Photo Voltaic Roof Shingles

Posted on August 11, 2010 by R C IN

A great many customers are exploring the practicality of installing solar roof tiles on their dwelling. This guide may assist you start to lay the groundwork involving this specific project. The added benefits are of great benefit though the expense may perhaps be prohibitive.

The present-day status of Photovoltaic or PV roof tiles is very much advanced from the classic solar power panels of a few years ago. Current panels will be significantly thinner than they once were they even ordinarily interlock and are significantly less difficult to connect and install. The choice of models and shapes is fairly wide therefore obtaining a solar application which operates best with your actual home is possible.

The actual physical appearance involving existing designs fits in suitably in to the roof making it the best option when general look could end up being very important to others who live nearby or Home Owners Associations.

Photo voltaic tiles include a thinner solidstate PV cell which converts sunshine into electric power. The actual solar cell is actually integrated into the particular tile to produce a roofing panel which also produces electricity.

Any time you add them on your residence they will furnish your home with electrical energy and any additional can be bought back to the energy company. They necessitate zero upkeep and they tend to be more or less self cleaning.

In time solar tiles can reimburse what you paid for them. Here usually are a few details that should really be thought of whenever choosing among solar energy panels and tiles.

Overall Performance

The actual roof tiles are constructed with thinner photo voltaic cells which will harness a bit less energy than there silicon built cells made use of in solar panels. On the positive aspect while they can be installed on sections of the residence where large solar panels would end up being inappropriate.

Solar energy panels and roof tiles deliver the results very best when ever they are pointing toward the section of the dwelling with the greatest visibility to the direct sun light. In the event that this particular section is in the front of the property you may possibly not be authorized or perhaps want to install enormous panels. Photo voltaic roofing tiles may end up being the single alternative in this kind of sort of circumstance. This might be a specific thing in which you might require to check with a photovoltaic professional about.

Price

Quite a few items will have to be contemplated when figuring out price involving the two systems. The roof tiles will end up being more pricey regarding the volume of electric power that they generate. However they will are additionally work as a roofing structure to keep out the weather as well. If your current roof needs replacement anyhow you are getting both PV and also brand-new roofing for everything that you are paying. This means that the roofing tiles may become less costly in this particular case.

When you currently have a new roof on your property then the panels would likely be much less expensive due to the fact you will not additionally have to add roofing to the charge of the installation. As a result a part associated with the consideration is exactly how old your roof is. In that respect there may possibly be also energy tax rebates in existence to lower the cost essential. You can certainly find out with the seller because these people will be current about each programs.

Overall Look

The following is certainly where photo voltaic roof tiles triumph hands down. They appear superior to the solar panels. They happen to be offered in a multitude of looks as well as tones and they can easily be set up in various designs to conform to your own particular house. They are not necessarily fully inconspicuous therefore it may possibly always be an outstanding notion to place the actual PV shingle positioned on the actual roof so that you may find out if it meets your expectations. They are more likely to be Ok’d by HOAs and historical areas.

Life-Span

Both the solar panels as well as the shingles are generally likely to remain serviceable for something like 20 to thirty years. That would be approximately as long as a standard roof would continue for if not a tiny bit more time. Most of the particular roof tiles usually are designed to be swapped out if they are damaged or fail. Make sure that the manufacturer’s warranty on the photovoltaic cell is actually taken care of through the manufacturer connected with the photovoltaic and not necessarily the roof tile. The larger photovoltaic makers are usually more probably to be around to deal with the warranties as compared with the roofing tile producers.

Posted in Industry News, Roofing Materials | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Metal Roofs – Cool Roofing is a Hot Trend

Posted on August 3, 2010 by R C IN

Whenever home-owners are thinking of updating their standard shingle roofing they sometimes look at installing some sort of metal roofing on the property. In that respect there can be positive aspects together with various downsides to metal roofing.

Many homeowners tend to be surprised to know that presently there are a variety of alternatives. Many varieties together with various types of materials are to choose from. If you happen to be thinking about a metal roof you most likely would like to think about with care since your metal roof can last a rather lengthy period. Basically you are going to be looking at the roof for 40 to 60 years.

