Posts Tagged ‘Roof repair’

Rendering Required Protection To Your Roof Against A Hurricane

Monday, April 12th, 2010

The roofs are the parts of the home architecture that bear the fury of the natural forces first. Hence, they must be properly layered to fight against the natural irregularities. A hurricane is one such devastating natural force that can dismantle the architecture of a weak roof in few moments. Moreover, the rain and wind accompanying the hurricane intensify the damage further. Hence, prepare your roof in advance to face a potentially harmful hurricane.

Hence, render enough protection to your roof so that it can fight against the storms. Here are few tips that may help you with the modification work.

The accompanying rainfall during a hurricane can cause the roof to collapse. Hence, the drainage segments of your roof such as gutters and drain pipes must be updated to handle the excess collection of water on the roof. If one of these segments fails to do the required job then water would collect on the surface of the roof. Consequently, water molds or moisture spots would appear on your inner walls and ceilings.

Tips On Placing Roof Shingles

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

The installation work of roof shingle is an extremely difficult job that is generally done with the help of an expert. In case you want to complete the task yourself, consider some of the below mentioned instructions before performing the task. These useful tips would not only save your money but also precious time as well.

First of all, measure the total area of your roof. This will provide you with the information about the quantity of the material needed. Among the roofing materials, you have to purchase the shingles, roofing felt and nails. You will easily find all these items at any of the home construction or repair shops.

To calculate the total area (square feet area), multiply the length of the roof with the breadth and the resulting sum is the square feet area.

Take account of the roofing felt you are going to purchase. The quantity of the roofing felt must be equal to the square footage area of the roof. Coming on to the shingles, they are available in ‘squares’ that are in a set of three to four shingles. The total number of shingles you are going to purchase can be easily calculated. Divide the total square feet area with one hundred and the resulting amount is the number of shingles you will need. Do not forget about the nails and purchase three pounds of nails per square foot.

Tips On Selecting A Metal Roof Color

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

There are certain factors that govern the selection of a color for your new metal roof. Some homeowners don’t consider the color aspect significant enough and move ahead with a random color choice. On the other hand, the wise homeowners understand the importance of incorporating a suitable color and choose an appropriate color.

The color of a metal roof for an industrial architecture would be different from that of a residential building. The light colored theme would fit well to the calmness of residential spaces. On the other hand, the industrial buildings go well with the darker or stiff colors. The colors such as grey, red, brown etc, would suit the purpose of the roofs of industrial buildings.

Besides these, the decision-making process relies on certain other factors as well. The primary objective of choosing a color for your metal roof is to beautify the theme of the home architecture. The color of the metal roof must abide by the color scheme of the other spaces of the home. You can make a choice between a number of commonly available colors depending on the purpose for which you roof is used.

Steps To Insulate A New Metal Roof

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

In the present roofing scenario, the asphalt shingles and the metal roofs occupy a major share of the market. The homeowners and the roofers prefer such roofs due to their reliability, durability and value for money. Though the metal roofs are available at a higher price than the standard shingles but they offer lower maintenance cost than their counterparts. As compared to the other roofing materials, the metal roofing materials call for lesser maintenance or repair work. The high longevity of the metal roofs makes them an automatic choice over the other available options.

The common elements employed in preparing the composition of metal roofs include the stiff metals such as copper, steel and aluminum. The rigidity of these metals renders a hard shield to the roof layer. Hence, the metal roofs prove quite successful in fighting against the irregularities of the external agents.

Start off the campaign by arranging the required tools and supplies. Incomplete collection of tools would not allow you to complete the installation job with ease.

The insulation property of the new metal roofs holds quite an importance. Misapprehension on that front could take a toll on the structural integrity of the roof. Start off by placing a layer of plywood sheet on the roof. You can also use oriented-strand board (OSB) as a replacement to the plywood board.

How To Protect Your Roof Shingles From Termites ?

Monday, February 1st, 2010

The wood materials are commonly employed in rendering a framework to the roofing architecture. Ranging from the trusses to the shingles, wood finds its place. Hence, wooden units represent the strength of your roof to a large extent. Like the other roofing segments, the wooden units too are susceptible to wear and tear. Furthermore, a possible termite-attack keeps haunting the wooden spread of the roofs. The areas underneath the roof shingles are prone to water or moisture accumulation and hence, such areas are susceptible to possible termite attacks.

It is not a tough task to locate the parts of the roof that are under the scrutiny of a termite attack. A pry bar or a roofer’s shovel can be employed to pry up the shingles under which the termites may be located.

Climb up to the roof and take a look at different parts of your roof. If you observe certain uneven patterns on your roof in the form of fecal pellets or small voids, then it could be one of the symptoms of termite existence. Some damaged or chewed portions of wood or shingles also lead to a possible conclusion. Also, a small spread of sawdust is one feature that proves the presence of termites around the concerned area.

