Is There Such Thing as Never Replacing a Roof Again

Putting a safe roof over your head isn't necessarily a one-fourth dimension deal. Shingles stain, condensation collects, and high winds carry roofs wherever they delight. That'due south where the TOH crew'due south knowledge and your sweat equity enter the picture. Here, nosotros cover roof-related scenarios to aid prevent futurity mishaps, like a missing roof.

Roof Repair Questions Answered

Roofing Fails: How to Spot the Trouble

Q: How do y'all know when an asphalt shingle roof needs replacement? Are there clues to look for before telltale water stains appear on our plaster ceilings?

—Pat, Plymouth, Minn.

A: Tom Silva replies: In that location are several clues, and the biggest ane is age. If your roof is more twenty years one-time, there's a good chance it's due for replacement. But younger roofs can neglect too, so it'due south a good thought to inspect a roof at least once a year. Don't use a ladder, though. Binoculars are easier and a lot safer, and you can spot well-nigh problems from the ground.

Here's what to await for: numerous shingles that are lifting up, cracked or missing, with curled edges, or with smooth night areas, which point that the protective granules take worn off. Also, go into the attic on a sunny 24-hour interval and, with the lights off, check the underside of the chimney and the stack vent. If y'all run into little pinhole spots of light, the flashing is shot—another indication that the roofing might non exist in adept shape.

While you're in the attic, scan the underside of the roof sheathing for whatsoever new signs of water staining since the last inspection, also as any soft or moist spots, which tend to show up afterward a heavy rain. If these bug are widespread, information technology'south a certain sign that you need to call a roofer.

The Importance of Roof Pitch

Q: Everything being equal (ventilation, shingle type, climate, etc.), which roof will last longer: one with a steep pitch or one with a shallow pitch? Seems to me a steep hillside erodes more rapidly than a low slope, and then I'd think that roof shingles would wear out more quickly on a steeply sloped roof.

—George, Oglesby, Ill.

A: Tom Silva replies: Information technology'south difficult to say. On one mitt, a steep roof is less likely to collect leaves and other droppings that hold wet against the shingles and invite the growth of moss and algae. On the other mitt, that same roof in an unshaded area facing due south will have the full brunt of the sun, which is hard on any roof.

Actually, factors other than pitch have a greater issue on shingle durability. The side facing your worst weather typically fares worse than the leeward side. Likewise, a roof system that isn't vented properly and allows rut to build up below the roofing has a shorter life than one that is vented.

Upward Under the Roof

Q: Nosotros take a major leakage trouble and are getting a new roof. What is the best underlayment to protect the valleys in my roof from leaking: water ice and shield baby-sit, metal flashing, or double rolled shingles?

—Jerry, Collinsville, Ill.

A: Tom Silva replies: First, your roofers should lay downward an ice and h2o shield over the entire roof. Made of polyethylene and rubberized asphalt, this membrane prevents water that has slipped under shingles from penetrating to ceilings below. The valleys should then be covered with metal flashing or weaving. I would also recommend two layers of the water ice and h2o shield on the lower department of the roof (forth the eaves), around chimneys and beside the dormers.

Roof Plan, or Roof Scam?

Contractor Speaking To Home Owner About Roof Leaking Issues

Q: My friend has a new 9,000-square-foot home and has had problems with the roof leaking. The roofing man and two painting guys have told her that the caulk on her roof was the source of the problem. They told her that she should take it checked every 6 months for smashing and possible replacement because the caulk doesn't last long. I have never heard of this before and was wondering if they are pulling her leg or if this is a real trouble?

—Shari, Park Hills, Mo.

A: Tom Silva replies: I've got to tell you, it sounds like they're pulling your leg. You lot shouldn't demand any caulking on a roof with proper flashing. You need a second opinion.

Roof Flashing Damage

Q: A friend recently mentioned in passing he thought some of the "flashing" on my roof looked as if it were in rough shape. Can you lot explicate exactly what roof flashing is?

