out for that is a relatively recent cause of roof leaks is the installation of a satellite dish antenna on your roof. Satellite is a great way to get hundreds of channels on the TV or high speed internet, but many dish installers don’t do a good job of roof leak prevention.
In many cases, your roof is the best spot to install a satellite dish because it offers an unobstructed view of the sky. A satellite dish is installed by drilling holes in your roof and attaching the dish supports to the roof with big screws. Every time you drill a hole in the roof you are creating a potential leak point.
In addition, the wiring has to be held in place somehow, often by nailing or screwing it directly to the roof deck which creates more potential points of water intrusion. The wiring also tends to interfere with water runoff.
Of course, any roof leaks caused by installation of a satellite dish are most noticeable at the worst possible time – when it’s raining. The event that caused the leak may have happened weeks earlier, but the leak will not show up until the next time it rains.
If you have a satellite antenna installed on your roof, make sure it is properly sealed so that it does not allow water intrusion. If you have any doubts about your satellite antenna, have it checked out by a reputable local roofer.
Jasper Contractors has offices in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, New Orleans, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
Interior Damage After a Roof Leak
Interior Damage After a Roof Leak
If you’ve had a roof leak, you likely have noticed a wet or damp spot in your ceiling. If the roof had been leaking for an extensive period of time, you may notice that your ceiling has developed a protruding look where the ceiling will look like it is sinking. In severe cases, a hole may have developed in the ceiling itself.
The cosmetic damage you see is only one small part of the problem, however. If water leaks are significant enough to cause stains on the ceiling, the insulation in the attic has also been damaged. Wet insulation can grow mold and mildew, which is potentially hazardous to your home and your health. Wet insulation becomes compacted, making it less able to provide insulating qualities needed to help maintain an appropriate temperature throughout the home.
If you notice a wet or damp spot in your ceiling, do not ignore it. Immediately call a professional roofing contractor for full evaluation of the problem. Roofing contractors are often certified for inside repair work and will be able to repair your ceiling, replace any needed insulation in your attic and repair any joists, beams or other structures that may have become damaged from water.
A complete roof inspection after a leak is suspected requires that the roofing contractor not only inspect the roof, but also inspect the attic and interior surfaces. If the roofing contractor that you hire does not complete interior repairs, they will be able to recommend a general contractor that can assist with part of the project.
Water leaks are a significant problem, so do not delay in contacting a professional if this happens to you! Prompt assessment will limit damage, and allow for a more speedy repair job.
Jasper Contractors has offices in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Cincinnati, Colorado Springs, Denver, New Orleans, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
Inside Roof Inspection
Inside Roof Inspection
Inspecting your roof at least twice a year and after any major storm is important for keeping your roof in great shape and maximizing its useful life. A roof inspection naturally starts outdoors, but it is important to inspect your roof from the inside as well. Some roof problems are not obvious from the outside, but leave tell tale signs inside. Regular inspections of the outside and inside of your roof can reveal minor problems that can be fixed before they become a major problem.
If your attic is not floored, be very careful to only step on the joists. You will need to take a strong flashlight up into the attic with you for the inspection, but your first step is to turn the light off and see if you see any sunlight shining through. The only outside light visible should be coming from the roof vents. Any other light you can see may be a problem.
Next, turn your light back on and inspect the underside of the wood deck and supporting rafters. Any rotting or sagging decking between the rafters is a sign that the wood decking is deteriorating and will not be able to provide good protection for your home much longer.
Look for signs of leakage indicated by wet areas or water stains. Wet areas are serious problems that indicate an existing leak that should be repaired as soon as possible. If you find water stains, probe the area with a pocket knife or screwdriver to see if the wood is soft or wet underneath. If so, it indicates an active leak that needs to be repaired. If the wood is dry and hard, then the stain is probably from an old leak that has already been repaired. If you are not comfortable performing your own inspection, it is best to contact a Baton Rouge roofing company to conduct a thorough inspection for any signs of a problem.
Finding Roof Leaks
Finding Roof Leaks
One of the more frustrating tasks a homeowner can attempt is trying to find the source of a leaky roof. On the inside of your home, the leak is pretty obvious. It leaves a big stain or wet spot on the ceiling or walls, or drips on your floors or furniture.
The problem is that water from a leaky roof almost never travels in a straight line. Finding the source is much more difficult than going up in the attic and searching directly above the damaged ceiling.
Water will run along rafters, under insulation, down framing member and pipes, and across ceilings until it finds its way into your home. The actual source of the leak can be far from where it manifests itself on your ceiling.
