Maintaining Your Shingle Roof

Tips For Maintaining Your Asphalt Shingle Roof

For property owners, a roofing system is a major investment and is a large percentage of the total construction costs.

The roofing contractor is responsible for helping owners protect their investments by providing careful and professional roof maintenance on a regular basis. That will help to ensure that the roof is protected properly.

The following are some useful tips to help to ensure that your roofing contractor doesn’t miss any important essentials while conducting routine maintenance services for you. If you own a home, the tips will provide you with some guidance on what you can expect whenever you hire a professional roofing contractor do maintenance on the roof of your house.

Four Tips For Regular Maintenance On Shingle Roofs

There are 4 basic services that a roofer will need to perform a few times a year to ensure that a homeowner’s asphalt shingled roof is properly maintained. You will also want to have this done following a major storm.

The following is a roofing maintenance checklist that you can use:

Routine Maintenance

When it comes to roof maintenance, one of the critical aspects is the routine clearing and cleaning of the roof along with the systems that relate to it. 

Pay close attention not just to the flashing and shingles but to other key elements as well such as the ventilation, installations (like solar panels, chimneys, vents, and skylights), downspouts, troughs, and eaves.

We recommend the following:

• Debris should be regularly cleared from the roof of your house, including branches, leaves and other items that may clutter the surface of the roof.
• A leaf blower might be used by your roofing contractor, but make sure that the air is blown down the roof so that he doesn’t blow debris up and under the shingles instead.
• To reduce the amount of debris that is accumulated, clear vegetation away as well as branches hanging over the roof. A professional tree service should be hired to cut away any hard to reach or difficult areas.
• Dig out the organic material and leaves from all of your gutters. That will help to ensure that water will drain through into the downspouts without any obstruction.
• Homeowners can also install some eave protectors, which are metal mesh grates that help to make cleanup easier and prevent debris from building up.

Make sure that your downspouts are unobstructed and clear so that water is able to properly drain from your roof and away from its foundations (and not drip or leak down the sides of your house). You can do this by noting any drips or leaks that happen during a rainstorm or right after and then telling your contractor about them during your next inspection.

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Have Your Roof Inspected

After the roof has been clear of any debris, have your roofing contractor inspect it for any possible red flags or issues that might indicate potential future problems.

This inspection should be done two times per year – we recommend that you have it done in the spring and then again in the fall. That will allow your contractor to note anything that looks suspicious and make any minor repairs or small fixes before they turn into bigger problems. They also can check to ensure that the ventilation system is working properly or whether it needs any cleaning or maintenance.

Perform Any Necessary Repairs

Any repairs that are necessary for an asphalt shingle roof should be done immediately by an experienced roofer in order to maintain the integrity of the roofing materials and all of the related systems, including the ventilation and drainage. When small repairs are done properly it will help to prevent more expensive repairs and larger issues from occurring over the long term. They can do the following:

Repair or replace any broken, bucked, or missing shingles. Nails or roofing cement can be used by the roofing contractor to repair any loose or cracked shingles. Any shingles that have blown or broken off can also be replaced.

Install or replace valley flashing: The current valley flashing might also need to be replaced if it is not secured any longer or has become cracked or corroded. That can pose a threat to its weatherproofing capabilities.

Replace other flashing: Nails or roofing cement should also be used by the roofer to replace any of the flashings around roof vents, chimneys or other installations if any of the flashings is rotten or has become loose. If the flashing is being installed on a brick structure, it is recommended that galvanized steel or cooper be used since the lime contained in brick mortar may corrode materials made out of aluminum.

Repair downspouts or gutters: Your roofing contractor might need to use roofing cement, a gutter patching kit or gutter caulking to repair corroded or leaky sections of the downspouts or eave troughs. If any of them are sagging, a level should be used to determine the right pitch and then they should be rehung so they drain correctly.

A Secure Roof Provides a Secure Home

Whether you happen to be a homeowner who wants to maintain the lifespan of your roof, or you are a professional roofing contractor who wants to educate your customers on the benefits that are provided by regular repair, maintenance, and inspection, sticking with a regular and consistent schedule is definitely well worth the time and investment.

Tucson Roof Repair Pros (520) 447-2100 provides quality shingle roof repair, shingle roof installation, shingle roof replacement and other shingle roof repair services to Tucson, AZ and the surrounding Tucson area communities. We’ve been a reputable, quality roofing contractor for years. When you need advice or repair of your asphalt shingle roof, give us a call.

 

Options For Your New Roof

Roof Replacement You Can Count On

Roofing Material Options

Before selecting a roofing material, the owner of a business or home will first need to know what type of weight load the roof can handle and how sturdy its structure is. For example, not every building structure is designed to be able to handle the weight of concrete or ceramic tiles. Also, the size and pitch of the roof might play a factor in choosing the materials. After you know the pitch, size and weight limit, then you make the right choice of materials to use.  The following are some of the most important things that business and homeowners should consider when making decisions.

Tile Roofing – Concrete tile, slate, terracotta, and clay roofing is quite common across the southwest and especially on businesses and residential houses in the Las Vegas area. This kind of material holds up quite well to extreme weather conditions that occur in Las Vegas and it is especially impact-resistant to hail and falling debris. It allows for air to circulate up underneath the tiles to keep the roof cooler during the heat. They are available in various shapes and colors, and it is very attractive as well. However, the weight might be a factor when choosing this kind of material.