—Britney, Fort Worth, Texas

A: Tom Silva replies: Flashing is just material—usually aluminum or galvanized steel—that'due south used over joints in roof and wall construction to prevent water seeping in and causing harm. Depending on the way of your firm'due south roof, you probably have information technology in the valleys, around the chimney and pipes, and around whatsoever dormer windows or skylights. Most damage shows up either in flashing that'due south deteriorating due to weathering and oxidizing, or in flashing that has come loose.

I tin can't say for sure without seeing your roof, only about flashing problems can be patched or repaired fairly easily. Professional roofers typically cut and shape their own flashing from canvass metal, but the most mutual flashing pieces also come pre-formed and can exist practical without much difficulty using caulking or roof cement.

A discussion of alert: Because of the danger involved, I never recommend people do piece of work on roofs unless they are professionals or they're used to beingness on roofs and are familiar with the one they're working on. So if your flashing needs any significant repairs, consider hiring a contractor to do information technology for you.

Lightweight Roof Protection

Roof Contractor Installing Felt Paper To Roof

Q: Why is felt newspaper used in roofing?

—Bill, Pleasant Loma, Miss.

A: Tom Silva replies: Felt newspaper is typically used in near roofing as a release between the ii materials, wood and asphalt. Years ago, it was used on roofs considering when sap would come up out of the forest, information technology would break down the "behind" of the asphalt shingles and cause them to deteriorate, which isn't a problem anymore.

But I also think of information technology as a lightweight protection against any damage on a stormy day. Let's say a shingle or a tile should suspension in a storm. If the roof has a layer of felt paper over information technology, it has got some protection that will resist the driving rain at least for a piffling while. But yous need a different weight of felt depending on the type of covering product you're using.

Windows on the Roof

Q: What is the difference between skylights, sky windows, and roof windows?

—Edith, Ashland, Ore.

A: Tom Silva replies: Non a whole lot. Whatever glazed assembly that admits natural light through a roof tin can exist called a skylight. Some manufacturers use the term "roof window" to describe a relatively large skylight placed low enough that you can see out to the landscape. And so I estimate if you can meet only sky, information technology's a skylight, but if you tin can see sky and land, you phone call it a roof window.

As well, roof windows are more often than not big enough to qualify every bit ways of egress in case of a fire. That'due south seldom if ever the case with a skylight. The term "sky window" is not as common as the others. At least ane manufacturer uses it to describe huge glazed areas in a flat roof. Most skylights are meant for roofs with a slope of at to the lowest degree 15 degrees.

Shingle Stain Removal

Q: My roof is streaked with blackness stains. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? The shingle manufacturer says that staining isn't covered past the warranty because information technology doesn't affect the operation of the shingles.

—W. Howard, Warwick, R.I.

A: Tom Silva replies: The dark streaks are a type of algae that lives off the minerals in some types of roof shingles. Algae thrives in moisture, so it's seen most often on shaded or north-facing roof slopes that don't become a lot of directly sun.

While it'due south true that algae doesn't harm covering, it sure looks bad. To get rid of it, use a pump sprayer to wet down the roof with a mix of ane part bleach to two parts water. Bleach volition impairment foundation plantings, and then rinse them well with fresh h2o before you start and after yous're washed.

And then scrub the surface gently with a soft window-washing brush mounted on a telescoping extension pole. Don't utilise a pressure washer, which could damage the shingles. Too, do this piece of work from the safety of a ladder or from the footing, not by climbing on the roof.

To terminate the algae from returning, mountain zinc or copper strips nigh the roof ridge. Then, every time information technology rains, the h2o that washes over the strips' exposed edges will option upward ions from the metal and inhibit the algae from regaining a foothold. And when information technology'due south time for a new roof, look for shingles with algae-resistant granules and the best warranty y'all tin can discover.

Amateur Roofing

Q: Is installing a metallic roof something an amateur tin practise?

—Maryann, Charleton, Mass.

A: Tom Silva replies: It depends on just how amateur the amateur is. The safety risks of working on a roof should be pretty obvious. I don't personally recommend that anybody work on a roof who isn't either a professional, or familiar with the roof from existence on it on a regular ground.

