Roof Snow Removal – Calculate Your Snow Load
December 14, 2009 | Posted by Jay 
Winter is here and it’s time to think about your Roof Snow Removal. Just how important is shovelling off your roof after a snow storm? Here are a few statistics to help you decide when it’s time to drag out the ladder.
How much does snow weigh? A square foot of snow 1″ deep weights 1.25 pounds. So if you have 20 inches of snow, you’ve got a 25lbs/ sq ft snow load on your roof. Ice weights 5.2lbs per sq ft so be sure to factor this in.
Most roofs can withstand around 40lbs/sq ft of snow load, while some older roofs and manufactured homes start to show damage around 30lbs/sq ft.
What’s worse than your roof buckling under the weight of the snow? Falling off it while shovelling after slipping on the stuff. Be careful! Hire a contractor if you’d like to avoid the risks.
Categories: Roof Maintenance | 
Tags: snow | 
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Color Changing Roof Tiles Could Save Billions
December 3, 2009 | Posted by Jay 
A team of MIT graduates called Thermeleon have invented a color changing roof tile that reacts to ambient heat temperatures.
The tiles turn white when it’s hot, black when it’s cold. This allows your roof to absorb heat in the winter and reflect heat in the summer.
This simple invention could save billions in energy costs annually.
The white tiles reflect an estimated 80% of the suns rays, while the black tiles reflect around 30%.
The tiles use a commercial polymer combined with a water solution. When the temperature falls below a certain level the polymer stays dissolved and the black back of the tile is fully exposed. A simple and effective way to get and entire roof to flip between the most efficient colors.
Durability testing is now underway. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a version of thse come to market in the next 5 to 7 years.
Categories: Go Green | Tags: MIT | No Comments »
Thin-film Photovoltaic (PV) Roof Laminates
November 23, 2009 | Posted by Jay PV Laminates combine very thin film and stainless steel foil, perfect for use in building materials. PV film has been around since the early 1970’s, but it’s rate of evolution and range of use has continued to increase sharply over the past decade.
Uni-Solar produces a laminate “solar sticker” that bonds directly to metal roof panels.
The metal roof panels are next installed normally and the laminates are wired togetehr into a series that plugs into an inverter.
In this video Steve Heckeroth explains PV laminates, their history, and installation.
One key benefit of choosing PV Laminates for your solar energy solution is that it is very resistant to damage. It won’t shatter like glass, it doesn’t require mounting like panels, and it’s very module so if it is somehow damaged it’s very simple to replace small areas.
Categories: Solar Tiles | Tags: uni-solar | No Comments »
Lightweight IB Roofing Systems Solar Panels
November 21, 2009 | Posted by Jay Easy to install, lightweight, flexible solar panels are now a reality. Seamless integration gives you all the advantages of solar power without much pain in the rear. These low maintenance roll out solar tiles from IB Roofing require no additional support or engineering, just roll them out, tack them down, and plug them in.
Everything can be installed by a single contractor. Federal and state tax credits are available for almost anything with the word “solar” in it.
One key benefit of these lightweight panels is the low price to temporarily remove and replace them when your roof needs to be repaired or replaced. Typically, dismounting and reassembling and older era solar array could run $3-5,000.
The price to outfit a typical home with these panels is generally around $7-$9,000. Roof Tax Credits will typically cover up 30% of the total installation costs (with no cap).
I think these have a chance of getting extremely popular once they have withstood a few years of storms and build some reputation.
Categories: Solar Panels | Tags: IB Roofing | 1 Comment »
Avoid Chimney Fires: Sweep Your Chimney Yearly
November 13, 2009 | Posted by Jay 
Because the last thing you want to have happen on Christmas is for your house to explode into flames you need to start addressing one vital area of your roof area, the chimney.
You need to haul yourself (or pay someone) up a ladder and do your annual chimney sweep. First time home owners need not fear, cleaning a chimney is an simple but dirty job. Did you know nearly 1/5 of all fire calls between November and February are chimney fires.
It is critical to sweep your chimney every single year to avoid certain incineration. Do an hour of research and surfing Youtube for tips on your type of chimney .. it’s not as simple as buying a sweep brush from Lowes and tieing a brick to it. In fact, many flu’s can be damaged with such brushes.
If you’ve already taken care of your yearly chimney sweeping duties check in on an elderly person you know. Most death’s from chimney fires are from people above 70 years old.
Categories: Roof Maintenance | Tags: chimney, fire | 1 Comment »
Solar Attic Fan Installation In Roof
November 12, 2009 | Posted by Jay Finding it impossible to cool your 2nd floor or primary living space because the attic is 150 degrees all summer?
You can now efficiently vent that heat without any hardwired fans or expensive electrician work. Now is a great time of year to get the vents installed (you won’t fry like an egg!).
Watch how easy Kevin installs this Solar Start fan for this homeowner:
Categories: Solar Powered Venting | Tags: attic, solar, solar star, vent | No Comments »
