Roofing

Anatomy of a Shingle 101

August 18, 2020
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Shingles are made from 3 primary layers which work together to protect you and your home.  They are a fiberglass, asphalt, and granules. Fiberglass makes up the base of most modern day asphalt shingles today.   This fiberglass matting holds the shingle together and gives it strength.  Nearly all asphalt shingle manufacturers purchase their fiberglass…

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Active Ventilation vs Passive Ventilation

August 11, 2020
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To understand which is recommended, you have to first understand which each type of ventilation is. Active ventilation actively draws air our of the attic.  There are several types of vents that can do this. Passive ventilation relies on convection.  Heat rises, and if you have a balanced system where the intake is equal to…

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Importance of Drip Edge

May 21, 2019
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Of all of the ways that contractors can drive up their profits, skipping the drip edge flashing is unwise and is likely to hurt the homeowner down the road. Drip edge is a piece of flashing that goes on the gable ends (also known as rake ends) of a home. Sometimes fly by night contractors…

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One Day Roofing is Possible But Know the Limitations

September 27, 2018
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A good professional company can often do a complete tear-off of a roof and put the new roof on in the same day, but there are limitations and you should know what they are going into your project. Factors that can take longer  Factors that speed things up Simple rooflines — every roofer loves a…

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Roofs Sloped Into Walls = Bad Architecture

June 21, 2017
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Roofs that have a slope toward a wall create problems regularly.  When the rains come, we get the calls.  Why, the homeowner wonders, am I getting water in my home. More often than not, the blame goes to the architect.  Architecture or even the architectural drawings can be eye appealing and even stunning.  When those…

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Tesla Roofs Rich on Hype, Light on Details

May 18, 2017
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Tesla, the car manufacturer, is now making roofs but they are light on details.  Consumers should approach this with cautious optimism and make sure they ask questions.  Here are a few that should be on everyones list: Who will install and service the Tesla roofs? We know that Tesla plans to have their own techs…

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How To Tell When Your Roof Needs Replacing

April 30, 2017
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One of the top questions I get from homeowners is “how do I know when my roof needs replacing”?  Worn out shingles will allow water into your home. In order to understand when a roof is at the end of its life, you have to understand that there are 3 main parts of a shingle.…

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Roof Raking Causes Damage – Inspect your Roof

April 25, 2017
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Roof raking can damage your shingles and if you’re a roof raker, it’s time to climb the ladder to inspect what damage has been done. It’s understandable that many people go into panic mode when they hear of widespread water infiltration in the winter caused by ice damming.  Home improvement shows scare folks about the weight of snow…

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Roof Repair Scam Alert

April 9, 2017
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This week I got a call from a customer in New Berlin who had a leak.  Earlier in the week another company had come over and told them they could fix the leak for $1600.  They then proceeded to replace cap shingles on parts of the roof that weren’t even close to the leak. When…

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Metal Roofing Not Always A Great Option

March 10, 2017
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Metal roofing has been getting a lot of attention lately.  It’s supposed to be a permanent roof.  In many ways it makes sense, but you should approach your project thoughtfully. Balance all of the pros and cons.  Here’s a list: The Pros In hard-to-ventilate roofs, metal can allow air flow like no other roof.  Depending…

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