www.houstonroofingpro.org

Roof Issues to Look for This Winter

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Winter is the time to make sure your roof’s up to par and whether or not you’ve got a http://www.homesecuritysystem.com alarm or a great wrought iron fence your home’s not truly safe until you’re roof’s in good condition. Here are a few things to look for to figure out if you need to call a professional:
Higher Energy Bills: If your bills have gone up a lot this year it’s a sign you’re not insulated like you should be. This could mean leaks in the roof’s tarping and even some missing shutters so have it looked at.
Leaks: Winter is NOT the time to find out you’ve got a leak but it’s the best to be surprised! When snow or ice forms on your roof it reliably melts though any cracks or holes if you have them – notice these and mark the spot then call a professional.
Fallen Debris: Just like any other home item, if your roof gets landed on by something heavy you’re going to need to get it checked out. You don’t want to find out later that branch was a roof-breaker.

Measuring Your Roof Before You Shop

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When you shop, you need to have an idea at least of what you are shopping for. If you measure your roof, you will have a better understanding of what you need when you go to look for your supplies. You will not be able to make any progress if you do not take the correct measurements down before hand. It may take a lot out of you to decide on what things you need if you are not sure at all. You have to be able to come to a conclusion and know exactly what you are looking for. If you measure your roof, you will be able to find what needs to be done and exactly what needs to be fixed. You may find other problems in the mean time that you feel need to be addressed. These things take time, but it can all work out for you if you go about things in a correct procedure. You cannot be so sure unless you are certain, and that is for everything that you do. You need to know the width and length of your roof so you can get the right sizes of materials and much more.

Regular Fall Maintenance, Checking Your Roof

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

There is spring clean up, and there are fall inspections. Checking a home’s roof is necessary to insure it is ready for the harsher winter weather. The first place to start is to inspect the interior ceilings for any visible water damage. The next inspection area is the attic. The underside of the roofing boards can be the first indication that the roof needs repairs.

The roof may not be leaking but inspections can detect a problem before it becomes expensive. Walk around the house and visually inspect the roof from the ground. Look for missing shingles or tiles. Be sure and note any shingles that may be sticking up. Loose shingles if not damaged may be quickly fixed by re-nailing. Shingles in hot weather will become more flexible and flatten out. Colder weather will cause shingles to rise if not attached properly.

Inspect for any overhanging limbs. Trees that overhang the roof should be trimmed back. The limbs can scratch and damage the shingles or break off causing more damage. Remove any leaves that may have collected in the roof valleys. Leaves left to build up will retain moisture and can promote mold. Clean the gutters of all obstructions. Plugged guttering systems will allow water to back up and freeze damaging shingles and possibly the soffit.

Cedar shake shingles should be inspected for shrinkage and splitting. Check around chimneys and vent pipes carefully where the flashing is installed. The tar based caulking used for flashing eventually dries out and cracks creating gaps for water to enter. Re-caulking is an easy and affordable preventive measure.

Repairing Or Replacing A Flat Metal Roof

admin — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A roof leak from a flat roof can be next to impossible to find. Water travels the path of least resistance. Flat roofs can create special difficulties when locating a leak. They do have a slight pitch but in some cases, water will travel up hill. That is to say sometimes the material itself will create a wicking behavior, sucking water up pitch from where the leak appears in your house.

Try these five steps for repairing a roof before doing a complete tear down.
1.Start with a thorough sweeping of the roof, check gutters to be sure they are clear and not creating a damn.
2.Inspect all nail heads and seams for gaps and lifting nail heads. Re-set all nails and caulk nail heads and seams with roofing caulk.
3.Let the caulk dry thoroughly and get out the garden hose, saturate the roof for several minutes from all angles in the areas where you found problems. This is a great time to check gutter flow too.
4.Check for further leaks in the interior of the home or attic.
5.Repeat this process several times until all leaks have been resolved. Coat the entire roof area with the proper material for your roof and area.
If these five steps fail it is time to replace the roof.

How And When To Use Roof Coatings

admin — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

There is one thing that rings true in the minds of everyone who chooses to work on their roofs themselves, whether they are professional roofers as a career or simply people who enjoy doing house maintenance themselves to save a few dollars. There are a lot of different supplies needed when the time comes to upgrade your roof to keep you and your family safe from all sorts of negative things occurring. Bad weather conditions and age will make your roof fail long before it should, so remember that when the time comes to upgrade. Consider going with a special coating for your roof to help you combat the things that we all want to avoid happening when we become home-owners.

Roof coating is great for a large number of reasons. Firstly, it will protect your roof from all sort of bad weather. It will help to fight against hail storms, snowfall and other particularly hazardous things. It can also help to fight the signs of age which start coming into play from exposure to even the most normal weather conditions. Roof coating is a great way to keep your home safe and the value from dropping, so consider spending a few extra dollars at the hardware store next time.