The chore of installing a metal roof seems pretty simple in the field, at to the lowest degree until y'all come up to working at the ends and effectually chimneys and skylights, valleys and hips. When an amateur is putting in a metallic roof there are a number of things that tin go wrong and cause the roof to neglect. Nail the aluminum incorrectly, for case, and your roof will definitely leak. So if the building y'all're talking near is a tool shed, that's ane thing; but be conscientious. If information technology's your domicile, you lot'll probably be better off letting a professional exercise the job.

Installing Emergency Roofing

Q: Any hints for temporarily protecting a storm-damaged roof? We sure could take used this information during the hurricanes we had terminal twelvemonth.

—Nora, Pensacola, Fla.

A: Tom Silva replies: Anybody who lives where hurricanes or tornados are a regular threat needs to know a niggling about emergency repairs. Merely that aforementioned know-how can exist helpful in other parts of the country, too. It doesn't take much for a heavy tree limb to snap and take out part of a roof, for example.

Basically, what you lot want to do is encompass the impairment with a woven plastic tarp that is held in place with 1x3 wood strips. Here's how I do it. First I roll one finish at least twice around a long 1x3, then screw information technology to the undamaged side of the roof. The 1x3 "curl" should be confronting the roof so it won't collect water and debris. The rest of the tarp goes over the ridge and down the other side of the roof several feet beyond the damage.

Then I roll the opposite end of the tarp around another 1x3 and screw it to the roof sheathing, curl side down. At present it'southward just a thing of using more 1x3s and screws to hold downwardly the tarp's sides. They don't have to be rolled in the tarp. A "blue roof" isn't pretty, I'll acknowledge, but it will go along the weather out until someone can repair the damage.

Having said that, this type of emergency repair is all-time left to someone who has the equipment and skill to do it safely. Roofs are treacherous, especially when wet, and tarps are slippery even when dry. You don't want to exist wrestling with i in high winds, either. Better to submit a claim for property insurance than to take your family submit a merits for life insurance.

Overhanging Shingles

Q: The roof shingles on one side of my business firm hang over the gutters and so much that birds have built nests under the overhang. I tried to cut the shingles dorsum using tin snips but haven't had much luck. What should I do?

—Keith, Merrick, N.Y.

A: Tom Silva replies: It sounds similar someone prepare the shingles style too far over the edge the terminal fourth dimension your roof was done. Shingles should extend by the drip edge of the roof simply past nigh ½ to ¾ inch. Once you determine how much overhang you lot need to cut off, mark your cutline with chalk and a straightedge. On some roofs, you might be able to utilise the exposed butt edges of the covering grade as a guide to keep your cuts straight.

How you cutting them depends on what kind of shingles they are. With asphalt or fiberglass shingles, a sharp utility knife will practise the fob. Just support the edge of the shingle on a block of woods as yous make each cut, and change blades frequently. For woods shingles, use a circular saw or reciprocating saw fitted with a short metal-cutting bract—its small teeth volition make a smoother cutting than a wood-cutting bract. Be certain to hold the recip saw at a low bending—almost horizontal—so that the bract doesn't jab your gutters or cut the brackets.

Holding Down the Roof in High Winds

Q: My daughter lives in hurricane country in a 15-year-old stucco business firm. Can she install hurricane clips to forestall her roof from blowing off?

—Don, McKeesport, Pa.

A: Tom Silva replies: Those galvanized metallic straps and clips that strengthen the connectedness between walls and rafters actually do help to concord a house together in loftier winds. But it will be next to impossible to reach those spots from the attic. The only way to retrofit hurricane clips in well-nigh houses is by cut out a department of the siding and the wall capsule at every spot where a rafter rests on a wall or taking off the roof sheathing at the eaves.

Here's an easier choice: Go up into the attic and run a bead of structure adhesive alongside each rafter where it meets the plywood roof deck. That elementary measure will roughly triple a roof's resistance of being torn off by wind.

Eggs on an Asphalt Roof

Q: Not long after we moved into our home, some wise guy threw eggs at our asphalt shingle roof. I went up at that place and scrubbed with every cleanser I could call back of, but all I got was a bad manicure. What should I do nearly this cruddy mess?

—Carrie, Grand Junction, Colo.

