If your building has an Old World flair to it, one of the best-looking choices for roofing materials will be slate, which comes in a variety of colors you can match to your building's exterior.
A major benefit of slate roofing is that it has a very natural looking appearance. It is pleasing to the eye, unlike tin or concrete, and it comes in an abundance of colors so you can customize the look. You can choose from red, purple, black, green, or gray.
Roof costs per square foot vary on what type of shingles you’d like to use, the shape and square footage of your roof, the roof’s angle, and whether you have any more complex structures roofers will have to work around.
After slate began being mass produced in the United States in the last part of the 19th century, Pennsylvania became the leader in slate production, and still is today. Slaters who immigrated from Europe and became common in architecture, which helped the market expand.
If your roof is overshadowed by another structure, you might not be able to get the most out of a Solatube system. However, with a few tweaks such as a turret extension, you can raise your dome to such a point that it effectively catches light.
Does your home feature a steep slope roof? The answer is yes if the roof has a slope of 21:12 or higher, and rises at a vertical rate of 21 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal length or run.
Hail can cause extensive roof damage. The average hailstone is just under a 1/4 an inch in length. This size hail seldom causes much damage. What is the size threshold for damaging hail? That would be 3/4 of an inch in size or greater.
Heat gain (or loss) refers to the temperature fluctuations that invariably occur near windows and skylights. Because Solatube equipment utilizes new technology to introduce natural light indoors, there is negligible passive solar gain or loss.
Since your home is likely the single largest investment you’ll ever make, it’s important to keep it protected as best you can. If there are issues with your roof, it’s wise to repair them right away before water and pests can get inside.
When it comes to roof design, metal roofing offers a wide range of styles to complement any type of home. Not only can you choose from various colors, but the roof can be a traditional vertical seam profile or be manufactured to resemble wood shake, slate, shingles, or clay tiles.
A new metal roof can help reduce your energy usage. How so? Metal reflects sunlight, which keeps your space cooler in hot summer weather, and some metal roofing systems incorporate foam insulation which helps reduce heat loss in winter.
Roof shingles typically contain embedded granules that provide protection from ultraviolet light and limit heat absorption. They make shingles stronger and can even be formulated to inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.
Many homeowners share the concern that having a skylight is just another way for thieves to break into their homes. Let us show you how to get the natural light you crave without compromising your home’s security.
Unfortunately, you often get what you pay for when it comes to roofing materials. If you’re ready to install the durability your home really needs this time around, slate is a good option because of its unique mix of durability and affordability.
Among the roof coatings available on the market, solvent-based silicone coatings offer great protection against ponding water on a roof and often don’t need a primer prior to application.
Most roofers recommend biannual roof inspections. Getting a roof inspected in the spring and fall allows inspectors to spot potential problems and remove debris from the roof and gutters before these problems develop and cause severe damage.
No matter the season, a Solatube system is able to deliver high quality natural light to any home or commercial interior. These systems are designed so that they’re even able to capture and redirect low-angle winter sunlight.
So why exactly are metal roofs so durable, lasting on average 30 years longer than asphalt roofs? Metal roofs will not decompose, while asphalt roofing begins to deteriorate as soon as it is installed on your roof with exposure to normal weather and UV rays.
Although asphalt shingle roofing has a lot going for it, experts cite one key advantage that makes it the material of choice for many residential buildings. Can you guess what it is? If you guessed that asphalt can be installed on almost any style roof, and can even be installed over existing shingles, you're right.
It might surprise you to learn that even though metal roofs are far more weather resistant than common asphalt shingles, they’re also much lighter. In fact, metal roofing can be as little as 1/8 the weight of asphalt shingles, which puts much less weight load on the house’s structure.
If your roof has been a part of your house longer than you’ve lived there, you may want to have a roofing contractor check on it periodically. This can help you discover and repair damage before it deteriorates to the point where water leaks happen.
There are no environmental issues when you choose slate for your roof. That's because slate is a completely natural product that requires no manufacturing that could emit toxic materials into the atmosphere.
Care to guess how many roofing companies there are in the U.S.? If you guessed 20,000 companies or so, you're right. This figure, published by Research and Markets, is blended with companies that install siding, a common crossover category for roofers.
Aluminum metal roofs can have up to 95% recycled metal content. Much of the recycled material comes from used aluminum beverage containers. Energy equivalent to an estimated 1.3 billion gallons of gasoline is saved annually by recycling aluminum.
You should periodically inspect your roof from inside the attic for signs of damage. Look for water spots in the decking, especially near the eaves. If you see any, call your insurance agent, then call us to have the roof repaired.
Although there are a number of metal roofing types, one of the most popular is aluminum, which is prized for its durability. In addition, aluminum is also very affordable, being but a fraction of the price of a zinc or copper roof.
When installed, you will see immediately that the lighting in the room has become balanced and that dark spots have been eliminated, reducing the need for additional lamps and saving on energy costs.
