Home Roof Repairs

If your roof inspection turns up nothing more than a few missing or split shingles, defective fleshings, or rain gutters clogged with debris, the necessary repairs can probably be made rather simply, and you will probably choose to make them yourself. Where you run into rotted sheathing, eaves extensively damaged by water, or underlayment that needs replacing, you may want to call in a roofing contractor.

To make your own roof repairs, all you really need are the proper tools and materials, a little dexterity, and adequate time to do the work properly.

Even if you've never been on a roof before, with proper caution you should be able to replace missing shingles or broken tiles, renail loose shingles, or repair gutters and fleshings. Replacing small areas of rotted sheathing in the attic, or splicing a damaged rafter with a "sister" rafter may also be well within range of your skills and experience.

If you're looking at a roof that has suffered extensive damage, or one whose slope is threateningly steep, or if you simply aren't interested in doing your own work, you're wise to engage a contractor.

He or she probably has experience in correcting structural problems, repairing damage done to large areas of sheathing and underlayment, and replacing sizable sections of surface materials damaged by wind, rain, or falling branches.

Choose a contractor as you would if you were going to have the whole roof replaced. Investigate. Get bids from several different contractors, and ask for several references covering work they've done that's at least 2 years old. Then, after you've followed up on the references and chosen a contractor, see that a detailed contract is prepared and signed.

Roofing Repair

If your inspection has turned up an asphalt roof with wide-open bare spots where the mineral granules have worn away, or a wood roof whose shingles have snapped like twigs or crumbled like compost, it's time to reroof. And if that's the case, the next question is whether to do the work yourself or have it done professionally.

There's hardly a home improvement project that, successfully done, doesn't offer both tangible and intangible rewards - and roofing is no exception. Aside from the pleasure that comes from knowing you did the work yourself - and to your own liking - you are also rewarded by the chunk of money saved in labor costs.

The rising cost of labor, in fact, is one reason more and more homeowners are doing their own maintenance and repairs. Labor eats about half the pie in a typical roofing project; eliminate that and you're on your way to bisecting the cost of your roofing project.

Unfortunately, while the idea of a new roof at half price is pretty appealing, you must remember that you will be the one to do the work. And

roofing is characteristically a hot, tiring, and tediously repetitious job with some sizable hazards built into it. You must decide realistically whether or not you are willing and physically able to see the project through to completion.

Do you qualify for the job? If you want to do your own work, you should have some handiness with tools, patience in following instructions to the letter, scrupulous regard for safety procedures, and a willingness to adapt basic procedures to the eccentricities of your own house.

You should also be in good physical condition. Kneeling over a slope all day, nailing shingles in their courses, will tax both your endurance and your backside, not to mention the arm and shoulder that must drive all those nails. And you'll be scooting up and down the ladder and working at roof heights; if you're at all bothered by heights, you're better off turning the project over to a professional.

How suppliers can help. The next time you pass a home improvement or building supply center, drop in and pick up some of the brochures (most are free) put out by roofing manufacturers. They have an abundant range in roofing materials and offer helpful tips for roofing installation and repair. You may also find sure-fire roofing kits, accompanied by complete instructions, that some manufacturers are packaging for the do-it-yourself roofer.

When you need a professional hand

Not all roofing jobs belong to the home craftsperson. You're probably over your head, so to speak, if you're thinking about doing your own work on

- a steeply pitched roof (more than 6 in 12)

- an unusually large surface area

- a house with multiple roofs or more than two stories high

- a roof that requires additional structural bracing

- a roof with numerous dormer windows or other architectural detours away from simple, broad planes.

And, though it's possible to do your own work, you're also likely to strain your skills if you plan to roof with tile. It is heavy, hard to cut (you'll need a carborundum blade on a circular saw), difficult to handle, and slippery underfoot. If you're reroofing with tile, you may be required by code to have a structural engineer evaluate the load-bearing capacity of your house's framework. If the framework can't easily support the extra weight, you'll need to call in a contractor to beef it up.

Flat roofs covered either with layers of roofing felt and hot-mopped asphalt or with polyurethane foam are also beyond the skills of most homeowners, because of the processes and equipment involved. Working with boiling hot asphalt is a dangerous, difficult, and messy business.

Roof Inspections

Roofs are a little like shrubs. Many of us have met the overgrown shrub in shears-to-branch combat and wondered how in blazes we could make this a thing of beauty (again). And most of us have at least once heaved a sigh over the results of our labors and wished we had called in a professional, since clearly the shrub had won.

So it is with roofs. Periodically inspect and maintain yours and you will have a serviceable, easy-tomaintain roof. Ignore it and one day you may be on the phone with a roofing contractor, talking about replacing dry-rotted sheathing or water-soaked roofing insulation or deteriorated underlayment.