A: Tom Silva replies: Egg residue should come up off just fine if you overflowing the expanse with h2o while the egg is still wet. But if it gets a chance to dry out, or worse, if information technology gets baked on by the sun, the job isn't as easy. I'd try soaking the area with water, then spraying information technology with a nontoxic, biodegradable cleaner such as Simple Green, which was originally formulated to remove protein stains. Let the cleaner soak in for a while as you proceed the surface area moist, then gently scrub the area with a soft-bristle brush. Working with cleaners and h2o on a roof will make surfaces slippery, nonetheless, so exist very conscientious.

When you lot're washed, the colour of the roofing may exist noticeably dissimilar, just there's nothing you can do except wait information technology out. Maybe it will blend in over fourth dimension.

Two Roofs Are Not Meliorate Than 1

Re-Roofing With Underneath Layers Of Roof Shingles

Q: I have an old tract house with composition roof shingles. I demand to re-roof but the roof has two layers of shingles on it already. Do I have to have them taken off? Also, which rate or weight of composition shingles is best to apply?

—Irene, Riverside, Calif.

A: Tom Silva replies: Yes, you lot need to strip the shingles. I don't like to shingle over whatsoever old shingles, just one layer is acceptable. Two is not. A unmarried layer looks better, lasts longer, and won't put whatever unnecessary extra weight on the roof.

As to which shingles to use, the longer the warranty, the heavier the shingle and the greater the price. You lot desire to expect for the best warranty y'all can afford.

Old Physical Roof Tile Replacements

Q: My firm is a 97-yr-old Victorian with a concrete-tile roof. It was installed in 1929 to supervene upon the original cedar shakes and has weathered hurricanes like a champ. How can I observe matching replacements for some of the missing and damaged tiles?

—Patricia, Beaumont, Texas

A: Kevin O' Connor replies: A roof more than 75 years old? No wonder you desire to keep information technology. To find an answer for you lot, I called Rick Olson, technical director at the Tile Roofing Establish. He says that y'all should wait on the back of one of your tiles to run into if there's a manufacturer'southward name cast into information technology. If so, then yous can check the list of U.S. roof-tile manufacturers on the Establish's website, tileroofing.org.

If in that location's no name on the tile, or the company isn't listed, peradventure you'll find similar tile patterns past going to each company's website. If not, you may be able to find a visitor that volition custom-make the ones you demand. You can also check with companies that sell salvaged covering tiles, or search the Web for overseas suppliers; many tile profiles in this country were inspired by European designs. Importing tiles might seem expensive, just information technology probably will toll less than having new tiles custom made or installing a new roof.

Snow Guard for the Roof

Q: Our business firm sits merely eleven feet from our belongings line, and our neighbors' firm is so close to the line that their gutters are nigh right over it. Last year, they added some other story to their house and installed a metal roof. Now, when the ice on their roof begins to melt, it slides past their gutters and sails into the side of our business firm where our bedroom is. Tin can you please help united states?

—Lisa, Austin, Texas

A: Tom Silva replies: I've never encountered that trouble, but there is a straightforward solution. Enquire your neighbors to install a snow baby-sit on their roof near the eaves. These guards finer halt roof avalanches and hold the water ice in identify until it melts. The type of guard that best suits your situation has two or 3 pipes mounted parallel to the eaves and a screen on the pipes to catch flying ice.

Insulating a Roof

Q: For the last four years, my wife and I have been building a house. She decided on open beam ceilings in the living room, and so nosotros put up insulation. But, before we could put up the Sheetrock, winter came. From the heat and the cold mixing, nosotros have condensation betwixt the insulation and the roof. If I put the Sheetrock upwardly, will that stop the dripping, or do I demand roof vents?

—Sean, Corbett, Ore.

A: Tom Silva replies: When insulating any roof, you demand an air space of at to the lowest degree two inches between the underside of the roof capsule and the tiptop of insulation. Proper vents tin be stapled to the roof sheathing to create an uninterrupted airflow. The soffit and ridge should as well have venting. Install a skillful vapor barrier nether the insulation—on the warm side—making sure there are no holes.

Any seams, if needed, should be overlapped by at least 16 inches. Foil taping or polyurethane caulking the seams won't injure. The insulation should be R-xxx. (R-value refers to a fabric's power to resist the transfer of oestrus. The college the R-value, the more insulating power the textile has. ) Brand sure you don't compress the insulation, which makes it less effective, if it doesn't fit correctly in the space. Cutting a new piece instead.

