It’s windy and cold. A blizzard is raging outside. Everybody’s roof is snow covered and I’m the roofer people call because my reputation for not scaring people precedes me. Don’t panic. The cold is your friend right now. Water is in its solid form and as long as it stays frozen, it won’t be…
Read MoreWhen the leaves fall, the phone rings. Panic is setting in as homeowners who know their roof will not safeguard their homes through the winter call. The key to effective autumn roofing is planning but even the best laid plans will not be perfect. Here’s what you can do to maximize your chances of success.…
Read MoreIt’s unfortunate to have to say this, but sometimes home sellers and contractors will hide the amount of layers of shingles that are on a house with a special trim piece and sometimes you can’t tell until you start ripping the existing roof off. This is more common on older homes (pre-1950). Wisconsin law requires that…
Read MoreQuestion: Jim, If I want to remove a satellite dish from my roof would it be a better idea to leave the sole plate in? I don’t plan on replacing the roof any time soon. Answer: Yes, leave the plate on. If you take it off you will compromise the shingles (which can be sealed)…
Read MoreYesterday I saw the face of a new homeowner go ashen when I showed her what the price of replacing her roof would be. She had a home inspection and the inspector didn’t tell inform her of the extent of her roof problems. As part of his quickie-inspection he recommended in his report that she have a…
Read MoreCustomers sometimes ask, “why is your quote higher than another contractor”? The answer is simple — they’re not using the same quality materials or they’re shorting you on underlayments all together. I’ve gone to houses only to see that the roof would fail the inspection of any city inspector if they actually checked to see how…
Read MoreFlat roofs have created problems for many homeowners and business owners alike for as long as low slope roofs have been around, but the materials have changed and they’re changing again. The old mop, tar and pebble roofs gave way to rubber and TPO (the white membrane you see on many commercial buildings). Elastomeric membranes,…
Read MoreThis time of year, when roofs are covered in snow, some people are practicing a decades long tradition of using a roof rake to remove even small amounts of snow. That’s a horrible idea. In most cases all you are doing is scraping off a protective layer of shingle granules. Stop it. There are exceptions…
Read MoreIf there is one home improvement that will cause a dramatic change to your house, it is changing your roof. But what should you be prepared for? Is there anything you can do to make it as non-traumatic as possible? Here’s a few tips that you can do that will help you understand what to…
Read MoreA common way that people choose a roofing contractor is because they saw a crew in the neighborhood and decided to go with someone who their neighbor went with. Sometimes this makes sense, sometimes it does not. The older I get the more I rely on the “gut check”. A good portion of what you…
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