Since water flows downhill, one way to trace the leak back to the source is to start at the bottom and work backwards. Find a wet area in the attic, then follow it uphill. Always work up and eventually you should an area along the roof where there is no more wetness uphill from that spot. The leak is likely to be coming from this area.
Another way to find a leak is to use a garden hose to wet down sections of the roof until it starts leaking. Start at the lower edges of the roof and work your way to the peak. Try to simulate rain and spray around chimneys and pipes as well. Leaks often form at the intersection of the roof with some other architectural features.
Be careful not to spray upwards under the shingles or to direct a strong stream at any seams or roof features. You might just cause a leak where there was not one before. You can also consult with your local Baton Rouge roofing contractor to determine the source of the leak.
GAF Offers Limited Lifetime Shingle Warranties
GAF Offers Limited Lifetime Shingle Warranties
If you were not already sold on laminated shingles, GAF recently announced that, beginning January 1, 2011, all of it laminated shingles will now carry a lifetime limited warranty. This lifetime limited warranty only applies to GAF’s laminated shingles, often called architectural or dimensional shingles. GAF’s traditional three tab shingles are not included.
Laminated architectural shingles are high-end asphalt shingles that have been rapidly growing in popularity. They have the advantage of relatively easy installation like three tab shingles with better resistance to the elements, and cost much less than metal, tile, and wood shake roofing products. Best of all, unlike three tab shingles, they are three dimensional and are manufactured to give your roof the texture and visual appeal of wood shake or tile.
One of the main drawbacks to asphalt shingles has been their relatively short service life reflected by manufacturer’s warranties that range from 15 to 25 years. Laminated shingles generally have a little longer warranty of 30 or more years, but now GAF has really changed the equation by offering these lifetime limited warranties on all of their laminated shingles, thus putting them on par with metal, tile and slate roofing.
The lifetime limited warranty even applies to existing stock as long as it is installed after January 1, 2001. GAF hasn’t made any changes to its line of laminated shingles that were first introduced in 2007, but they apparently have enough confidence in their wear characteristics to begin offering this lifetime limited warranty.
If you are in the market for a new roof and you were leaning toward metal or tile roofing because of their longer warranties, consider giving laminated asphalt shingles another look. Contact your local Phoenix roofing company to learn more about GAF’s warranty for architectural shingles.
Common Causes of Roof Leaks
Common Causes of Roof Leaks
Roof leaks are the main reason for roof repairs and roof replacement. With a little detective work, you can determine the potential cause for your roof leak and make an informed decision on what type of roofing work you would like performed when speaking to the roofing contractors.
Leaks can be caused from many different problems. Interestingly, leaks generally don’t flow ‘straight down’. It requires a bit of investigation to determine where the leak is coming from. Water likes to follow easy gravity, so it will look for holes and crevices in your home before showing up as a water stain or a puddle in your home.
When you are looking for the source of the leak, use these general guidelines:
1. Look at the roof drains and gutters. Are there any clogged drains or gutters?
2. Look at the seams of the roof. Any separations or splits noted?
3. Are there any obvious signs of penetration or roof holes? Any areas where leaves or other debris has just accumulated on the roof?
4. Are there any gaps near the edging or chimneys? Are there any cracks in the stucco or brick work near the top of the house?
5. Do you see any ‘shiny’ spots? These are often nails that are working loose in the shingles.
If you have carefully looked for all of these problems, and still can not find the source of the leak, take a look in the attic. It is possible that there are some plumbing problems causing water spots, and this may identified during the attic inspection.
If you have a roof leak, immediately contact a local Baton Rouge roofing contractor for immediate repair.
Locating Roof Leaks
Locating Roof Leaks
We generally tend to notice roof leaks when they cause stains in the interior walls or ceilings or worse, when they leak through the ceiling and start dripping on the furniture, carpet or floors.
In order to repair a roof leak, you must first find where the water is coming in. This can be much more difficult than it sounds because the water generally finds an exterior opening in the roof, but then runs down the decking or joists until it drips into the top side off the ceiling below or until it runs down interior wall framing.
Start by going up into your attic with a strong light and try to see if you can see water dripping or wet spots on the underside of the decking or rafters. Look in the area above where you noticed water in the house. In the attic, be very careful to only step on the joists and sturdy framing members and not on the insulation or sheetrock attached to the bottom of the attic joists.
If you see dripping water at this point, put a pan or bucket under it to catch the water before it causes any further damage inside the home. Remember that water flows downhill so follow the source uphill to find where the water is making entry from the outside. Look for discoloration, wet areas and other damage cause by the water.
Roof leaks can be difficult to locate. Often it is best to call a professional roofing contractor to locate and repair roof leaks. They have the experience to quickly and efficiently find and repair the leak and they usually guarantee their work.