Ridge Vents on Low-Slope Roofs

Q: I programme to reroof my early-'60s ranch house and am concerned about ventilation. The house now has three gable vents, with soffit vents in every rafter bay front end and back. When I reroof, I want to add a ridge vent, but my roof only has a iv:12 slope. Will that be a problem?

—John, Toledo, Ohio

A: Tom Silva replies: Ridge vents are smashing, simply I'd avert them in this case. Your roof has a fairly low pitch, and snow (or rain) could blow into the attic through the vent. So unless y'all've noticed signs of ventilation problems, such as ice damming in the wintertime or roof shingles bubbling and curling from overheating in the summer, I think you should stay with your existing organisation.

By the way, four:12 is well-nigh the minimum gradient suitable for asphalt or fiberglass shingles. To amend the weather protection, I'd reduce the maximum exposure of the shingles from 5 to 4½ inches, and I'd utilize six nails per shingle instead of the standard iv.

Frosty Roof Nails

Q: The last couple of times that I've been in my attic when the temperature is really cold, I've noticed ice on the boom tips sticking through the roof sheathing. Do you know why? Is in that location anything I should exercise about information technology?

—Stasia, Wood-Ridge, N.J.

A: Tom Silva replies: What's happening is that warm, moist air from inside your house is seeping into the cranium and the moisture is condensing and freezing on the cold steel. And yes, you should do something to end the seepage because it tin can reduce the effectiveness of your insulation and encourage mold growth.

There are iii steps to solving this problem. First, seal off whatsoever openings for air to leak into the attic. Peradventure a bathroom fan isn't venting outside or the pull-down cranium stairway needs weatherstripping or the light-fixture boxes aren't sealed. A dwelling-energy specialist with a thermographic imaging device can pinpoint many small-scale leaks you tin can't see.

Second, endeavor reducing moisture levels in the business firm by turning on exhaust fans when bathing and vent fans when cooking.

Third, make sure the cranium is well ventilated so that any moist air that gets past your defenses has a way to escape. Soffit and ridge vents are more effective ventilators than fans, and they don't use any energy. If you already have these vents, make sure they aren't being blocked by insulation.

Leaky Porch Roof

Q: We purchased an 84-year-old ii-story house that has a twoscore- to 50-yr-one-time back porch on the ground floor. The porch roof leaks where it meets the side of the firm. Are there any piece of cake solutions, other than reroofing the entire porch?

—Lou, Newport News, Va.

A: Tom Silva replies: It'southward always catchy to pinpoint the exact location of a leak. It may announced to originate in one area, but water is sneaky and moves in unexpected paths. Then before you jump into this job, endeavor to determine where the leak is coming from. If the porch has a finished ceiling, for example, remove a few boards and check the underside of the roof sheathing for water stains—they may help pinpoint the leak's location. In the case of a low-pitched roof, you may have no alternative but to remove all the roofing merely to rail down the problem.

Chances are, the leakage is probably due to the flashing, non the roofing material itself. Damaged, corroded, or improperly installed flashing is a mutual problem at this location (and a lot of other locations, too). If the roofing textile is in good condition, y'all may have to remove an expanse of siding every bit well as some of the roofing to supervene upon any damaged flashing. (Mostly, the only reason to remove all of the roofing would exist if it's nearing the finish of its useful life anyway.) A capable roofing contractor should be able to make this repair for you.

Resist the temptation to plough the trouble over to a handyman with a bucket of tar. You might save some money in the brusk run, simply slathering roofing tar on the flashing doesn't really fix the problem, and can really accelerate corrosion by trapping wet between the tar and the metal.

If it does plough out that the roofing is shot and has to exist removed, y'all should have the flashing replaced at the same time. There's no signal trying to protect a new roof with old flashing.

Burn down-Retardant Cedar Roof

Q: I'g reroofing with scarlet cedar shakes treated with a fire retardant. They have a class C fire rating, the minimum required by land law. We'd like to keep them looking low-cal and new as long as possible. Just more often than not nosotros simply want to preserve them and maintain their fire resistance. Any suggestions?