Some of the versions contain a standing seam roof. This particular style of roof contains runners spread per sixteen inches or so which will extend from top to bottom level. Several other types comprise metal pieces that are typically created to look like wood shakes or clay roofing tile. Slate tiles concrete tiles and even much more. The alloys which are usually used are usually aluminum, steel and copper.

Most of individuals looking at a metal roof like the notion of obtaining one though often have got a handful of inquiries related to just what to expect. For example exactly how much can they are expecting to be charged regarding a new roof manufactured out of metal? What precisely is the cost involving a metal roof?

It is imperative to know the cost of a metal roof can easily often be about three times the selling price of a composite shingle roof. This probably helps make it less costly as compared to a conventional roof more the life of the roof but the primary outlay may be not be feasible or appealing for the average property owner.

In many cases folks don’t feel as though that they are going to reside in the residence long enough to profit from the higher primary outlay.

Exactly how long will the metal roof last? They ought to survive at minimum 40 to 60 years and possibly more time. With respect to the majority people this could be your life span. Which means that as soon as a person adds a metal roof on your house you possibly will not be putting in another one? The issue to keep in mind though is that the producer generally declares the fact that the roof can last 50 or more years they aren’t promising that the particular paint could linger that amount of time, only that the roof will not fail.

Typically a metal roof will probably have a much greater wind resistance rating compared to composite shingles. These may well end up being able to survive near to hurricane wind flow rates

Metal roofs are usually regarded to be eco-friendly. When it is actually time to replace, the metal roofing material may become re-cycled.

Metal roofs save energy and assist in decreasing your A/C expenses by nearly 40%, because they are solar reflective. They may perhaps additionally meet the requirements for the energy tax credit.

Metal roofs additionally have to have relatively little servicing. This is certainly another incredibly big advantage of the installation of a metal roof. A metal roof will not crack, curl, split, rot or use up impact resistance as it ages and what’s more it lasts for fifty to sixty years. As a result, the upkeep expenditures for metal roofs tend to be small.

A number of homeowners may very well be concerned related to the sound for the duration of rainfall or higher wind. This certainly should not end up being an issue except if the metal roof is added with out a deck or insulation between the metal and the home.

The overall look of the roof can easily be impacted. Even though almost all metal roofs have scuff resilient coatings put on to them they may even so be scratched up by tree branches and damaging hail.

The above mentioned are a handful of benefits and also drawbacks of installing a metal roof that are usually very fundamental for you to be taken into account. Although in most instances the advantages significantly provide more benefits than the negative aspects, it is recommended that you compare all of them with regards to an individual’s specific requirements ahead of taking your plan.

Posted in Industry News, Roofing Materials | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Cool Roofing – Trending Up

Posted on July 22, 2010 by R C IN

The secretary of the U.S Department of Energy, Dr Stephen Chu, announced in a statement yesterday that all Department of energy building are to have white roofs installed during new construction or when replacing them.
“Cool roofs are one of the quickest and lowest-cost ways we can reduce our global carbon emissions and begin the hard work of slowing climate change,” he said in a statement.
Dr. Chu has been pushing white roofs for a while now. In 2009, he talked to The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart about their benefits. “When you’re thinking of putting on a new roof, make it white,” Dr. Chu said. “It costs no more to make it white than to make it black,”
He also was quoted:
“By demonstrating the benefits of cool roofs on our facilities, the federal government can lead the nation toward more sustainable building practices, while reducing the federal carbon footprint and saving money for taxpayers.”
The benefit of a cool roof is that it reflects more of the solar energy away from the building thus lowering cooling costs and consequently offsetting carbon emissions. It also reduces the heat island effect, the darker surfaces of an urban area are said to absorb more heat thereby increasing the temperature of the area.
Quote from the department of energy:
“Cool roofs use lighter-colored roofing surfaces or special coatings to reflect more of the sun’s heat, helping improve building efficiency by reducing cooling costs and offsetting carbon emissions.”

