Steel Shingle Roof Benefits

April 10, 2010 | Posted by Jay

Steel shingles have been gaining in popularity over the past several years, becoming the most fastest growing product in the residential market. While closely resembling traditional shingles, steel shingles offer several key benefits that separate them from other roofing materials.

Steel shingles cost twice as much as traditional asphalt shingles but last nearly 3 times longer. Insurance companies are also likely to provide you with lower premiums for home owner insurance because the shingles are fire proof, wind and hail resistant up to 120mph, and made of steel for god’s sake. Because they will have to reimburse you less for repairs, they will charge you less for premiums.

Steel shingles can often be applied directly on top of your existing roof. As with many types of metal roof systems, the cost savings from not having to remove the existing roof can usually amount to several thousand dollars.

Homeowners that have a hard time stomaching the cost of steel shingles generally warm up to them once they see the warranty. Most steel shingle manufacturers I’ve found online offer up to 50 year warranties.

It makes complete sense to me that if you put a layer of steel on top of your house it’s probably going to last. I would also think it’s very easy to incorporate solar panels, or thin film PV panel systems into these roofs and have it look seamless.

Steel shingles are recyclable and better for the environment. When is the last time you saw someone dump 400lbs of steel ? Finding a local contractor to install these shingles shouldn’t be too hard. Make sure to go view a few of their previously completed job sites before you make any final decisions!

Categories: Roofing Materials | Tags: 50 year warranty, steel | No Comments »

Prepare Your Roof For Spring

April 4, 2010 | Posted by Jay

Preparing your home’s roof for spring can save you huge money by avoiding costly repairs caused by spring storms flooding your roof. Take an hour this weekend to see what effects late fall and winter has had on your roof.

Check for damage caused by winter snow and ice dams. Shingles and roofing support materials can be damaged by winter’s freeze and thaw cycles if water has penetrated the outter protective layer of your roof. Concrete and clay tile roof owner need to pay special attention to any broken or shattered tiles.

Gutter and downspout inspections are important to make sure the spring time downpours are routed away from your roof. Clogged gutters can allow rain to get under the lower placed shingles and damage underlying materials. Leaves, tree branches, and other materials collect in gutters over fall and all wash together with the first big rain to form frustrating clogs. I’ve even seen bird nests in gutters countless times.

The most important thing to remember when evaluating your roof this spring is Safety. Most reputable roofing contractors provide free inspections for homeowners. Read online reviews to find out which local roofers have the best reputation to avoid pushy salesmen.

Categories: Roof Maintenance | Tags: ice dams, shingles, snow, spring, tile | No Comments »

Never Remove Roof Ice Dams with Open Flames

February 16, 2010 | Posted by Jay

Removing ice dams with open flames can have serious consequences. A two story house near Rockville Maryland sustained approximately $1.5M in damages after a group of workers ignited the roof while trying to remove ice with a propane torch intended to install rubber roofing.

Authorities were called to the 6100 block of Neilwood Drive shortly after noon. It took nearly 90 minutes and 70 firefighters to get the fire under control. Firefighters had to retreat from the inside of the home because of fears it would collapse.

Luckily, no one was seriously injured. One of the workers was taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

You should never attempt to remove ice from your home using an open flame. I would avoid hiring contractors who employ this process. There are many experience companies that will safely remove the ice from your home before it damages your roofing system. If you are having problems finding someone in your area, you should search Google or Twitter for recommendations.

Categories: Roof Maintenance | Tags: fire, ice dams, maryland | 1 Comment »

Roof Replacement In 90 Seconds

January 8, 2010 | Posted by Jay

Complete Roof Replacement in 90 seconds. These guys Time Lapse 5 days of video footage into a quick overview of their entire job. Both the house and the garage roof get a great update here.

I like it!

Categories: Installation | Tags: garage, house, video | No Comments »

Remove Ice Dams From Roof

December 31, 2009 | Posted by Jay

Heat escaping through the roof melts the snow unevenly, leaving a frozen ring around the outside perimeter roof eaves. The melting snow runoff continues to freeze at the bottom of the roof forming a dam that continually grows as more water freezes on top of the existing ice. Melt water from the roof builds up behind the ice dam and flows under shingles and into your house.

One popular method to stop leaks from ice dams is to point a box fan at the underside of the roof, from the attic near the leak. This will often times remove enough heat from the roof surface to instantly freeze the water leaking in. You may need to open an attic vent or find another way to supply cooler air to your addict if the previous method does not work.

You should keep an eye out for Ice Dams anytime you see icicles forming along the edge of your roof. This is a good indication your gutters are full of ice and ice dams are on the way. You can buy long handled aluminum rakes, some with wheels, to help reach up and remove the ice dams. It’s not recommended to salt your roof or attempt to remove ice dams by standing above them on the roof.

One clever solution is to fill panty hose with ice salt and lay them vertically acrossed the ice dams. This will eventually melt down through the ice and create a channel for the water to flow off the roof during it’s melting phases.

Great Clip from a News Crew in Maine about Ice Dams:

Crazy Inflatable Ice Dam Removal and Prevention:

The Hard Way: Guy Beats Crap Out of His Roof While Listening to NPR:

Categories: How-To Guides | Tags: ice dams, winter | No Comments »

Will My Electric Company Pay For My Solar Power?

December 29, 2009 | Posted by Jay

Can you really make money by selling power back to the utility company? Federal law allows independent power producers to connect to the utility grid and requires utilities to purchase excess electricity.

Generally these utility companies issue credits to homeowners who manage to turn their meter backwards, paying full retail price. Once per year any unused accumulated credits are paid out in the form of a check based on the wholesale or avoided cost for energy. This price is typically 2 to 3 cents per kilowatt.

Net metering refers to your overall usage from the utility company minus the amount of power you have generated. Nearly all standard utility meters can measure both the flow of energy in and out of a home’s system. If you’re considering the installation of a PV solar array you should contact your utility company and ask them to explain their policy on net metering and compensation for surplus power you may generate.

Categories: Go Green | Tags: net metering, utility company | 1 Comment »