—Raymond, San Jose, Calif.

A: Tom Silva replies: Just one: Forget about keeping your roof looking similar new; wood is going to turn gray no matter what you do. As for fire resistance, exercise non apply any coating that claims to be a fire retardant. Shingles that are certified as burn down-retardant will be permanently protected from fire. Equally for preserving them, the main thing is to keep the roof clean. An almanac sweeping (or bravado) removes pine needles, leaves, and other debris that can accumulate on the roof and trap water against the wood. Pruning overhanging tree branches will help reduce the debris and discourage the growth of moss, some other surefire killer of wood roofs.

There are any number of products that claim to prolong the life of a cedar roof, and piddling understanding nearly their effectiveness. Fifty-fifty the Cedar Shingle & Shake Bureau doesn't come right out and recommend annihilation. It simply suggests that if y'all're going to put them on, you should at least enlist the services of a reputable contractor with a solid record locally. According to the bureau, the most suitable products will be formulated specifically for wood roofs, and incorporate a UV inhibitor, a water repellent, and/or an EPA-registered wood preservative. Before you use anything, cheque with the company that made your shakes to be sure information technology's compatible with the burn down retardant.

Roof with Ridges

Q: The roof on my five-year-old cottage is plagued with picayune ridges. The house is a timber-frame structure covered with 6-inch-thick structural panels filled with urethane insulation. It was built in wet-atmospheric condition conditions and the timbers were green when assembled. Do you remember that acquired the problem?

—Scott, Portsmouth, North.H.

A: Tom Silva replies: What's happening is that moisture vapor inside the business firm is getting between the ends of the roof panels because they weren't sealed properly with cream. When the vapor hits the roofing felt, the felt expands, which in plow pushes upwards the shingles. Problem is, the felt doesn't flatten out even when it dries, so the ridges don't get away. Heavier shingles may help to keep felt from pushing up — but then once again, maybe they won't. And even if they do, the moisture may somewhen cause the panels' OSB capsule beneath the felt to rot.

The solution is to strip off the shingles and felt and inject spray foam into the joints through pocket-size holes drilled every eight inches. Just starting time hire a company with thermographic imaging equipment (your local utility can probably recommend 1) and have them take pictures of your roof so yous know the location of all the rut leaks; moisture vapor follows the aforementioned paths. So, after the gaps are filled, have them have pictures again, to make sure nothing was missed.

One more thing: Before you reroof, add some ventilation. Nail lengths of 1x3 strapping facedown to your blank roof. Run them from peak to eaves with their centers spaced 16 inches apart, cover with ½-inch sheathing and builder'southward felt, so shingle. You lot'll accept to add together trim to your eaves and rakes to comprehend the gap created by the strapping, and y'all'll have to install vents at the eaves and meridian. When y'all're washed, this roof-on-a-roof will continue the underside of the shingles cooler and the pinnacle side of the panels dry out.

I know this isn't the news you wanted to hear, simply I'one thousand afraid at that place isn't a cheap set. If yous haven't already, arrive impact with the architect and the panel manufacturer. Perhaps the manufacturer has a warranty yous can have advantage of. Or perhaps the builder will want to maintain a adept reputation (or avert a lawsuit) and will embrace or defray the price of putting things right. Just be glad you caught the problem early. I once saw a house where all of the panels had to be removed due to a lack of articulation sealant; the capsule was simply rotting away.

Ridge Vent

Q: We're shingling an addition with a roof that's slanted abroad from the chief firm. The roof meets the aluminum siding on the primary house. We want to vent it merely can't use a ridge vent. Is at that place something nosotros can apply to fill between the siding and the roof and allow ventilation without letting in water?

—Elaine, South Easton, Mass.

A: Tom Silva replies: There is a vent organization that is made for that type of application, where you accept a roof that meets a side wall. You cut a slot in the roof, and one row of shingles will come out and under to become flashing. Then your siding comes down and hides that piece. And then it's basically a ridge vent cutting in half.

Heating Cables for Gutters

Q: Last winter, we had a serious trouble with ice clogging our gutters. And every time it melted a bit during the day, the overflow would spill onto the walkway and driveway and refreeze at night into a sheet of ice. How tin we end this from happening?

A: Tom Silva replies: 1 way is to run electric heating cables within the gutters and downspouts. Turn the cable on during snowy, freezing weather so the water drains away and stays off your walk and drive. Be certain to utilise cables with thermostatic controls and then they don't overheat or sew together your electric beak.

Simply these cables only treat the symptom of a bigger problem: inadequate roof ventilation. In other words, the estrus escaping from the house is getting trapped under the roof and melting the snow, even when the weather is below freezing. That meltwater ends up refreezing in your gutters.

A roofing contractor tin install the ridge and soffit vents that a properly ventilated roof should have. Merely if you can't get this work done before wintertime, attempt placing a minor box fan in the attic to cool the underside of the roof. Face it towards the surface area of the roof that gets warm, and run it whenever there is any snow on the roof. That'south a lot less expensive than installing and operating heating cables.

Fake-Slate Shingles Update

Rubber Shingles That Look Like Slate On Roof

Q: In the Oct 1999 consequence of This One-time House, there was an article about the new products used on Dick Silvas TV projection house in Billerica, Massachusetts. At the time, Dick said he actually liked the recycled-rubber shingles on his roof—the ones that wait similar slate. I'm thinking about installing them on my house and wonder how his are holding upwardly.

—George, Rainier, Wash.

A: Tom Silva replies: Dickie all the same likes his "safe" shingles and says he'd utilize them again. (They were actually made of a recycled synthetic safe called EPDM, and plastics.) "Side by side time, though," he says, "I'll install snowfall guards."

Like slate, the surface of his shingles is relatively smooth, then snow slides off all of a sudden in corking clumps, clobbering gutters, porch roofs, and unsuspecting passersby. Pad-type or rail-blazon guards volition hold the snowfall in place, away from the eaves, so it tin can slowly cook. You can add them to almost whatsoever kind of roof, including asphalt shingles, but they're much easier to install during the covering process.

Just so you know, the manufacturer now makes these shingles out of recycled TPO (thermoplastic olefin), a material that is more durable and stable and has more UV inhibitors than the old conception. These new shingles are also available in five colors.

Sod Roof Basics

Q: I would like information on putting on a sod roof. Do y'all have information or practiced sources that I can look upwards?

—Gloria, Cook, Minn.

A: Tom Silva replies: I've never done a sod roof, merely your biggest worry will exist moisture. Brand sure you install waterproofing (similar an ice and water shield) that prevents condensation inside the firm, and insulate underneath the roof with the foam insulation. Taking these steps will create a thermal break and go along oestrus and common cold from being transmitted chop-chop, which tin can cause condensation, or fifty-fifty leaking or water ice dams.

Roofing Nails That Missed Their Target

Q: In replacing my wood-shingle roof with cement-tile roof, I noticed that the nailer sometimes missed the trusses when attaching the sheathing. I've heard that if I leave them they may work their fashion through the underlayment and cause leaks. Should I worry nearly these nails?

—Susan, Weston, Fla.

A: Tom Silva replies: By all ways yes! Whenever a smash misses its target, it should exist removed.

The installer of the roof shouldn't accept left them there. So if possible y'all may want to contact the contractor who installed your old roof. If that's not an option yous're going to have to have your new contractor get those nails out.

Sources for Old Covering Products

Q: I'g building an add-on to an early 1930s i-story home with a hip roof. The existing house has a metal-tile roof with a stamped pattern. I'd similar to match the new roof to the old one, but I tin't find a source anywhere. What does This Sometime Firm do in a state of affairs similar this?

—Neal, Charleston, W. Va.

A: This Old House replies: Locating a source of materials to lucifer what's already on an old firm is a real detective task; it's time consuming and sometimes frustrating. But it's been our experience at This Sometime House that, generally, nosotros find what we're looking for.

Your search will exist tricky because basic building materials, particularly those on the outside of a house, are often regional specialties, and they're not likely to finish upwards in architectural salve lots.