The roofing contractor that ignores cool roofing is doing so at their peril. This is a trend that is only going to grow as time goes on. The benefit to roofers is that becoming knowledgeable about cool roofing and offering it as a service will further separate you from the competition.

There is a sizable segment of the market that is only interested in discussing roofing in terms of energy efficiency. Don’t lock yourself out by ignoring this growing trend.

What do you think? Your comments are welcome.

Posted in Industry News, Roofing Materials | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

CertainTeed Partners with Wells Fargo Financing

Posted on July 20, 2010 by R C IN

CertainTeed is offering a finance program backed by Wells Fargo Bank. They are calling it the Home Projects Visa Card Program.

The general idea is that a contractor that has qualified for CertainTeed’s credentialing program can offer financing to your customers. Part of the draw is that you can offer your customers same as cash no interest financing or very low interest rates. They say, “By offering a comprehensive range of reduced rate interest and no-interest option payment plans, you help your customers get that home improvement project started today.”

Sounds like a great idea, Right?

What CertainTeed and Wells Fargo want you to do is sign up your customer for a Visa card. Your customer can use the card to charge your services and then continue to use the card like a regular Visa card.

You have to dig down a bit to discover the rate of interest is a minimum of 25.99% or the prime rate plus 22.74% whichever is greater. That’s surprise #1. The second surprise is that if you want to offer say 18 months same as cash with regular payments then you are going to have to pony up 9.35% of the selling price, or $935 on a $10,000 job. Want to offer 48 months same as cash? It will cost you $1775.

I don’t know about your customers but most of mine are pretty smart. I don’t think it would go over too well because I think they would understand that they are paying for the reduced interest rate in the price off the home improvement. I believe that not only would this program not get you more sales, but it would also negatively impact your reputation

In addition you will be charged $20 to $50 a month to participate in the program and an additional $35 a month for every month that you don’t generate at least $2500 in financing sales.

The rate breaks it all down. When I read it I can’t help thinking Wells Fargo and CertainTeed are making more money on the roof than the contractor.

Here are the links:
http://www.certainteed-myedge.com/Newsletters/WellsFargoHomeProjectsSellSheet.pdf
http://www.certainteed-myedge.com/Newsletters/WellsFargoHomeProjectsPPT.pdf
http://www.certainteed-myedge.com/Newsletters/WellsFargoHomeProjectsRateSheet.pdf

What do you think? Feel free to post a comment.

Posted in Industry News | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Owens Corning Roofing Contest

Posted on June 23, 2010 by R C IN

Owens Corning has announced a contest to that might be of interest to homeowners thinking about replacing there roof.
It’s a national contest based on their Duration dimensional shingle.
The deal is you contract to have your roof replaced with  Owens Corning Duration Style shingle installed on your house. Then you’ll take a picture of the house with the new shingle on it and send into OC.
In some sort combination of public vote and a panel of Owens Corning judges there will be a vote on a monthly winner. The monthly winner gets $500 and the chance to compete in the Grand prize drawing. Those five winners will face off for $1000 or the price of your new roof whichever is less at the end of October.
Might be worth a try if you are getting a roof and like Duration shingles.

You can get more info at the website Owens Corning set up for the contest at that’s my roof.

Good Luck!

Posted in Industry News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Roof Storm Damage – What To Do If You Have A Claim

Posted on June 12, 2010 by R C IN

Whenever anyone owns a residence you rarely know when you are really going to get hit by damaging weather. As soon as misfortune comes to visit most of us can be happy when it comes to insurance policy coverage and also the accessibility involving roofing insurance plan claims for weather damages.

It really is important to have a clear understanding as to what the insurance policy covers in regards to your roof. Will it pay for the whole roof to be replaced? Will it pay for roof replacement on a pro-rated basis? Of course the amount of the deductible is important.

In the event you are living within a place in which storms, mainly all those acknowledged creating plenty of damages, coming about frequently, and meeting with your insurance rep to go over the policy with you. As an illustration, if you take up residence in a vicinity that is known for severe weather, tornadoes or flooding. These tend to be all elements that will possibly produce major destruction so the insurance policy in regard to roof covering insurance policy claims for storm trouble would need to become distinctly defined.