Learning to do your own roof inspection isn't at all difficult, and it's satisfying: the more you know about any part of your house, the better equipped you are to maintain it yourself.

The first step to take in a roof inspection is to learn the age of the roof and its expected life span. (If possible, ask the previous homeowner when the roof was put on.) Then, in light of your climate, evaluate how much longer you can expect it to last. If, say, you live in a moderate climate and you have a 15-year-old asphalt shingle roof that's supposed to last 20 or 25 years, you can expect to find a somewhat worn but still serviceable roof. On the other hand, if yours is a 25-year-old wood shingle roof with a 20-year life expectancy in a moderate climate, you're likely to find a roof that needs replacing.

Begin your inspection from inside the attic (or the house, if you have open-beam ceilings); then head outdoors for the exterior check. Tools you'll need are a good strong flashlight, a thin screwdriver, a scraping knife, and a ladder.

It's a good idea to inspect your roof in autumn, just before the hard weather hits (and when you're likely to be up there anyway, clearing out the leaf collection in gutters and valleys). Then in the spring, when you have an opportunity to assess whatever damage winter may have done, inspect the roof again.

Roof Installation

Typically, a roof is put together pretty much like the floor or walls of your house. It has a framework of rafters to support a roof deck (sometimes called a "subroof"), which consists of sheathing and underlayment; the roof deck, in turn, provides a nailing base for the roof surface.

The type of roof deck a house has depends primarily on the nature of the roof surface material, but most decks have both sheathing and underlayment.

Sheathing is the material that provides the nailing base for the roof surface. Sloping roofs with asphalt shingles usually have solid plywood sheathing-4 by 8- foot panels nailed directly to the rafters (though in older homes you may find 1 by 6 or 1 by 8-inch boards): Homes with open-beam construction may reveal fiberboard sheathing that has been manufactured so one side forms the nailing base for the roof, the other the finished ceiling of the house.

Roofs of thin wood shingles or thick wood shakes are often laid over "open" sheathing 1 by 4-inch lumber spaced evenly over the rafters to permit air circulation. In some instances, particularly where wood shingles or shakes are put down over an existing roof, you'll see horizontal batten boards nailed directly onto the old roof surface.

Sandwiched between the sheathing and the roof surface is the underlayment, usually roofing felt. Roofing felt is a thick, fibrous black paper made from wood chips and recycled paper, then saturated with asphalt. It is thick enough to resist water penetration from the outside, thin enough to allow moisture from within the house to escape.

To produce a more fire-resistant roof system, some wood shake roofs have underlayments of both roofing felt and metal sheeting. Where extra waterproofing is necessary, such as in hurricane zones of the Southeast, tile roofs often have underlayments made with built-up layers of roofing felt and hot-mopped asphalt.

Most sloping roofs are covered with overlapping layers of asphalt shingles, wood shingles or shakes, or tile, though the possibilities range from sod at one extreme to molded plastics at the other.

Flat - built-up - roofs are most frequently covered with alternating layers of roofing felt and asphalt, with a layer of gravel on top. In some cases, though, they're surfaced with an insulating polyurethane foam that's sprayed on and painted with a protective coating.

The principle underlying the function of the shingle roof is simple: to shed a drop of water that falls on a sloping roof by drawing the drop gradually down the side, over layer upon layer of lapped material, until it falls to the ground.

Wherever water is likely to collect and penetrate the roof surface - along the joints around a chimney, at the edges of roof vents, or in the "valleys" where two roof planes meet at an angle - at all those places, protective flashing is necessary.

Made of malleable metal or plastic, flashing appears as the drip edge collars around ventilation pipes, and the "steps" along the chimney. Less obvious flashing also protects the points where solar panels and television antennas are connected to the roof.

The slope, or pitch, of a roof refers to the vertical rise measured against a standard horizontal distance of 12 inches. The term "4 in 12," applied to a roof, tells you that the roof rises vertically 4 inches for every 12 horizontal inches. Very low-sloped roofs measure only 1 in 12 or 2 in 12; steeply sloped roofs range from 12 in 12 (a 45 degree angle) up to 20 in 12. Ordinarily, home crafts persons should be able to work safely on roofs with slopes no steeper than 6 in 12.

Determining roof slope. To find out the slope of your roof, all you need is a carpenter's level, a metal tape measure, and a flat piece of wood. Working either on the roof or from a ladder at the house eave, form a right triangle with the level, board, and tape measure; the tape and level should intersect 12 inches from the point where level and board meet. Then measure the vertical distance face to the bottom of the level. The number of inches, followed by "in 12," gives you the slope.