Then, like any good gumshoe, offset make sure you have a sample or a good closeup photo of what you lot're looking for. And then show information technology to every every one-time roofer, every hardware shop, and every building-material supplier you can notice. Check with local or regional preservation agencies. Post a photo on an Cyberspace discussion board devoted to house restoration. Look under one of the roofing tiles for identifying names or markings—and launch a Web search. Go far touch with an manufacture group like the Metal Covering Brotherhood or the National Roofing Contractors Association; they may be able to put you in impact with an expert who volition know exactly who made the tiles on your roof and whether they are yet being made.

When we can't find a matching material no matter how hard we look, we sometimes find a craftsman or manufacturer who tin make new pieces to match the quondam. Custom runs are expensive, but they tin be a cost-effective alternative to complete replacement of the old material. Good luck, and enjoy your search. You're bound to see a lot of interesting people along the way.

Dealing with a Mossy Roof

Q: What, if annihilation, should I practice about all the moss that'due south growing on my roof?
—Dorothy Plummer, Dingmans Ferry, PA.

A: Tom Silva replies: Moss holds moisture against shingles, shortening their life. Information technology also catches droppings—twigs, leaves, clay—that makes the moisture trouble worse. Just before removing the moss, grab a pair of binoculars and accept a good await at your roof. If you encounter shingles with surface cracks, small-scale blisters, curled-up edges, or areas where the surface granules have worn off, you probably need new roofing. Merely if the shingles are in practiced shape, here's how to become rid of the moss.

First, take these precautions: Spray water on all the plants nether the section of the roof yous will be working on or encompass them with plastic tarps. The 50-50 mix of water and bleach that's used to impale moss can also impale or damage any foundation plantings it drips on. Also, considering the roof will get very slippery when you spray the moss with the bleach mixture, stay off the roof and on a ladder during the entire process. An extension ladder with a roof standoff provides a secure platform.

Apply the bleach solution with a pump sprayer until the moss is saturated, then expect fifteen minutes or so to rinse the roof thoroughly. If your foundation plants aren't covered, rinse them, too. Now wait a week or two for the moss to dry up. If you lot can, get on the roof to brush information technology off. If not, the dead moss will eventually wash away.

To forestall the moss from returning, install zinc or copper strips near the roof ridge, above the areas that tend to become mossy. Rain washing over the strips will leach out metal ions and send them downward the roof, preventing new moss from taking hold. You tin can notice these strips online at zincshield.com. Also, trim any overhanging tree branches as much equally you tin can. Moss thrives in the shade that trees provide and the debris they drop.

Wha to Do with Old Roof Sheathing

Q: We plan to supercede the roofing on our 100-year-erstwhile house with architectural cobblestone shingles that tin can stand up to the occasional hurricane we get around here. While we're at information technology, should we too accept off the roof's original board sheathing, which is however sound, and replace it with plywood?
—Ed and Peggy Simmer, Suffolk, VA

A: Tom Silva replies: There's no demand to remove the board sheathing. Information technology really adds strength to the roof and makes it easier for roofers to do their job. Just have them nail any loose boards tight to the rafters. Then they can cover the entire roof with ½-inch plywood capsule.

Brand sure the new plywood sheets are placed then that their brusk edges land over a rafter and there's about a 1/8-inch gap effectually each sheet to permit them to expand. In hurricane country, plywood should be nailed every 6 inches into each underlying rafter using galvanized, band-shank, 8d mutual nails, such as the HurriQuake blast made by Bostitch. Anything less and your roof could blow off in a storm. The underlayment and shingles accept to be applied with similar care, following the requirements laid out in the local building code.

Stripping Roof Paint

Q: Is removing latex paint from a copper roof something I might be able to do myself?

—David, New Harmony, Indiana

A: This is a big chore requiring a lot of textile and a lot of hard work. Although if the copper roof is in good shape and you lot want to betrayal it, it could well be worth it. Nonetheless, information technology'due south just non something that is necessarily worth trying to tackle yourself. An alternate option: become a price from a professional person paint stripper on doing the task professionally. It'south important to be sure yous're dealing simply with latex paint and that in that location is no pb paint to remove. Also, as e'er, employ extreme circumspection when doing any work on your roof, especially if your experience is express.

For more on exterior paint see: All Nigh Exterior Paint

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Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/roofing/21017930/33-of-your-toughest-roofing-questions-answered