There are accounts of property owners which suffer intensive weather property damage to their residence only to find that their insurance policy did not contain roofing insurance claims when it comes to weather damage. Now there is simply no doubting that weather event damage will be able to lead to a large amount of problems with your roofing in particular, and so it is essential to help to besure ones insurance plan addresses any complications which will could appear in the incident that the unanticipated should arise.

Whenever you contemplate it, our roof might be the lone feature that safeguards us from the elements. It is expected that, at some time, our roof structure might be in need of repair. Your roof is critical to your home simply because, without it, we would certainly left out in the cold.

If a person’s roof is hurt going through a storm, the initial course of action is get in touch with your insurance pro. You will need to check with regarding their procedure relating to the reporting of roof insurance policy claims with regard to weather system injury. Your own agent will then guide you in recommended processes and due dates. Express to your broker, in detail, specifically what damage ended up being resulted and the time of the incident. If your roofing is leaking, this will probably need to be fixed or replaced instead quickly to avert other trouble to the internal of your residence. It’s necessary to inform your broker of any kind of repairs which require to be performed without hesitation. This information is very important in the administration of insurance for roofing claims for weather event destruction.

Upon the first contact with your insurance broker, you ought to get a letter or call from their unit, which deals with roofing insurance policy claims pertaining to storm damage. Following that, a claims specialist will likely get hold of you. In most cases, the claims adjuster will probably need to verify the damage, take photographs regarding this loss and will certainly provide the insurance firm with an estimate on the actual cost associated with restoration it is not suggested to sign an agreement or make any kind of promises until you hear back from your insurance professional. The claims specialist may, present you with an estimate on the cost to repair any injury that your roof has experienced while in a weather event.

The moment you have an estimate from your insurance company, you can get started on the activity of hiring the work to a professional. Request that they supply you with a projected price once they have looked over the damage. During your original discussion, give an explanation of that the funds will come from your insurance corporation’s claims unit, which usually addresses the payment of roof insurance policy claims for storm damage. Deliver the expected expense information to your insurance firm for processing. Based on the company’s policy, the monies may perhaps be remitted in advance or following the roofing work is completed. If the funds is held until such time as completion, have an invoice delivered to the insurance firm for remaining expenditure.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Roof Repair and Leaky Skylights

Posted on May 9, 2010 by R C IN

Skylights offer you an outstanding source of lumination and are usually typically installed within locations of the dwelling that would likely normally end up being fairly darker. Various skylights contain a screen and can easily be popped up to give you fresh air as well.

So there are a variety of reasons behind why a skylight can leak. The most commonplace contributing factor is the fact that the particular skylight ended up being improperly mounted. This may be a thing that might not appear as a problem for ages. From time to time the skylight ended up being installed by a handyman or it could be by simply an unskilled roofing contractor. A skylight may seem like it is mounted the right way but genuinely was not. The only real manner an inappropriate application is found out is when the light actually will start to leak.

Right now there are a variety of unit installation approaches which may be typically not considered and the roof tech never ever realizes the implications of the improper install since he is long gone in cases where the skylight leaks. Sometimes the most basic problem in the particular installation may bring about the skylight to leak surrounding the bottom or the curb of it. All too often the roofing tech forgets to add ice and watershield all over the bottom. Occasionally far too many nails are put in the step flashing which surrounds the curb and ultimately make it easy for rain water to get inside the house.

One other location a skylight might leak is the place where the particular pane of glass joins the seal. This is usually a relatively not common likelihood on a properly constructed skylight nonetheless ought to not be forgotten. In either instance the actual water going into the dwelling will pool at the bottom part or lower pitched section of the body of the skylight.