Tips On Stripping An Old Roof

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

The renovation or revamping of the roof initiates with the task of stripping the roof. Whether it is the re-roofing process or the home reconstruction job, the stripping of the roof forms the primary step. Though the task of stripping your roof is a complex one, you can handle the task yourself with the help of exemplary guidance.

Before moving ahead with the proceedings, observe the roof spread and determine your work area. Your work area must be comfortable and suitable for the re-roofing job. Lay a spread of plastic on the work area to prepare for the messy operation of the job on hand. Furthermore, do not mix different components of the roof together while removing them. Separate out the elements that can be utilized in the installation of the new roof and dispose off the other waste components in a container.

The tools or equipments must be taken to the roof beforehand. This saves you from the tussle of coming down on the ground repeatedly. If the hefty roofing tools such as a power stripper appear too bulky to carry manually then avail the services of an addition ladder or hydraulic lift.

Building A Sod Roof

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

When it comes to the selection of a roofing material for your roof, the greener alternatives are preferred over the others. One such roof is the sod roof. Sod roofs are almost regular in the rural households. The detached or isolated houses prefer the sod roofs over the bulkier shingle or metal roofs. The attractive appearance of a sod roof adds to the serenity of your home spaces.

The sod roofs are energy-efficient as they help in maintaining the temperature of the home spaces. Hence, the efficiency of heating or cooling appliances enhances considerably and saves a lot of your energy.

Though the task of installing a sod roof is quite complex and strenuous, it requires much lesser maintenance than its counterparts. Hence, the sod roof saves a lot of money as the repair costs are lowered.

Beforehand, examine the strength of your current roof and evaluate its potency to hold the sod. If certain flaws crop up during the inspection then get them corrected accordingly. The signs of water damage, leaks and broken tiles may prove fatal for the new sod setup. Probe the entire roof under the guidance of an expert roofer.

How To Fix A Cracked Roof Truss ?

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Most issues concerned with your roofing deserve an immediate attention. A compromise on that front could prove costly for the strength of your roof. Problems such as leaks, broken shingles, cracked trusses, worn metal etc. need to be handled and fixed on the very onset.

Similarly, the broken trusses need to be repaired as soon as possible. Leaving the matter unattended for long may lead to a possible collapse of the roof.

The intensity of the assignment doesn’t call for a necessary involvement of a professional. Even a novice like you can undertake the task with ease. However, one requires the roofing tools and supplies to make the project successful. Besides the roofing tools, a proper guidance needs to be at your disposal throughout the life of the project. Formulate a course of action with him to start with.

Follow the necessary precautions while working on the roof. Since the trusses are weak, it would not be wise to stand on the roof. Hence, install additional scrap boards across the roof rafters such that a temporary base is rendered for your project.

Cap Your Hip Roof

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

The hip roofs provide the facility of even slopes on all the sides of the architecture. This eliminates any possibility of water or moss accumulation on the roof and renders a clean surface to your roof.

Capping the hips of the roof appears a daunting task at first sight. But with the proper employment of logic, the assignment can be confined to a one-day task. Hips are elementary in the overall design of the hip roofs as they rigidify the juncture of two slopes.

The caps or the cover would be in the form of shingles of appropriate sizes. Before proceeding with any course of action, make sure that all the tools and supplies are at your disposal.

You would primarily require the services of a hand-held hammer and a utility knife. Besides these, the common roofing supplies such as roofing cement, nails and shingles need to be brought in as well. Employ the typical three-tab shingles to cap the hips of roof.

Cut out caps from the purchased shingles with the help of a utility knife. Take them to the roof and determine the hip to start the work with. Beforehand, make sure that all the caps are of same size and shape.

Steps To Install A Vent In Your Roof

Friday, December 4th, 2009

An attic which is deprived of ventilation, can cause major flaws in the regular scheme of things. The importance of ventilation in the home architecture is something that cannot be ignored in the long run. The associated problems such as leaks and moisture molds, would somehow make you realize the essence of incorporating the ventilation feature in your home framework.

Therefore, your attic should be properly ventilated. If you have neglected this aspect during the revamping of your home or roof then a vent can be installed to compensate for the mistake.

Though the task appears to be daunting and complex at first sight but with proper logic and right set of tools, the project can be handled by even a novice like you. A hand-held hammer, a pry bar tool, a circular saw, pliers etc. would ease up the burden to a large extent. In addition, certain supplies such as roofing cement, sealer etc. need to be purchased as well.

Climb up the roof and observe the area to locate a place where the vent should be installed. An expert can provide you some healthy suggestion regarding that. Once the zone is determined, employ your pry bar tool to partially uproot the shingles lying adjacent to the decided location. Don’t force the issue on the shingles as some of them may be needed later to envelop the vent.