Foam Roofing – The most common use for foam roofing is on a flat surface, but due to its capabilities to flow when applied, foam roofing may be used on practically any kind of roof surface. When properly maintained (every 10 to 15 years) the material can last for over 50 years. Also, foam roofs are very lightweight, and a lot more than the more traditional types of roofing material options. Also, foam is durable, very energy efficient and impact resistant. Foam roofing often generates energy savings or 30% or even more when compared to other types of roofing systems that are available.    

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Asphalt Shingles – There are three tabs on standard asphalt shingles and have a tendency to have repetitive patterns from one business or home to the next. However, they are available in various colors. Dimensional shingles, by contrast, which are also called laminated or architectural shingles, have two shingle material layers that are bonded together, but there are random notches taken out, to expose the bottom layer. That provides the new shingles with a three-dimensional appearance to the roof, with various low and high tabs. Dimensional shingles, due to the double bonded layer, offer more protection and is impact resistant to hail and wind – with its heaviest grades being able to withstand winds of 120 miles per hour. They have a longer lifespan as well – 40 years as compared to the 20-year average that single layer asphalt shingles have.

Single Ply Roofing – This type of roofing is among the most rapidly growing roofing applications in the world for flat roofs. It is used widely in the Southwestern U.S. The white-colored roofing systems are very energy efficient and highly reflective, and are frequently Energy Star rated. The product is made by major manufacturers such as Firestone, and offer a 10 to 30-year warranty. There is also creativity that is offered by single ply roofs when it comes to the insulation package that can be installed under the membrane, that is available at R-30 and above.

Cool Roofs – Through the summer, most people have a tendency to wear clothes that are lighter colors since sunlight and heat is reflected by light colors, whereas it is absorbed by dark colors. The same is true with buildings. Darker colored roofs are hotter than lighter colored roofs. “Cool Roof” is a term that is used for roofing materials that reflect the energy of the sun from the surface of the roof. Cool materials that are used for low-slope materials are mostly a bright white color, but non-white colors are beginning to become available to be used on sloped roof applications. Another thing that Cool Roofs need to have is high emissivity, which allows for infrared energy to be emitted. Metal roofing has a tendency to have low emissivity and isn’t considered to be a cool material. The temperature of the roof surface can be reduced by cool roofs by as much as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which reduces the heat that is transferred into the building underneath. That helps to lower energy costs (by keeping ducts and attics cooler), lower urban heat islands that are associated with smog, increase the roof’s life cycle, lower maintenance costs, and improve occupant comfort.

Tucson Roof Repair Pros (520) 447-2100 provides quality Tucson roof replacement, roof installation and roof repair services and has been a reputable, quality roofing contractor for years. We serve all the Tucson area communities. When you have questions about installing or replacing your roof, call us.     

   

Tips to Assess and Repair Roof Storm Damage

Follow this advice from the roofing pros to check for and fix damage to your roof after a storm.

 Even if a storm didn’t produce a torrent of rain or volley of hail, wind alone can cause enough damage to your roof to warrant repair or replacement. So after a tornado, thunderstorm, hurricane or hailstorm, make sure to check the condition of your roof.

“Every thunderstorm has a straight-line burst of wind,” says Walt Zaleski, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “At 50 to 60 mph, you start seeing damage to homes — trees toppling, power lines coming down, debris blown from your neighbor’s house.”

After a storm passes, make sure to check for roof damage from wind, hail or other sources, document any problems and work with your insurance company and a knowledgeable contractor to fix any issues.

How to spot roof damage

Thunderstorms, tornadoes, hailstorms and hurricanes can tear shingles from your roof and give your roof a beating with tree branches. Follow these steps to check for storm damage to your roof:

• Inspect your attic for leaks or water damage. Also, if any water stains appear on your ceiling or walls, you likely need repairs or a roof replacement.

• Look for signs of storm damage from the ground. Check for missing shingles or missing pieces of metal fascia, including any metal pieces displaced from around your chimney. Also, assess the condition of exhaust pipes, valleys, outer edges or angles where the roof meets the walls.

• Obviously, you’ll notice if a tree fell on your roof. If so, stay out of your home until a professional can determine whether any structural damage occurred. Consider hiring a general contractor or roofer with a general contractor’s license if your home suffered structural damage, as you’ll need more than roof repairs.

• If the storm produced hail, check for roof damage as well as siding damage. Hail damage commonly comes in the forms of dimples, made by smaller chunks of hail that pound the outer layer of shingles.

• Stay safe — avoid going on the roof to check for damage yourself and instead contact a professional roofer.

Call your insurance agent

Follow these tips for dealing with an insurance agency after any disaster.

If you have damage, contact your insurance agent to assess the situation and determine whether you should file a claim. The Texas Department of Insurance suggests documenting any damage that occurred.

Also, keep receipts for all work, including any you do yourself, such as covering windows or holes in your roof to facilitate reimbursement if you file a claim. Many policies will cover these expenses when submitted with a claim, says Jerry Hagans, Texas Department of Insurance spokesman.

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