One design and style of skylight that features a really terrible track record in relation to leaks is what is termed a “self flashing” skylight. They are really one piece and are molded from plastic-type material. They are bubble molded and tend to be commonly amber in coloring. They are generally considerably less pricey compared with a well built curbed skylight and are often employed in new house construction. If you own one of these kinds of skylights consequently you will certainly seriously need to switch it with a better one. They tend to be especially problematic to get them to cease from leaking after they have commenced. They on top of that will become considerably breakable while they get older so they have a inclination to crack when you try to repair them

In uncommon environments a skylight will look to be leaking when in actuality the water is resulting from moisture build-up or condensation. This ordinarily is not seen on double paned skylight mainly because they give sufficient insulation via the cold external environment to prevent water from condensing on them. The strategy to establish that this is definitely going on is if water droplets is over the full pane of glass area and not only in the lowest position edges. This would probably just take place in a dwelling that was extremely humid as well. One additional manner to do away with the prospect of condensation possible causing the leak is if it only transpires when it is wintry outside.

It is very important to get the skylight fixed as soon as you possibly can so so you don’t bring about extra problems to the immediate place of the drywall as well as lumber that surrounds the light. When it has begun to leak it is not going to get better and in all probability will certainly turn out to be even worse over time. One characteristic of skylight leaks is that may have been leaking for a period well before moisture made an appearance inside of the actual house. This generally signifies that the wood sheeting in the region of the skylight will need to be changed due to decaying. You will probably definitely want to fix the particular leak well before the structural portion of the dwelling proceeds to rot away.

It’s most beneficial to search for an experienced roofing contractor which could either replace or reflash the skylight.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Roof Leak Solutions

Posted on April 3, 2010 by R C IN

Roof Leak solutions
Generally there will be a number of reason behind why that a roof may will need repair. The most typical very first sign connected with trouble usually are dark water staining on any ceiling. It is necessary to be certain that the guy figuring out the cause associated with the particular leak have knowledge with the roof leak origins. It is additionally important to help get a reliable diagnosis concerning the affliction involving the particular roof so that you actually can make a wise judgment on the way to move.
Presently there usually are in essence 3 factors any roof needs repair:

1.) the roof is nearing the point in time which it demands to be changed.

2.) There are various defects in materials or installation

3.) It has sustained a lot of weather injuries.

If perhaps the roofing might be approaching replacement time it may make sense to replace it and throw the actual expense associated with repairs towards the brand-new roof expense. In the event the particular roof is leaking thanks to disorders in workmanship or materials it could end up being included under either the producers guarantee or the warranty supplied by the roof installer which installed it. In the event the roofing is leaking thanks to a blowing wind problems, a hail storm or other weather condition situation this may well possibly be dealt with by your insurance coverage.

Whenever the roof leaks, it is mainly because of defects in the way it was installed. It is much more probable that the root cause is actually installation and not necessarily the roof materials. The most likely locations usually are exactly where the roofing material ends directly into something else. This would likely consist of chimneys, pipes, vents, skylights, wherever the roofing meets a wall (step flashing), valleys and roof transitions. Now there are lots of several other origins, still all these tend to be the most commonplace.

In the instance of a blowing wind trouble, if the actual destruction is reasonably modest a person might possibly not want to make a claim regarding your insurance policy prior to having a roofer take a look at the house. Oftentimes the actual amount associated with repair regarding a small amount of damage can be less in comparison with your policies’ insurance deductible. In case the particular damage is more substantive then definitely get in touch with the insurance provider ASAP. You actually most likely really should phone call a roofing contractor As soon as possible in the event the damage is big; so as to have service in advance of the contractor becomes weighed down with all the other inquiries.

Various components can leak on your roof including, drip edge, roof vents, soil pipe flashing, chimney flashing among others

Any time contracting in order to have roof repair service projects undertaken it is a superb thought to explore if the particular licensed contractor is going to be giving you a warranty on the installation. Bear in mind that the actual manufacturer’s warranties aren’t going to protect an individual from defects in workmanship.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Black Streaks on My Roof?

Posted on March 24, 2010 by R C IN

What are those black streaks on my roof?

.
This is a condition that exists on millions of homes across the US. The streaks are a kind of algae called Gloeocapsa Magma. It is most prevalent int Southeastern part of the country and but has been spreading North so that much of the Midwest has been affected.

The shaded side of the house will usually be the most affected side. This is due to water evaporating more slowly than it is by the shade. Gloeocapsa Magma is quite hardy and withstand extreme temperature ranges along with drought and UV. The algae loves high levels of humidity.

