Little Things that Make a Huge Difference in the Life of a Roof

When it comes to the factors that can determine the life expectancy of a roof, the major components such the shingles, deck and underlayment tend to get the most attention. However, one of the most important aspects on a roof may be one of the smallest; the nails used to fasten the shingles. Here are 4 ways that their improper use can affect the performance and the service life of a roof.

Exposing the nail heads - Nails that are put in at a location on shingles that is too low to be covered by the next row higher will be exposed to direct sunlight and moisture, which will speed the process of corrosion. These exposed nail heads are referred to as "shiners" because of their tendency to reflect sunlight. Constant exposure to the elements will eventually weaken the nail head to the point where it breaks off, leaving shingles unattached and creating the potential for tiny leaks across the roofing system. If you notice exposed nail heads after the installation of a new roof or a repair, call the installer to have the shingles replaced and re-fastened properly.

Nailing near the top of the shingles - This may be the result of over-compensating to avoid shiners, but any time nails are hammered in too high, they may not reach the underlying shingle or, if they do, the penetration will be too shallow to make a firm connection. These weak or non-existent connections between shingles make the entire roofing system prone to being blown off by high winds. 

Over-driven nails - Nails that are driven too far in to the shingles can go through the protective outer layer and expose the inside of the shingle, which can lead to a faster deterioration process. In addition to penetrating the outer layer, the tiny recesses can trap moisture, which can corrode nail heads and saturate the unprotected areas of each shingle. To make matters worse, over driven nails can void the manufacturer's warranty on materials.

Using the wrong length - Nails that are too short will not fasten the shingles tight enough to provide full protection. On the other hand, nails that are too long can fully penetrate the roof deck, eventually leading to numerous small leaks across the roofing system. 

The best way to avoid these issues is to hire a roofing company that has their installers receive training directly from roofing material manufacturers. Installers that demonstrate expertise after comprehensive training can be designated as “Certified Master Roofers”. With an installation performed by Certified Master Roofers, the issues listed above are extremely unlikely to occur.         

5 Areas to Cover when Interviewing a Commercial Roofer

Replacing the roof on a commercial building carries many of the same duties as putting a new roof on a residence, but the accountability may be much greater due to multiple business tenants as well as expensive assets on the site. One of the most important factors of installing a new roof on a commercial building will be the company that does the work, and knowing what to ask about the essential aspects of a prospective company’s operations can help to determine the best contractor for the job. These questions can be organized into 5 categories:

      

• Insurance coverage – One of the first questions to ask is whether the company carries both general liability and workman’s comp insurance. If the company does not furnish documentation of coverage, you can stop the interview and move on to the next contractor, because you’ll be on the hook for any injuries or damage that occur during the project if the contractor doesn't carry these policies.     
• Company information – Ask about the amount of time the company has been in business and the physical location of the nearest main or branch office. Be very wary of a company that can’t substantiate its time in business or is using a P.O. Box or a residential address as the location of an office.
• How much of the business is done on commercial buildings – Ask about the percentage represented by commercial projects versus all other projects that have been completed by the company. Many companies will advertise themselves as commercial roofers despite completing only a handful of projects. If the percentage of commercial projects is in the single digits, watch out.   
• Relevant experience – Inquire about past commercial projects that are similar to your building. Make sure the company has experience with projects of similar scope as well as with the materials that will be used in the project. Contacting the owners or managers of buildings where work has been completed by the prospective company can provide intelligence on the quality of the work as well as the performance of the newly installed roof.     
• Manufacturer certifications – Manufacturers certify roofing technicians based on their completion of training modules for the installation of specific types of roofing materials. The best results, especially when complex materials such as slate are being used, are most likely to be delivered by roofers who are factory trained in the best practices of installing manufacturers’ materials.

Asking these questions can help to determine the best contractor for your commercial project. Perhaps just as important, this information can help you to steer clear of inexperienced roofing companies that may end up installing a roof that causes problems from day 1. 

3 Recommendations from the National Roofing Contractors Association for an Optimized Attic

When a new roof is being planned for a home, it’s common for most of the attention to be focused on the materials that will be installed on the exterior of the structure, but a second critical aspect should be included in the plan to ensure durability and energy savings over the long term; ventilating and insulating the attic.  Here are 3 recommendations from the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) regarding the optimization of the exterior of a new roofing system through the addition of adequate ventilation and insulation in the attic.

          

            Insulate the attic floor – A full layer of insulation on the attic floor inhibits heat from radiating up from the interior of the structure, reducing heating demands in the winter and preventing the attic space from getting too warm. Adding access tents can provide additional insulation at the entry points to the attic.

        

           Install adequate ventilation – Ventilation is the key to regulating temperatures in the attic while preventing the bottom surface of the roofing system from being subjected to high heat levels. Regulating temperatures in this space is essential to ensuring that the adhesives and materials on the roof deck aren’t exposed to temperatures that can reach 160 degrees in an unventilated attic. The rule of thumb for adequate ventilation, according to the NRCA, is 1 square foot of venting for every 150 square feet on the attic floor. Venting capacity should be balanced evenly between the areas around the eaves as well as the ridge to regulate temperatures and to prevent the accumulation of moisture. If the attic is used as a storage area, vents should never be blocked by boxes or other items to allow for the free flow of air in and out of the space.

    

          Insulate the ceiling of the attic – Insulating the ceiling of the attic prevents heat from radiating into the space during the hot days of summer and outward when temperatures drop in the winter. When ceiling insulation is combined with abundant ventilation and floor insulation in an attic, the results include a space with moderate temperatures, lower demands for heating/cooling the interior of the structure, and less stress placed on the roofing system from heat that radiates upward from the attic.    

The metrics for adequate ventilation and insulation in an attic can change dramatically depending on the specifics of local weather conditions, but the benefits remain the same regardless of geographic location. By limiting condensation with sufficient ventilation and restricting the transfer of heat from the exterior as well as the interior of the structure into the space, the stresses that would otherwise be placed on the roofing system as well as the energy demands for climate controls can be minimized.     

3 Reasons to Minimize Moisture Levels in your Attic

Unless you have converted your attic into an additional living area for your home, there is a good chance that you and the members of your household spend little if any time in this space. Despite the fact that the attic in your home may remain unused for years, save for storing a few boxes, it is vitally important to control the environment in this space in terms of both temperature and moisture levels. Here are three examples of problems that can be caused by excessive heat and/or moisture in an uncontrolled attic:

1) Weakened insulation – Moisture that enters the attic through the roof or is trapped due to a lack of ventilation can create a variety of problems, but one that doesn’t get a lot of attention is that moisture can drastically reduce the effectiveness of insulation by allowing heat to radiate through it rather than being blocked. If you have ever burned your fingers when pulling a hot pan out of the oven with a wet kitchen mitt, you’ve seen how quickly heat travels through wet insulation.  

2)  An environment suited for the growth of mold and mildew – Moisture that leaks into a dark, warm attic, or is trapped there, creates an environment that is perfect for the growth of mold and mildew. While the odor of mildew is basically considered to be an inconvenience, the spores emitted from black mold can cause a variety of respiratory and other health issues. A humid attic environment can also foster wet and dry rot, which will steadily weaken the home’s framing as well as the structures that support the roof.  

3) The potential for the formation of ice dams – High levels of moisture in the attic may be an indication that warm air is condensing as it rises and comes in contact with the cold surface of the ceiling or the underside of the roof deck. In this situation, the heat from the attic will radiate through the roof deck at a temperature that is warm enough to melt accumulated snow, which then runs down the roof and re-freezes on the eaves to form a ledge along the edge of the roof that grows in size over time. Referred to as an ice dam, this ledge will trap water and back it up under the roofing materials and then leak into the structure.       

Controlling temperature and moisture in the attic requires three steps; preventing leaks, installing insulation, and adding ventilation. By combining these steps, the temperature and moisture levels in the attic can be controlled with results that include energy savings, a mildew/mold free environment, and a long-lasting roof that requires few if any repairs over its lifetime. 

The Basics of Insulation and Why you Need to Install it Now

One of the inevitabilities of the cold months of winter is that the heating bills will suddenly take up a noticeable percentage of the monthly cost of running the household. There are numerous ways to mitigate your heating bill, such as bundling up with an extra layer or two and setting the thermostat a little lower, but when it’s truly cold you’ll still need to warm the house, an action that might be heating the outdoors as well if you don’t have insulation. If your near term plan is to keep more heat inside your home, here is some of the terminology you’re likely to come across as you learn the basics of insulation.

• R-value – The “R” in R-value stands for resistance to the transmission of heat, with progressively increasing numbers representing higher levels of insulation. Recommended R-values will vary depending on a variety of factors including average temperatures in the local area, with frigid temperatures calling for higher R-values than moderate climates. Another factor in determining the optimal R-value for insulation is the area in the house where it will be installed. In most structures, the greatest amount of heat is lost through the roof, necessitating the highest R-value for insulation in the attic (anywhere from R-30 to R-49). At the other end of the spectrum, an insulation rating of R-15 will likely suffice for a basement.
• Batts – This insulation comes in rolls cut to standard widths between studs and joists with R-values that are limited by the type of wall. For example, insulation with R-values of R-13 to R-15 can be installed on 2 by 4 inch walls while a 2 by 6 inch wall can handle R-values from R-19 to R-21. The ease of rolling out this form of insulation makes it a popular choice for do-it-yourself projects. 
• Loose-fill – This type of insulation can be made from fiberglass or cellulose and is blown in to place by pneumatic equipment designed specifically for that purpose. This type of insulation is ideal for use with non-standard framing widths as well as in spaces that have pipes and ducts running through them, all of which can make using rolled insulation impossible.
• Closed cell insulation – This type is insulation is typically made with polyurethane and is blown into place. The foam is high in density and each cell is closed, filled with gas, and engineered to mold to the shape of the space. Its ability to fill challenging areas with dense foam and its high R-value makes closed cell insulation a great choice when the objective is to retain as much heat as possible in the structure.           

According to the Department of Energy, a well-insulated home can reduce heating bills by up to 50 percent. At this level of savings, adding insulation to your home will quickly turn into an investment that saves a significant amount of money every winter.

Your Attic: Three Steps that can Save Energy and Protect your Roof

While you may spend little or no time at all thinking about your attic, this space may be costing you money in terms of heating and cooling bills and may be the root cause of different forms of roof damage. If you haven’t inspected or made any changes to this space for an extended period of time, there are three steps you can take now that can reduce your utility bills and help to prevent expensive roof repairs.

           Sealing cracks and gaps – Cracks in your drywall and gaps in and around roof penetrations such as the chimney and vents let warm air escape on cold days while letting heat in when it’s warm outside, placing added demands on your climate control systems with a result being higher energy bills. The reason for warm air escaping when you’re trying to contain it and seeping in when you’re trying to keep it out is that warm air has higher pressure behind it and is drawn to areas of low pressure and colder air. By sealing areas in your attic that are currently allowing the transfer of heat, the demands on your heating and cooling systems will be reduced as will your energy bills.

          Installing insulation – The transfer of heat in and out of the house can also occur through solid materials that are not insulated. For example, in the summer, direct sunlight on the roof can raise temperatures in an un-insulated attic to between 130 and 150 degrees, which can increase the cost of cooling the house by up to 30 percent. In winter, the transfer of heat reverses from the inside of the home to the outside, which can increase heating costs by 20 to 30 percent. Installing insulation can drastically reduce the transfer of heat in both directions and save money throughout the year.

       Ventilating the space – Adding ventilation may seem somewhat counter-intuitive after sealing and insulating the attic, but taking this step can mitigate a variety of issues including the trapping of moisture in humid environments and the concentration of warm air under high points in the attic. Reducing moisture levels can prevent the onset of mold and mildew while dispersing heat across the entirety of the space can eliminate hot spots on under the roof, which can lead to the uneven melting of snow leading to the formation of ice dams.

These steps can minimize the transfer of heat in and out of the house, saving on energy bills while also protecting your roof. As an added benefit, once these steps are completed there will be little in the way of follow up work, meaning that you can go back to not thinking about your attic except for the occasional inspection to make sure everything is in working order.

The Downside of those Pretty Icicles

While winter scenes with icicles hanging from the eaves of amber-lit homes have sold plenty of Thomas Kinkade prints, the reality of these ice formations is that they may be indicating some problems underneath the accumulation of snow on the eaves. Specifically, icicles hanging from the roof indicate the formation of an ice dam, which is formed by an imbalance of temperatures on different areas of the roof.

Ice dams start with an accumulation of snow on a rooftop. Heat escaping from the interior of the structure then starts melting the snow, which runs down the roof toward the eaves which, due to their extension past the exterior wall, are not exposed to radiating warmth. If the surface of the eaves is cold enough, the snowmelt re-freezes upon contact and starts building a bank of ice that traps water that collects on the warmer area of the roof, hence the name “ice dam”. In situations where the amount of runoff exceeds the holding capacity of the ice dam, water will run over the top of the bank, where it re-freezes to form icicles. At the same time that icicles are being formed, the amount of water that remains trapped behind the bank of ice can grow to the point where it starts saturating the substrate beneath the shingles.

To make matters worse, if the weather stays cold, large ice dams tend to build on themselves trapping more water and saturating more square footage on the roof. If left unchecked, constant saturation can break down the roofing system to the point where several leaks start at the same time, which can cause a high degree of damage to the structure as well as insulation, flooring, paint and drywall inside the building. On the exterior of the structure, gutters can be separated from the roof and the growth of the formation can steadily increase load bearing stress.

If you’re seeing icicles on your roof, there’s a good chance that an ice dam is directly behind them. Rather than attack the ridge with an ax, an ice pick or another tool that can damage the roof and/or the gutters, call a professional to execute the removal process. After its removal, take the necessary steps to prevent subsequent ice dams from forming. These steps include adding insulation, venting the attic, and insulating ducts that radiate heat into the attic. The result of taking these steps will be the elimination of the primary cause of ice dams; the temperature imbalances on the roof’s surface that melt and then re-freeze snow accumulations.