Selecting the Best Commercial Roofing Service in Vancouver, BC

Searching for the best commercial roofing Vancouver is as easy as typing away their address. Browsing through their website will give you the idea on what they do best and how long have they been in their field of service. If you demand customer satisfaction in your Vancouver roofing service, you will never be disappointed with Pac West Roofing. Guaranteed to provide the quality and reliable service that leaves no room for back jobs, that is part of the company goal. You can rest easy knowing your roof problems are repaired by professional hands. For your Vancouver roof repair needs, always keep in handy the contact info of Pac West Roofing.

Vancouver roof repair - Pac West Roofing offers general roofing service that range from small major roof problems. If you are proposing to change your roof, simply select from the diverse shingles available in different variety and color. Whether you request a full time service, Vancouver Pac West roofing will be available at your convenience. Vancouver roof repair - Pac West Roofing offers Commercial roofing, Industrial roofing, and Residential roofing service. For request of service, visit their pacwestroofinginc.com online and get more information. You must never trust your roofing repair with just any one that could not provide professional results.

If you have roof damaged caused by storms, you need to have it attended right away. Do not wait for another round of storms to happen and let the leaking damaged your interior. Pac West Roofing provides an immediate and timely service, which prevents inconvenience towards the residents. Homeowners need to be prepared especially that weather is quite unpredictable. Having your roof regularly checked and automatically repaired by Vancouver Roofing Company - Pac West Roofing and roof repair, will assure you of safety and security during rainy and stormy seasons. It pays to be prepared at such small expense considering the rate of damage to properties when the roof problem is taken for granted.

When you call for regular checks, make sure you only get the service of professionals who will not make you change your shingles even if it does not really need changing. Go only for Pac West roofing inc that offers practical and sensible roofing solutions. When you require repair service, choose to order the shingles you need to save from having to worry over the offline purchasing. Pac West roof repair will see to it that you get you repairs automatically done with minimum hassle. Typical roof repair service offers menial work such as roof cleaning, leak repair, and replacing of rotten wood braces.

Time your roof inspection during the late spring and autumn season to afford you sufficient time in repairing and patching minor damages. Often, small leaks cause greater inner damage when not attended to in time. It would be best if you have regular roof maintenance to prolong the life of your roof. Let Pac West roofing is your roofing maintenance and you will never have roofing problems again during rainy seasons and storm occurrence. Contact commercial roofing company Vancouver - Pac West Roofing inc for your all roofing needs.

Roofing Materials Types for Roof Replacement

Introduction

The roof is a part of your house that you might not think of that much. If you don't think about your roof that much, you are part of the majority of people. The roof tends to just stay there, slowly wearing down over the course of time and weather and it is only when real problems start to develop with it that people start looking at roof replacement. In order to stay ahead of the game and protect your roof so that it can protect you, it is necessary to get out of that mindset and start taking a look at some of the other options that are available to you when you are doing roof maintenance or roof replacement. One of those options has to do with roofing material selection for the project.

Shingles and Tiles

There are two primary types of objects that roof materials come in and they are shingles and tiles. Shingles are the classic roofing unit within North America and most of Europe and for that reason you will notice that most of the roofs of the different houses actually do utilize shingles. Shingles are basically tiles with a little more "oomph" to them and for that reason they can also be more expensive on average. Tiles are still great choices for roofing projects though and this is a fact that is especially true if you get a trained professional to install your tiles for you.

Types of Material - Asphalt

Asphalt is a material that you know very well, even if you've never heard the name before. Asphalt is what makes up our roads and for that reason everyone in the world has some sort of familiarity with the substance. That same material is used for roofing because it is a solid and sturdy material that can help you to create a roof that will be able to stand the test of time as far as weathering and erosion are concerned. Even asphalt breaks down over time though, which is why you still have to think about roof maintenance if you have it. Asphalt is perhaps the most durable material for roof construction though, so if you want to set and forget your roof replacement, this is probably the way to go.

Types of Material - Wood (Cedar Roof)

Wood is not as common in roofing today as it used to be and this is largely because it has lost a lot of market share to asphalt as the latter has gained ascendency in the battle between shingle materials. Wood shingles are nowhere near as durable as their asphalt counterparts, but they are cheaper and a lot easier to install properly. This means that houses that are in moderate climates with minimal weathering on their roof would be able to utilize wood for a long term roofing material, but places that get lots of snow and rain would just be asking to replace their roof again a lot sooner if they went with a wood roof over an asphalt one. The price differential is remarkable however, so it is not a done deal by any circumstance.

Types of Material - Slate and Ceramic Tile

Slate and ceramic are also used as roofing materials, although this has more to do with vanity than it does anything else. The basic functional choice is between asphalt and wood shingles, although people that would like to get decorative with their roofing project might decide to go for slate and/or ceramic tiles instead. It is a perfectly valid choice and as people are starting to pay more attention to their roofing concerns, these types of materials are becoming more commonly seen on roofs across the country.