Be Alert to Early Signs of a Roof Leak

A yearly roof checkup is great, but problems can occur at any time. Early signs of trouble include:

• Dark areas on ceilings.
• Peeling paint on the underside of roof overhangs.
• Damp spots alongside fireplaces.
• Water stains on pipes venting the water heater or furnace.

5 Ways to Protect Your Home from Water Damage during Hurricane Season!

SEAL GAPS

• Aging and weather can lead to gaps around the penetrations entering your home and around windows and doors.
• Over time, gaps can form in areas such as where water faucet pipes, gas pipes and air conditioning pipes enter the walls. Gaps also may exist behind electrical outlets, junction boxes, circuit breaker boxes and electric and water meters. Cracks or voids under window sills also can be created due to weather and aging. Water can enter through these openings and cause significant damage that you may not notice until it is too late and major repairs are needed.

REDIRECT POOLING WATER

Pooling water near a house can lead to significant interior damage. Consider these improvements to keep water away from your home:

• Look at the grading of your property. The grading should direct water away from the house to avoid pooling water.
• Evaluate the drainage of the property and consider adding a waterproof membrane to the wall where leaks have occurred.
• Add ground or French drains to help move water away from the house.
• If there are penetrations of a house within 6 inches of the ground, caulk around the penetrations and use sandbags when storms threaten to create a barrier around the penetration

PROTECT VENTS AND SOFFITS

Attics are vented (cooled) in three ways and each can be major paths to let water into your home. Click on the resources below to see how to protect your home from wind-blown rain through these locations.

• Vents on the roof
• Gable end vents
• Vents under eaves or overhangs 

What Is Roof Sealant?

Roof sealant is a product which can be applied to roofs to seal them against the weather. This product is commonly used on flat roofs, because standing water on the roof can eventually lead to leaks during the winter. Roof sealants for sloped roofs are also available, along with specialty products which are designed to go with roofing products such as shingles. Using a roof sealant can extend the life of a roof and confer other benefits.

In some cases, it may be necessary to hire a roofing contractor to apply roof sealant. Some products are only available to contractors, and others require special skills which the average property owner may not have. In others, it is possible to apply a roof sealer independently, or with some help from friends, with many products coming in the form of liquids which can be applied with paint rollers.

On a roof which is designed to be used with a sealant product, periodic reapplications of roof sealant will protect the roof. The sealant can prevent leaks in addition to minimizing damage caused by UV exposure. Being in the hot sun can cause a roof to bleach, crack, or develop other problems which may manifest during the rainy months. Roof sealants can also improve efficiency; just applying a white coating to a roof can cut down on heating costs substantially, in addition to making the surrounding environment cool. In urban areas, people are sometimes encouraged to use white or light roofing materials to bring temperatures down.

Get Your Home Ready for Spring

CHECKLIST:

• Flip or rotate your mattress. Check the warranty card for the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations.
• Air out throw rugs on a clothesline to freshen. Steam clean or shampoo wall-to-wall carpeting.
• Wash pillows and curtains to help reduce allergens and dust mites.
• Change smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries.
• Organize and thoroughly clean out kitchen cupboards and the fridge, discarding canned goods and other items that are past their expiration dates.
• Organize the basement and inspect for mold. Open doors and windows to thoroughly ventilate the area

How to deal with piled-up snow?

• Check on your channels.  It’s slippery on your roof right now, so trying to get up there and sweep off snow or warm up the ice is a bad idea.
• Remove as much ice and snow as you can from window wells.
• Remove any outdoor flower or window boxes. The snow piled in these can melt and cause moisture interruption.
• Help your neighbours by removing any leaves and debris from pipes.  This simple action will help prevent flooding on your street.
• Move any snow that has piled up against your home.

Early Signs of a Roof Leak

• A yearly roof check-up is great, but problems can occur at any time. Early signs of trouble include:
• Dark areas on ceilings.
• Peeling paint on the underside of roof overhangs.
• Damp spots alongside fireplaces.
• Water stains on pipes venting the water heater or furnace.

Reasons You Need a New Roof

Needing a new roof can be tough, but there are times when a simple repair won’t do the trick.  Here are five reasons a home may need a new roof:

1. Sagging sections in your roof.  When one part of your roof dips below the rest of the roof, it indicated there may be rot, water damage, or some other structural issue which requires a replacement.

2. Dry rot.  When dry rot is affecting your roof, any timber affected by the dry rot has to be removed and replaced.

3. Leaky roof.  Sometimes a leak can be repaired simply, but there are times the leaks indicating that there are larger problems with your roof.

4. Excessive damage.  Major damage from a fallen limb or a fallen tree can be done to your roof which may mean it needs to be completely redone.

All in all, your roof is an important part of the overall health of your home.  Be sure to care for it and get it replaced when needed.

Features of Heat Reflective Roof Paint

• By keeping the building cool, it cuts the cost of air conditioning upto 40%
• Blocks ultraviolet rays up to 85% and solar infrared rays up to 90%
• Protects the roof from fungus and moulds formation
• Eliminates the formation of cracks

Facts about Green Roofing

• The simple act of using a lighter-colored roofing material can make your roof greener.
• Installing a living roof is a very heavy activity.  You have to be sure your whole home can support the extra weight of soil, plants, and water.
• The usual warranty period for alternative green roofing (like tile or metal) is often a lot longer than just an asphalt roof.
• While a living roof or tile roof is very heavy, a metal roof is actually much lighter than those options.
• If a whole roof change is too much for you, another green option is a tubular skylight.  This offers additional lighting in your home and might get you a tax credit.
• Green roofing is an important and effective option in helping improve the environment.  Here’s hoping we can all do our part in helping the environment this year.

Green Roof Benefits

• With green roofs, water is stored by the substrate and then taken up by the plants from where it is returned to the atmosphere through transpiration and evaporation.
• In summer, depending on the plants and depth of growing medium, green roofs retain 70-90% of the precipitation that falls on them; in winter they retain between 25-40%. For example, a grass roof with a 4-20 cm (1.6 - 7.9 inches) layer of growing medium can hold 10-15 cm (3.9 - 5.9 inches) of water.
• Green roofs not only retain rainwater, but also moderate the temperature of the water and act as natural filters for any of the water that happens to run off.
• Green roofs reduce the amount of storm water runoff and also delay the time at which runoff occurs, resulting in decreased stress on sewer systems at peak flow periods.

Roofers Lingo

Algae Discoloration: A type of roof discoloration caused by algae, also called fungus growth.

Blisters: Bubbles that may appear on the surface of asphalt roofing after installation.

Asphalt Shingle: a shingle manufactured by coating a reinforcing material (felt or fibrous glass mat) with asphalt and having mineral granules on the side exposed to the weather.

Caulk: To fill a joint in order to prevent leaks.

Counter Flashing: That portion of the flashing attached to a vertical surface to prevent water from migrating behind the base flashing.

Deck or Decking: The structural “skin” of a roof over which roofing in applied. Most new homes have decking made of plywood.

Flashing: Pieces of metal or roll roofing used to prevent seepage of water into a building around any intersection or projection in a roof such as vent pipes, chimneys, adjoining walls, dormers and valleys.

Gable Roof: A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each side of the ridge. A gable roof typically contains a gable at each end.

Granules: Ceramic-coated colored crushed rock that is applied to the exposed surface of asphalt roofing products.

Gutter: The trough that channels water from the eaves to the downspouts.

Overhang: That portion of the roof structure that extends beyond the exterior walls of a building.

Parapet: A low protective wall that extends above the roofline or balcony for support.

What do you mean by a “green roof“?

Depending on your budget, different materials can be used in your roofing project which is considered “green”.

Green roofing doesn’t mean that your roof has green things growing on it.  In fact, unless your roof is built to support plants, no plants should grow on your roof as they deteriorate the materials.

Green roofing means that a roof has been created using environmentally friendly materials or in an environmentally friendly way.  For example, metal roofing is often considered “green”.  Using recycled materials is often considered “green”.  There are many ways to go green and some of these ways include tax benefits.  This is something to consider if you are getting your roof re-done.

ThermaCote - is a sprayable ceramic coating that will provide true protection from the thermal exchange of temperature from solar roof loads, industrial manufacturing equipment, or commercial HVAC systems and even residential roofs.  ThermaCote® provides superior solar reflectance (90+% of all UV rays), eliminates thermal bridging between structural building components, eliminates the expansion and contraction of dis-similar building materials, and most importantly reduces the thermal BTU gain that costs you money.

Additionally, ThermaCote is a GREEN product that is water based, stops rust, seals surfaces and can be applied to most surfaces without primers or additional chemical preparation.

Save Energy!

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, leaky and inefficient windows, doors, skylights and roofs account for up to 25% of the average household’s energy bills. Some sources estimate as high as 40%. In the past decade, manufactures of home exterior products have undergone a technological revolution. It is now possible to reduce energy costs and save money without sacrificing your home’s appearance and beauty. Nearly everyone can benefit by installing modern energy-efficient products. In fact, a lot of our customers have cut energy costs by as much as 15%.