Although unsightly the life of the roof is not affected by the growth. The main reason for the spread of Gloeocapsa magma is because of the increased use of limestone in the manufacture of shingles. Limestone is  used as a filler because it is heavy, adding to the weight of the shingle and it is cheaper than asphalt.The organism feeds on the limestone. If you factor in the moist nature of the shaded side of the house it makes an idea environment for this algae. Once the algae appears on your roof it will get more and more noticeable. The algae can be airborne and thus spreads from roof to roof.

What can you do? If your roof is not ready for replacement you can have ot cleaned by a company that specializes in this or you can do it your self. The DIY route is risky and we don’t recommend it. Many of the cleaners on the market contain bleach. You must exercise care using bleach so as to not damage your plants. The folks that offer this service usually wet down the shrubbery to ensure that it is not damaged. The streaks will return more quickly than they originally did the first time because you are not killing the spores but dying their black shells that form the streaks.

The other solution is to install zinc or copper strips near the peak of the roof. The small amount of the metal that runs off when it rains will kill the algae. You want see a change over night, but it is an effective solution.

If you are installing a new roof and want to make sure that these don’t reappear make sure that your roofing contractor installs algae resistant (AR) shingles. If this black algae is prevalent in your area then it’s probable that these kind of shingles are the only ones that will get installed. These algae resistant shingles contain some copper coated granules along with the standard mineral granules. These work in the same way that the strips at the peak do.

The greater benefit is that the copper is spread over the entire roof instead of just at the top. This will prevent the possibility of having a greater concentration of copper at the top of the roof, avoiding a lighter shade at the top than at the bottom. The copper granules on the new roof will prevent Gloeocapsa magma from taking hold on your roof along with the spread throughout your neighborhood.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Blown Off Shingles

Posted on February 2, 2010 by R C IN

When Shingles Go Missing



This makes reference to any roofing repair that calls for replacement associated with a smaller portion of roofing which is missing shingles. There are generally a number of reasons which gusts of wind may blow off tiles from one’s own house. One might be faulty construction, often owing to incorrect placement of the fasteners holding the shingles. Losing shingles may also end up being credited to the seal malfunction with the shingle. Or it can maybe often be because of to wind gusts in excess of the manufacture rating of this shingle.

Anytime we all locate any roof that has a few tiles missing and we have not really experienced damaging wind gusts beyond 60 mph, we simply remove and replace the lost and broken tiles.
You will need to carefully clear away the damaged shingles which remain. Then reinstall brand-new shingles matching the particular color plus type as faithfully as available together with appropriately securing all of them per shingle manufacturer’s criteria. And then put on shingle caulk in between the particular courses of shingle in order to ensure that the old tiles bond with the newer shingles. You should also additionally add sealer to tiles all around the damaged roofing. If you hire a contractor make sure they fully clean up any job associated debris when the repair service is performed.

One particular caveat regarding rooftops which have endured this particular type of harm is that several other tiles may blow off in additional areas in the future. Truth be told there is certainly no complete means in order to foresee or eliminate this and it might possibly not even crop up.
It may perhaps end up being difficult to match up the already present shingles to the brand-new ones due to the fact connected with age together with fading from UV. If you actually possess shingles remaining from whenever the actual roofing ended up being replaced that could benefit.

Our advice is that if you experience a couple of instances connected with shingle blow off a person ought to want to consider getting a new roof . It is very important to note that when anyone have had a blowing wind in excess of sixty miles per hour, your complete home should be looked over thoroughly for wind damage. It may also require replacement and would likely possibly be included as a loss for one’s home owner’s insurance company.

You may possibly want to don’t forget to inspect at every segment of your roof once in a while because blown off roofing shingles may well not necessarily bring about a roof leak immediately, however will as the roof decking deteriorates.
In cases where you see a few missing roofing shingles on your neighbors home you will probably want to mention it to them mainly because various areas of their roof could possibly be a bit more visible by your personal vantage point as compared to their own. It is usually easy to replace the color and style of shingles you have lost.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment